HA for Doug Thompson

**Orda Khan** · 12-26-2006, 17:18

Just a small gesture for your services to the 'Horse Archer Friendly' members of this forum who I am sure have appreciated your guides and campaign reports

......Orda

**Vladimir** · 12-26-2006, 17:55

Are those water color paintings and are they created by you? Very nice if they are. Were their ponies really so small? It's hard to imagine them having any stamina considering the rider is as tall as the animal.

**Shahed** · 12-26-2006, 18:06

Beautiful. Nice Chistmas gift.

**katank** · 12-26-2006, 19:13

Gorgeous. The level of detail and color is amazing. Well appreciated by all HA-friendly member of the forums, I'm sure.

**Comrade Alexeo** · 12-26-2006, 22:06

Excellent, excellent work Mr. Khan

@ Vladimir: Oh, yeah, steppe ponies were really quite small in comparison to the great European warhorses, but they were hardy and had plenty of stamina (and the Mongols carried several horses per man with them).

**Kagemusha** · 12-26-2006, 23:26

Beutifull pictures Orda.

**Orda Khan** · 12-28-2006, 18:04

Originally Posted by Vladimir

Are those water color paintings and are they created by you? Very nice if they are. Were their ponies really so small? It's hard to imagine them having any stamina considering the rider is as tall as the animal.

Yes, they are a couple of watercolour studies of the Kutrigur Huns of the late 6th Century. You will notice that the first rider uses stirrups though the second does not. The introduction of the stirrup into Europe is generally attributed to the Avars. The Kutrigur Huns were one of a few branches remaining from the Hun Empire and still posed a considerable threat to Byzantium and the Balkans in the latter half of the 6th Century. The Avars reached Europe by 564 AD, eventually absorbing the the Kutrigur and Utigur Hun remnants; there is a distinct possibility that stirrups would have been used by this time.

The steppe ponies are generally recognised as small animals and classified as 'ponies' since they range 13.5 - 14.2 HH. It must be said that the Welsh Cob is also classified as a pony and I can promise you these are definitely not small animals. The Central Asian steppe is also the home of the Akhal-Teke (15.2HH), which is a taller animal than an Arab and renowned even today for its amazing stamina, so not all could be considered small

.......Orda

**IrishArmenian** · 12-28-2006, 19:10

Very good.
The ground has a very impressionist feeling to it, which makes the paintings that more complex.

**Doug-Thompson** · 12-29-2006, 00:00

Belated and sincere thanks, Orda. I've been out of town during the holiday.

This is, by far, the best gift I got.

**NagatsukaShumi** · 12-29-2006, 00:27

I demand that you give me your talent Orda, or I will have to sit here all jealous for a while

**Orda Khan** · 12-29-2006, 15:29

Originally Posted by Doug-Thompson

Belated and sincere thanks, Orda. I've been out of town during the holiday.

This is, by far, the best gift I got.

I'm glad you liked them, Doug. I suppose I should really have painted a Mameluk HA since they are your forte but I was working on these two as a gift for a friend, trying to achieve an Autumn mist effect. The second one is now in a frame and he will probably get it at archery this evening.

Also a big thank you to everyone else for the very kind comments

......Orda

**Carl** · 12-29-2006, 16:13

Having just spotted these I’d like to add my own comment and say that they are VERY impressive. I've seen a few good drawers when I was at school, but these really are something special. Me thinks your name might be turning up on Antiques Roadshow in a decade or 2 if your not careful.