Heat Exhaustion: Can heat kill you in medieval armour? (We find out, it wasn't nice!)

Fighting in the desert? wearing armour in the heat? Jason Kingsley OBE, the Modern Knight, puts his 15th Century Milanese armour on and risks his health. How did European knights cope in the extreme temperatures of the distant lands they fought in? #knight #armour #heat
• Executive Producer/Presenter: Jason Kingsley, OBE
• Director: Kasumi
• Featuring: Warlord
• Music licensed from PremiumBeat
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[@Munisk52]

Virgin historians: "we don't know how exhausting it would be, we have no sources" Chad Modern Historian: *puts on armour and goes out like a madman*

[@ModernKnight]

Lol!

[@euanskii2050]

@Judge Dredd comedy my friend comedy

[@bird__xyz9520]

@Judge Dredd Its a meme template, go look it up.

[@lancehandy6648]

@Judge Dredd looks like we found the virgin

[@panzermacher]

@@lancehandy6648 lol

[@donal935]

The fact that he credits the horse first is one of the little things that make me enjoy this channel

[@bcaye]

@Sean Terrance, thank you for your service and for your respect of our fellow creatures.

[@virglibrsaglove]

Agreed

[@brendonbewersdorf986]

His horses are very well trained every episode he does with them I'm very impressed

[@liyahhhbaddiee3872]

@@bcaye is

[@michelletaylor4654]

His horses live the kind of life all horses wish for.

[@BobbyLCollins]

Just imagine being that exhausted, and then having to dismount and fight for your life against someone equally exhausted and equally keen to not die.

[@lukrin3482]

At that point its the man who wants victory more, perhaps the exhausted man is more determined because he has worked so hard to get there.

[@christopherarendt3531]

I wonder if you get a second wind sort of like a runner's high and you just kind of are zoned out swinging around instruments of death like a robot

[@highpineapple]

@@lukrin3482 While this can hold true, don't forget that the body can only take so much

[@italuxx2370]

Hopefully they trained enough to not be completely exhausted by the time it was right to head into battle

[@9308323]

Why would you even dismount if it's not to rest?

[@bradeki2997]

Warlord: "Yeah, my human's kinda odd... but I like him. Besides, I'm a professional. I could do this all day."

[@mnforager]

Lol amazing

[@ccityplanner1217]

He is the Swiss mercenary of horses.

[@michaelmerck7576]

That a really snazzy looking helmet ,the entire setup looks like it would be very expensive to make

[@andresvalverde5182]

@@michaelmerck7576 It's gothic knight armor, originating from modern day Germany. There are very few blacksmiths which still craft these very fine armours but they exist, mainly in eastern Europe.

[@Shishihokodan]

Sir Kingsley, as a guy who has fought on foot at several years and events, for hours at a time, there are simple ways to help. I recognise so much of what you say, but I have some points I've found out along with my friends and colleagues. 1. Drink before going out, copious amounts, and stock up on salts, minerals and energy, as much as you can. 2. Take your armoured jacket/doublé and/or padded coif, and drown them in water before putting on the rest of the armour. My average time before hitting my limit almost doubled. 3. When in the field, use any chance to drink more, and also, if you have it availible, pour water down your doublé again, to reinforce the cooling process. 4. Choose your route. at times, as a leader of a small group of heavily armoured soldiers, we found that taking a slightly longer route, that was flatter and/or in the shade, whenever possible. The glare of the sun was one of the primary factors why people hit their limit quicker. 5. Rest. At any lull in the fighting, we tried to sit, or even lie down in the shade, if just for one to three minutes. Just that tiny amount of slowing down and almost "napping" saved me several times. 6. Effective squires. Not only having the armour correctly put on, but at one event specifically, we were fighting for so many days in a row, with the same people, that we learned each others equipment and learned so many shortcuts and simple things, that we easily took away 10 minutes of unnecessary time in armour for the heavily armoured people. That amount of time, not having the armour on, truly made a difference. But yes, how they did this in the medieval times, I truly do not understand. Today we have so many things, tiny things, that improves our recouperation and ability to get back. Splendid work, truly appreciate your work.

[@englishinba]

About #5: One of the most valuable lessons that I learned in the military was to take your rest when and where you can.

[@andrewut7ya511]

they were tougher because they needed to be in order to survive. your story seems a bit dramatic, what recreated battle did you fight where you had only 1 minute to rest?? you mean a group of historians light sparring?

