Encumbrance for Mounts

[GWJ]

There is rule for mounts - won’t go past Medium Encumbrance. This is 345 lbs. for Warhorse. My PC has a a Knight with heavy plate armor weighing 109.5 lbs, 3 lbs broadsword, and 15 lbs medium shield, so it's 124.5 lbs.

War saddle = 35 lbs
Rest of EQ (crossbow, bolts, lance, mace, and cloth) also have some weight, and WITHOUT provisions, torches, saddlebags etc. this is 174.7 lbs. So my knight must be 75 kg wimp or he can't charge to the battle on his horse?

[Polydamas]

That armour is about twice as heavy as most plate armour worn in battle, and the cavalry with the fanciest plate armour rarely carried crossbows and bolts and big shields. If you want to wear extremely heavy armour, pay extra for an especially large and strong (ST) horse using the rules in the Basic Set.

[whswhs]

Why would you load your warhorse down with all that stuff? Knights normally owned more than one horse. You have a warhorse for battle, a riding horse for travel, and probably a pack horse for carrying your arms and armor when you aren't using them, not to mention your supplies. Or at a minimum you have two horses, one to carry you and one to carry your heavier gear.

[Bruno]

Nobody puts all of their kit on a fully armored warhorse carrying the rider. That's like packing a racecar full of your laundry and snack bars.

You should have a donkey or pack-horse, possibly ridden by a squire but if you're a very poor knight, it could be just tied to your saddle.

Actually, you should probably have more than one person in your retinue, but definitely one dedicated to your luggage (along with getting you in and out of your armor, cooking your dinner, and all the other scut work).

[GWJ]

polydamas, which rules?

[Tinman]

Throughout most of history knights did not wear heavy plate armor. They wore mail armor. It's significantly lighter.

The Clydesdale breed of horse was developed to handle the weight of a plate armored knight. The Heavy Warhorse of the book is not meant for plate armor.

Suggestions:
1) Wear lighter armor.
2) Workout with your GM stats & price for a Clydesdale type horse.
3) Go to wikipedia, get info & convert to GURPS stats for a Clydesdale type horse.
4) In DF-5 Allies (p.11) There is a "Stallion". It has a ST 27. That may be enough for your needs.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by GWJ

polydamas, which rules?

It's in the basic book (In blue ink) just to the left of the stat's for the cavalry horse. (The page before the Warhorse.)

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Tinman

The Clydesdale breed of horse was developed to handle the weight of a plate armored knight.

A common urban myth, but wrong. They're a 19th century cart-horse/plow-horse breed. Their gait is jolting making them unpleasant to ride for lengths of time, their barrel is extremely broad (again, extremely uncomfortable, also a bad bracing postion), their pace is steady but plodding, and they're just too sedate.

They're 19th century tractors; they only exist due to the advancing understanding of breeding available at TL5.

[GWJ]

Umm my question was less about "if this is even realistic?", but more like "really? Only Medium Encumbrance? There are any rules to push horse to charge with heavier load?" :P

[Kalzazz]

I'd allow a riding check (probably at a penalty)

Note your 'Charge' at this point is not going to be very fast at all