on a caparisoned horse at a
bullfight|220x220pxIn antiquity, a "magnificently caparisoned horse" takes a central place in a
vision reported in the
deutero-canonical text, , which prevents the
Seleucid emissary
Heliodorus from a planned assault on the Jewish
temple treasury in
Jerusalem. In the
Middle Ages, caparisons were part of the horse armour known as
barding, which was worn during
battle and
tournaments. They were adopted in the twelfth century in response to conditions of campaigning in the
Crusades, where local armies employed archers, both on foot and horse, in large quantities. The covering might not completely protect the horse against the arrows but it could deflect and lessen their damage. An early depiction of a knight's horse wearing a caparison may be seen on the small
Carlton-in-Lindrick knight figurine from the late 12th century. Modern re-enactment tests have shown that a loose caparison protects the horse reasonably well against arrows, especially if combined with a
gambeson-like undercloth underneath. Medieval caparisons were frequently embroidered with the
coat of arms of the horse's rider. In 1507, a horse disguised as a
unicorn at the tournament of the
Wild Knight and the Black Lady in Edinburgh had a caparison of black and white damask lined with canvas.
Mary, Queen of Scots, gave
Lord Darnley a caparison made of gold and silver cloth in September 1566. A caparison made of red taffeta for the horse of
James VI of Scotland in June 1591 may have been intended for a masque performed at
Tullibardine Castle. Velvet caparisons lined with buckram were made for
Henrietta Maria and her gentlewomen in 1630s. ==Domesticated and temple elephants of India==