The guy in the very front in blue seems to only have a blanket and no discernable cantle. The other interesting figure is the third lady (towards the back) in green and all there seems to be under her, well, butt is a tiny pad in red.
The same thing seems to be true in the August panel:
http://humanities.uchicago.edu/images/heures/august.jpg

The lady in blue on the left has a red pad the maybe has the littlest hint of a cantle, or possibly just a very squishy pad. The other interesting thing is the couple on the right riding double. Given both his forward position and her sitting behind sidesaddle, it would seem to be an impossible arrangement if the saddle had any kind on pommel or cantle. Now, as a contrast, here is a detail from a military scene:
http://www.christusrex.org/www2/berry/DB-f95r-d2l.jpg

Almost everything I reference below is turn of the 15th c to early 16th c. Though some of the horn and bone saddles have been referenced as being late 14th c.

The Duc de Berry "Tres heures" are very difficult to see anything definitive regarding the saddles.

In the Howard Household books (1460s -1480s), there is at least one entry that I've found that clearly states "hunting sadyll", however it does not picture it. In another entry a warre sadyll is mentioned. So right there, at least in England you have mention of two types.

Duarte (1438) has an entire section related to hunting and he talks about the saddle and remaining 'firm in the stirrups'. He never gave the impression of a saddle pad with irons. He tells the reader that they should be able to ride in all types of saddles and that the saddle should fit the task at hand as should the riding style. He doesn't mention war (it might be that this is the section he never got to complete before his death). I believe he mentions that a rider should be able to ride bareback or without stirrups.

In Gaston Phébus "Le Livre de Chasse" (Paris XVxe). The saddles very clearly have cantles much like the war saddle.
http://classes.bnf.fr/phebus/livre/icono/icono.htm

German riding saddles and bone saddles have cantles and pommels but are much flatter than the war saddle with it's "lobed" wrap-around cantle.

So, it's seems that it is highly speculative in regard to just saddle/bareback pads with just stirrups. I believe some of the Eastern cultures did it, but don't recall if they had stirrups or just the pad.

In a civic jousting image from Germany, the participants are riding bareback and look to be attempting to shove their opponents off with a large, flat-headed lance.

I think you're safer going with a real saddle than just a bareback pad and have to decide about the style of saddle for the geographic location and the riding you are planning on doing.

(I've been looking at this stuff for quite awhile. )

Jenn

[ 02-14-2006: Message edited by: Fire Stryker ]

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Micah

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