[@partytor11]

@@andrewut7ya511 People might very well have been tougher in some ways and more used to fighting in harsh weather, but we're still the same humans we were 500 years ago and there are very physical limits to what a human can endure. You can be as tough and strong as you want but you'll still be shattered after a days march through hot weather. I'd wager learned experience in how to deal with the heat and how to live while on campaign would be the most important factor for keeping a knight in fighting shape. As OP said having a good squire that can put on your armour quickly is an example of how experience helps tremendously. I bet there's lots of other small tricks that they'd use to keep eachother going.

[@gf4670]

@@andrewut7ya511 Well ancient battles, and even modern battles as far as infantry and armor are concerned, were very stop and go. Even the most pitched battles were a lot like boxing matches; the lines meet and go at it for two minutes, then pull back for 2 minutes, assess and try to look intimidating and maybe say some bad words, then go at it again, etc. And very often, at least in the most experienced and professional units, the front line would be swapped when needed to rest, refit, etc. That was really where the discipline of Roman legions and Greek phalanxes, etc, came into play. And for cavalry, you're talking about a charge that either breaks the enemy line and routs that unit or gets repulsed and has to pull back or retreat. And lighter cavalry you're talking about harassing and skirmishing along the edges in a series of hits and retreats. The idea was to scare the other army, or at least a part of it, into breaking off. So yeah, there were many lulls in the action because people just can't go at that intensity for more than 90-120 seconds without collapsing. Besides, most of the killing in pre-modern battle was done in the rout and not on the line.

[@andrewut7ya511]

@@gf4670 i agree the old battles were incredibly difficult, im just saying the recreations are just wearing costumes abd doing a medium paced workout

[@FlameDarkfire]

Just hearing all the clicking and clinking of Jason's armor I can imagine the cacophony of a whole unit of knights charging.

[@JB-xl2jc]

FlameDarkfire And the hoof beats! And imagine if the horses had any armor too, like the cataphracts and their successors! Even a small unit of them charging must have been quite a sight.

[@m.kozlov8461]

@@JB-xl2jc Horses were armored with plate armor as well in later medieval period.

[@Kapsones33]

I think the closest experience to that sound you can hear is in the final battle of The King (2019) absolutely amazing

[@themysteryofgodliness6574]

@@Kapsones33 best series ever

[@Juubelimies]

@@themysteryofgodliness6574 It was a movie, not a series. Also, I liked it too but there were lots of things that could have been done better. Watch Shadiversity's review of it. It was based more on Shakespeare's play rather than actual historical events, which I disliked.

[@MarcusTullman]

*high-pitched Monty Python voices* "Oi! Timmy! What's that outside, then?" "Some bloke in armor is charging around yelling his head off, Mum!" "In this heat? Good heavens! Is he trying to off himself?" "Don't rightly know! Might be he is!"

[@Serjo777]

For some reason I thought of Eric Idle as Timmy when I read that :D

[@dawn-blade]

I love the UK touch. 3Head

[@Vietnow15]

Ok boomer lol

[@terminator572]

@@Vietnow15 Monty Python is a timeless classic you godless fucking Zoomer

[@gideonmele1556]

Only thing more Pythony is if some other guy runs out to meet him or tries to joust in the middle of town/someone’s picturesque garden like it’s 1066

[@eugenio5774]

Jason's schoolteacher: what do you want to do when you grow up? Jason: I'm gonna be a knight! teacher: of course dear

[@ModernKnight]

lol, you are not far wrong!

[@SlayerofFiction]

Correction "I am going to be a self made millionaire and then become a knight, devoting my life to doing realistic medieval research". ;)

[@Serjo777]

@@SlayerofFiction What did he do to become a millionaire?

[@torbenvanhaesslich]

@@Serjo777 He founded the videogames-company Rebellion

[@torbenvanhaesslich]

@Andrew Jackson together with his brother, look it up if you don't believe me

[@MichaelScheele]

Modern soldiers wearing body armor face similar issues in the heat. A comparison of heat buildup under controlled conditions would be interesting. Technology has evolved, but some challenges remain much the same. Jason, kudos to you for enduring all of that for your viewers. Heat exhaustion is no joke.

[@MedievalTrebuchet]

I almost got heat exhaustion watching this and I'm sitting in my air conditioned apartment eating ice cream lol

[@pchungvt]

ROFL

[@minerwaweasley1008]

In such a situation every other knight thought: "What was wrong with becoming a monk?"

[@direktorpresident]

No ladies' favours :-)

[@minerwaweasley1008]

@@direktorpresident But it is cool in the church during the heat :) Nice job for a younger son who would otherwise have to go on a crusade.

