Horse Harnesses and Armour
Below equipment of both the legionary cavalry as well as the auxiliary cavalry (alae).
Bonn Landesmuseum
Gravestones of cavalry soldiers in full attack
RGZM Mainz
Horse Harness
Flavian Period
Decoration of the horse`s harness was a primary way to show off rank and wealth, below examples in bronze, with silver cover and delicate niello intarsia decorations are from the 1st century AD, likely the Flavian Period.
Leiden Museum
Nijmegen Museum, and British Museum.
Detail Images from the examples shown in the British Museum,
London,
UK
Vindonissa Museum, CH
Carnuntum
Drawings from Roman Military Equipment by
Bishop &
Coulston, Edition 2, 2006 © M.C. Bishop
First century AD horse decoration (ca Flavian times)
2-3rd Century Period
Part of a horse's harness
Drawings from Roman Military Equipment by
Bishop &
Coulston, Edition 2, 2006 © M.C. Bishop
Phallic and Lunar hangers, luck charms (Nijmegen Museum)
4th - 5th Century Period
Horse harness in silver, guilded, British Museum, London
Other Horse Equipment (Horse Shoes, Saddle, ...)
A typical "hippo-sandal" to protect the
horse on rough roads
for a short while, thise were tied to the hooves. Leiden and
Nijmegen
Museums
Bronze fittings for a Roman saddle, front
and rear horn from
Nijmegen (for of those would have been used for a saddle, two smaller
ones
to the front, two bigger ones for the rear)
Roman saddle horns with inscriptions, Edinburgh Scottish
National Museum
Drawings from Roman Military Equipment by
Bishop &
Coulston, Edition 2, 2006 © M.C. Bishop
Additional Horse Harness and Saddle Strap decorations:
Horse Harness, from Nijmegen Museum
For more Parade Horse Armour click here
A horse head armour for the parade, from
the famous Straubing
hoard, Germany
Parts of horse armour and an example of a
cavalry lance / spear
Nijmegen Museum
Modern Recreations of Roman Horse Equipment
Related Sections of the Roman Numismatic Gallery:
The Location
of Roman Legions
from Caesar to ca. 300 AD is summarized in a table.
Military Equipment
Military Diploma
Roman Legionary Bricks
Countermarks of roman legions on coins are shown in the Legionary
Countermark section.
Coins making reference to roman legions are to be found in the Legionary
Coin section.
Wars and Victories on Roman
coins.
Roman Military Main Page