Stefan the Berserker
10-31-2004, 23:45
The Equus Germanicus, or Germanenpony in German, was a narrow small Horse. Its modern Decendands are equal: the Dülmener Wildpferde, Norwegian Fjordhorses and Icelanders. Due to their size those Races are classified as Ponys, but they are hardnosed enough to carry heavy or armored Persons.
http://www.koelnerpferdeakademie.de/Bilder/duelmen/Duelmener%20Schoenheit.jpg
http://www.ig-duelmener.de/024-65.jpg
http://www.smaland-check-in.se/images/aktiviteter/N4_islandflera.jpg
The Dülmeners are, like the Equus Germanicus, Wildpferde. They were not breeded at farms, they lived wild in so called Wildbahnen. That means the Horses live at certain plains as wild familybands, without any domestic influence.
But how did the Germanics get the Horses?
The familyband near the germanic settlement is watched, they feed them in Winter for helping them to survive. Hunting the wild Horses was forbidden and the plains were the Horses lived had been kept free from farming, that resulted in a huge population of wild Horses. The Germanics capture some Horses if they need them, aka if the old Generation died they got the new one.
Equus Germanicus was very hardnosed and needed little food, due to it was still very small. But yet they got another advantage, the roman Horses couldn't have: Tölt and flying Pass.
Pass ist eine Gangart, die man nicht alltäglich benutzt, da sie sehr schnell ist und weswegen sie auch ”fliegender Pass” genannt wird.
Tölt ist die Gangart, für die das Islandspferd am meisten bekannt ist. Tölt kann man mit einem laufenden Schritt vergleichen, der viertaktig ist. Diese Gangart ist sehr bequem für den Reiter, da man absolut still im Sattel sitzt, während das Pferd bildlich gesehen über den Untergrund ”fließt”.
Translation -> Pass is a pace, which one does not use daily, through it is very fast and the reason why it is also called flying pass. Toelt is the pace, for which the Iceland horse is admired most. One can compare Toelt with a current step, which is viertaktig. This pace is very comfortable for the rider, since one sits absolutely quietly in the saddle, while the horse "floats" figurativy seen over the ground.
German Sources on the Web (not the higest quality but atleast some public proove for my claims) :
Dülmeners (http://www.ig-duelmener.de/geschichte.html)
Flying Pass (http://www.smaland-check-in.se/check-in1/tyska/aktiviteter/N4_fiskestad.htm)
As a Rider I was also told by my teacher how the "alte Germanen" (old Germanics) have ridden Horses: Without a Saddle and without Zuegel! I couldn't believe at first, but when I tried it definatly worked. Germanics have ridden without saddles and gave the commands just with their Feet, to keep on Horseback they used their Knees and held the Horse's Hair. Pulling on the Horses Hair doens't hurt them, the Maehne is above flesh fully composed of fatty tissue.
This kind of native-wild riding makes fun, but its hard. Anyway I don't do it all the time, I prefer my confident saddle. ~:) :charge: :charge:
BUT such kind of Riding, as like the Steppe people also did, scares people like the romans A LOT. :fainting: Through riding without Trense and Saddle is impossible to their minds, and Horses were just dumb Animals instead of Creatures with a Soul!
http://www.koelnerpferdeakademie.de/Bilder/duelmen/Duelmener%20Schoenheit.jpg
http://www.ig-duelmener.de/024-65.jpg
http://www.smaland-check-in.se/images/aktiviteter/N4_islandflera.jpg
The Dülmeners are, like the Equus Germanicus, Wildpferde. They were not breeded at farms, they lived wild in so called Wildbahnen. That means the Horses live at certain plains as wild familybands, without any domestic influence.
But how did the Germanics get the Horses?
The familyband near the germanic settlement is watched, they feed them in Winter for helping them to survive. Hunting the wild Horses was forbidden and the plains were the Horses lived had been kept free from farming, that resulted in a huge population of wild Horses. The Germanics capture some Horses if they need them, aka if the old Generation died they got the new one.
Equus Germanicus was very hardnosed and needed little food, due to it was still very small. But yet they got another advantage, the roman Horses couldn't have: Tölt and flying Pass.
Pass ist eine Gangart, die man nicht alltäglich benutzt, da sie sehr schnell ist und weswegen sie auch ”fliegender Pass” genannt wird.
Tölt ist die Gangart, für die das Islandspferd am meisten bekannt ist. Tölt kann man mit einem laufenden Schritt vergleichen, der viertaktig ist. Diese Gangart ist sehr bequem für den Reiter, da man absolut still im Sattel sitzt, während das Pferd bildlich gesehen über den Untergrund ”fließt”.
Translation -> Pass is a pace, which one does not use daily, through it is very fast and the reason why it is also called flying pass. Toelt is the pace, for which the Iceland horse is admired most. One can compare Toelt with a current step, which is viertaktig. This pace is very comfortable for the rider, since one sits absolutely quietly in the saddle, while the horse "floats" figurativy seen over the ground.
German Sources on the Web (not the higest quality but atleast some public proove for my claims) :
Dülmeners (http://www.ig-duelmener.de/geschichte.html)
Flying Pass (http://www.smaland-check-in.se/check-in1/tyska/aktiviteter/N4_fiskestad.htm)
As a Rider I was also told by my teacher how the "alte Germanen" (old Germanics) have ridden Horses: Without a Saddle and without Zuegel! I couldn't believe at first, but when I tried it definatly worked. Germanics have ridden without saddles and gave the commands just with their Feet, to keep on Horseback they used their Knees and held the Horse's Hair. Pulling on the Horses Hair doens't hurt them, the Maehne is above flesh fully composed of fatty tissue.
This kind of native-wild riding makes fun, but its hard. Anyway I don't do it all the time, I prefer my confident saddle. ~:) :charge: :charge:
BUT such kind of Riding, as like the Steppe people also did, scares people like the romans A LOT. :fainting: Through riding without Trense and Saddle is impossible to their minds, and Horses were just dumb Animals instead of Creatures with a Soul!