This week the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is “Old and New from Amy at The World is a Book. Click on the theme to see her photos that inspire us to this challenge. I am able to respond with photos of horses. This wooden horse in the Tower of London is wearing a muzzle that was in use between 1552 and 1621. Its purpose is unknown. Perhaps for protection in battle or to stop the horse from grazing while waiting for the battle to begin.

Contrary to the belief that the horses who wore armor were large beasts they were actually not big by today’s standards and would have been around 15 hands. So they were smaller than my horse Biasini who is an inch over 16 hands. Here is the armor of Henry VIII . His silvered armor was decorated with pomegranite and Tudor roses.


Here is a photo of a complete set of armour made in Germany in 1480. It is one of only three complete sets of armour made before the 16th Century. It is on display at Wallace Collection in London.

Now for something completely different and new from 2018. Only the color of the horse is the same.


No need for armour now and less severe bits are used.

There is magic in the old and magic in the new; the trick is to successfully combine the two.”
― A.D. Posey
And here is the old and new succesfully combined.This photo is from the Changing of the Guard at the Horse Guards in London England.

Thank you Amy for this challenge!
I’d love to hear from you!