*Jousting

The idea of adding in one (or more) new specialties is one which has been brought up several times previously, and generally been soundly rejected on the grounds that the horse population can't handle being spread more thinly right now. My suggestion involves a new specialty, but I'd like to stress I'm not suggesting adding this now but only if/when we're sure the populations can handle it. So please vote to support or oppose based on whether you like the specialty, not based on whether adding in any new specialty (regardless of what it is) is a good idea, which should be considered as a separate idea.

Anyhoo, the specialty I am proposing is Jousting. For those unfamiliar, this involves two armoured knights on horseback galloping towards each other and attempting to hit or unseat the other using a lance. This was most common in the middle ages, but is making a bit of a comeback today, especially in Renaissance circles, and has even been proposed as an Olympic sport.



Strength and Speed would be the most suitable stats for it, and we'd finally have an excuse to use strength for more than one discipline.

Traditionally, heavier breeds were used since the armour and the knight were always quite heavy and so a very strong horse was required, but today any breed that can be ridden seems to be common. This means that almost any EV breed could realistically be a jousting horse.

The tack for it is nothing short of gorgeous, and I believe with the new tack art system making it more visible, and also available in different colours, this would help to push up the popularity of the specialty. In terms of items, it would be something like:
Saddle = Jousting Armour Example1 Example2 Example3 Example4
Bridle = Jousting Chanfron or Jousting Bridle (essentially just the face armour, bridle, and armoured reins seen in the above examples)
Tail guards and splint boots make sense as being just the normal kind, so no special art would be needed here.

Last edited on 2017-08-10 at 11:00:50 by River

Not sure if anyone remembers Ludus Equinus, but they had jousting on there and I always thought it was one of the coolest things to include. That was the only time I've ever seen it on a sim site. I think it'd be a fun one to add, especially since as you say, any breed we have here could work fine with it.

I think even the pony breeds could be jousting horses so long as children were riding them. Kids jousting would be the cutest thing to see in real life! I'm just imagining some little pot-bellied ponies trotting towards each other with the kids holding some little foam lance so no one really got hurt. And since winning is usually based on scoring points from hits it would still work even though no one would fall off. I'm not sure kids jousting actually happens though, but it would be adorable if it did.

*edit* ok, back up, it's actually a thing. *dies of cuteness overload*


Last edited on 2017-01-27 at 23:49:06 by UlyssesBlue (spare)

I would LOVE this :) I would swap my Gypsy and Friesian horses immediately to this specialty :)

^ Seriously considering doing the same if this gets added.

Yay :) That would be so perfect :)

Some of the Spanish breeds on here are mostly only used for dressage, so this would open up a whole new discipline for them!
This is a great idea, and I hope it's one of the first disciplines added, if we ever add any. I would make an army of jousting Shetlands ♥u♥

Last edited on 2017-01-28 at 06:37:25 by Raptorfang Ω

I fully support this! I have suggested it on so many sites and they've acted like I was crazy. Seeing so many in support of it is heartwarming ♥ Once it gets warmer here I'm totally going to start training for this...

Yes, yes, & yes again! My family & I have seen jousting at a Ren Faire in the next state over & it was thrilling! The horses were amazing & so well taken care of. Plus the tack was gorgeous! I'd love to have another specialty that Strength can be used for.

I'm so glad to see this suggestion is so popular, and that so many people are interested in putting their own horses in this discipline if it becomes available. :D

I thought I would never support new disciplines being added... Thanks for proving me wrong, Ulysses! xD I think jousting is a fantastic idea. I love the tack for it so much, and it'd be even more amazing now that we can see the tack!

I support times a thousand! And to add to the multiple breeds, the couple that is always hired for the local Ren Faire breeds/trains/uses Morgans for jousting and they're fantastically gorgeous.

I think it could be a fun addition. I wouldn't be willing to give up my driving horses for jousting, but I could see my show jumpers being interested in taking up jousting.

And Raptor, I'm going to have front row seats to see your little Shetland army!!

I think this is a great idea and I would even start a new line of horses just to compete in those shows.

Some other suggestions I've seen going around are to have different colours and/or styles of the same tack available for decoration purposes, and Abbey has said she's considering both of these ideas. If they get implemented I think they'd work fantastically well with the jousting tack, considering the huge variety of styles, patterns and colours that exist in real life.