Gaelic chiefs and kings paid for their soldier's equipment, except for swords and other more expensive or specialized weapons (but they did pay for armor, in most cases; while a lower soldier COULD get chain, a chief wouldn't pay for it, but for elites like Ridire, the king or chief would finance it), 'elites' had to pay for their own specialized training (in most cases), and while horsemen had to qualify in certain training tests (which they had to finance, if the tests would require any equipment, like 'javelin rings'), they had to provide their own horses.