From: parr@acs.ucalgary.ca (Charles Parr)
Subject: Re: Another forbidden weapon
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 19:29:15 GMT
Organization: The University of Calgary, Alberta

In article <1992Dec12.001501.3914@xn.ll.mit.edu> kathy@xn.ll.mit.edu writes:
>In article <92Dec09.152446.15242@acs.ucalgary.ca> parr@acs.ucalgary.ca (Charles Parr) writes:
>>
>>And the saddles are backless, so that if you've been
>>struck fairly, you *can't* stay in the saddle.
>
>Actually, this was a relatively late modification to tournament practices.
[...]
>they also used saddles with break-away backs (but not to my knowledge 
>real backless saddles.  Where did you find this?)

Didn't, it's their modern solution to the problem...

>You may well be right.  I know some people in the SCA who are doing 
>jousting designed to break lances, but THEY ARE NOT DOING IT UNDER THE
>AUSPICES OF THE SCA.  They are SCA members who happen to do this at 
>ren faires as well.  If this is ever to happen in the SCA, our insurance
>policy will have to be substantially altered.  At the moment, we are not
>permitted under the terms of the policy to perform any equestrian activities
>not essentially similar to those one finds at a riding stable, unless the
>person and horse performing them are *alone* in the ring.  That means 
>absolutely, positively no jousting at eachother, under the current policy.
>I can say this with some certainty, as I was the deputy autocrat at an
>event at which we had horses here in the East last summer, and we had 
>occasion to call the Society Insurance Coordinator Opal Doerr to find out
>exactly what the situation regarding equestrian activities and insurance
>was.  Also, for the record, if you have horses at event, the insurance 
>requires that anyone riding be a paid member of the SCA, Inc.  

I just found out yesterday that they have incorporated their own
company for exactly this reason...Sounds like you are spot-on.
The company can do *demos* *for* the SCA, which is a switch;-)

>Assuming the legalities could be dealt with, frankly the idea of this kind
>of activity as anything except a demonstration between people *who had 
>practiced together at length beforehand* scares me silly.  Yes, police 
>horses can be trained not to freak out at all sorts of things.  Yes, it's
>certainly possible that a competent horseman could train a suitable horse 
>to be safe jousting, and that suitable armor standards could be set to 
>make killing someone unlikely.  Notice that word: *unlikely*.  Horses are 
>a dangerous activity, under even the most controlled of circumstances.  
>You can fall off a horse and be unhurt 99% of the time, but even for the
>most experienced of horsemen, there is always a chance of serious injury.
>All it takes is landing wrong, and you can easily break something in your
>back, or your neck.  Or the horse can step on you.  99% of all horses will
>do their best to avoid doing this, but if you fall under his feet, he may
>not have the time or the coordination to miss you successfully.  

I must be frank about this. If it scares you silly, it behooves
you to stay away. No-on will holda lance at your neck and force
you to tilt. Those riding will have chosen to participate in a
dangerous sport, but *they* chose.

>Then there are the number of things that could go wrong with the lances. 
>You commented that we should worry about the lance splintering and hitting
>the crowd, not the horse, since the horse would be wearing armor.  FIrst
>we should worry about the rider.  Historically, one of the British kings 
>(Henry VII maybe?) was killed by a piece of a splintered lance going 
>through his helmet visor and penetrating his eye.  About two years ago 
>a jouster on the ren faire circuit was seriously injured *the same way.*
>He lived, but I'm told he suffered permanent brain damage.  And this was 
>a man who practiced this activity probably daily, performing it with a
>partner with whom he was thoroughly familiar, having practiced with him 
>daily as well.  

See again the paragraph above. It's dangerous. So is mountain
climbing...As long as the spectators are safe, and the menace
is to those who have chosen to participate, it is our duty to
let them play their game without interference.

Carolus Malvoix
-- 
Within the span of the last few weeks I have heard elements of
separate threads which, in that they have been conjoined in time,
struck together to form a new chord within my hollow and echoing
gourd. --Unknown net.person
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca