PROBLEMATIKA JAZDECKÉHO VÝSTROJA A SEDU V STREDOVEKOM VOJENSTVE

The paper provides a cursory look at the different riding styles used in medieval Europe and places them in a broader Eurasian perspective. The author argues that the traditional hippo-logical distinction of la brida vs la gineta style of riding – popular in most military history narratives – does not absolutely correlate with heavy and light cavalry respectively. While this dichotomy may have been a preference on the Iberian Peninsula, other military cultures include examples of light cavalrymen riding in la brida fashion and vice versa. The paper instead argues that the variety of riding styles stem from a warrior’s ability to use different weapons more “ergonomically” while mounted. This theme is explored from the perspective of mobility versus stability on horseback. Riding with bent knees enabled a horseman to raise himself in the saddle. This led to superior trunk mobility useful in nonlinear engagements with hand weapons and horse-archery. On the other hand, riding with longer stirrups and a specialized war-saddle – while somewhat more restrictive than riding a la gineta – enabled superior leverage in the use of a couched lance attack and greater stability in the saddle over riding bareback or with shorter stirrups.