Embroidered ceremonial Squire saddle

Among the art or war, chivalry is an unmissable feature when it comes to the connoisseurship of equestry and knighthood. In medieval Europe, a man who was aloud the title of knight started his career as page and after he proved his skills, he could receive the title of squire. A squire was the right hand of the knight and had to prove himself in battle and in capability of providing the knight’s necessaries such as taking care of the horses and carrying the knights shield. In cases of high rank, a nobleman would have paid a knight to be his squire.

In later periods, after the medieval period, until the 19th century, knighthood was only ceremonial since the battlefields had significantly changed since the invention of gunpowder and firearms. During ceremonies, noblemen still had squires on their sides who were equipped equally with their lords. A fine example of this tradition, is listed here.

A squire’s parade saddle, dating from the late 18th century, originating from Europe, either France, Spain or Italy. It has a wooden frame with leather billets, covered with silk and velvet. The gullet and cantle are covered in purple velvet with small brass studs. The seat and seat jockey are decorated with fine embroidered thread. The panels, which makes the sale comfortable to the horse, are padded with straw and have cotton outlines.

Conclusion: A fine piece of antique equestrian equipment. Seldom seen on todays market. The saddle has an interesting historical background and was rather well maintained