[@williamphillips6779]

I would like to think that I speak for a lot of other people - and I am pretty sure I do - when I say Thank You for all you are doing here. The vast majority here would just love to be able to do the same, but lack the resources. Most people with the resources are either altogether too busy to do this kind of thing, or just not interested. So please know how much we appreciate what you are doing.

[@ModernKnight]

We appreciate your kind words. Makes it worthwhile doing.

[@ieatcaribou7852]

I absolutely cannot believe you don’t have over a million subscribers. I just found you today and plan on binge watch your videos. I’m a bladesmith and really enjoy seeing the weapons of the period. VERY well made videos and as a horse owner I’m so glad you cared for your horse as well as you did.

[@GaetanoPirulli]

I believe it is a matter of time, this is a quality channel and it deserve a lot

[@jothegreek]

yeah do not worry he will but at the end he will become a dick like some of them

[@ModernKnight]

I hope I won’t! I do this for fun.

[@pekvek]

what's a binge

[@Vardemis2]

Modern History TV hey never mind about bad coments i enjoy what you do very very much greatings from austria

[@thereareonlysomanynotes2226]

Jason: *wears full plate clangy armor while tacking up* Warlord: "yep, this is normal." My horse: *spooks at sort-of-shiny tape measure*

[@zlcoolboy]

I'd assume he is used to armor based on being in this video.

[@angelinabrown2931]

I'm giggling. Horses are individuals. My horse rolled with everything. The horse in the stall next to her at the boarding stable got freaked out over someone flipping his hay into his stall too quickly. My horse must've thought he was an idiot.

[@ulrichkalber9039]

horses Freak out usually if they hear a Sound they do not know. i had 3 large Military helicopters fly by - no reaction. minutes later, same horse, someone dropped an empty paper mug on the table creating a smoll "popp".....and i got a nice Demonstration on how fast a horse can accellerate. Also Angelina Brown is absolutely correct, they are indiviuals on top of this. this also has a lot of influence on how exactly they react when they are spooked, some throw of their riders, others just start to run….

[@riograndedosulball248]

Plastic bag: *flying in the wind* My horse: *AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!* *RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!*

[@mrflyingcow5423]

Prince the big ass Horse. Did someone open a umbrella? Time to go fast and throw my rider into a metal fence. My head still occasionally twinges were I hit the fence.

[@bonniehowell6604]

Boy , armor is very noisy. No sneaking up on the enemy.

[@WontonTV]

Disadvantage on Stealth checks

[@HRRRRRDRRRRR]

@@WontonTV Should really be disadvantage & -10 to stealth tbh, imagine that echoing up a hallway at night.

[@Alex.T1]

good thing it's against the chivalrous code to sneak about~

[@Specter_1125]

Frank just gotta add a lining to each individual plate

[@JB-xl2jc]

Padding under places and outerwear would definitely help but would make you bulkier and even hotties. And I’m not sure you could ever fully silence chainmail.

[@RegisTraiter]

Further evidence of my "Jason Kingsley is an actual time-displaced knight" theory: - "It's hot and I'm sweating and it's all so difficult." - tacks up a horse wearing full plate anyway, gets on and rides out, charges around, comes back, probably sorted Warlord out before taking off the armor. - That war cry when he charges. The man clearly knows how to tell someone "I know how to hurt people you you're about to get hurt." - Anyone else would be guzzling water or Gatorade, Jason grabs a beer. - The somber tone of the conclusion; clearly watched someone die from heat exhaustion after getting through a battle unscathed a few hundred years ago.

[@andrewstrongman305]

I've been following Metatron, Matt Easton (Scholagladiatoria), Shadiversity and others for ages. Why has this channel only just appeared on my radar???

[@williamphillips6779]

You aren't the only one asking themselves that question....

[@pchungvt]

This is a fantastic channel. Jason is also a awesome presenter, I probably got the recommendation from videos I watched in Shadiversity

[@jdawg0828]

same here

[@craig9910]

wow this is the only one I've ever seen on my radar, thanks for letting me know about the others.

[@bondon696]

I know the feeling I've always been on the search for decent vids like this channel and I'm so upset I didn't discovered it earlier But hey better late than never

[@FlorisGerber]

As someone that teaches swordfighting, and has fought (admittedly Larp-)battles of 3 hours or so in a nearly full suit of armor (and on foot to boot, with lots of maneuvering between the fighting), I absolutely feel your pain. Just as you said, water management is one of the biggest issues during big larp battles. At Drachenfest 16 I drank nearly 7 litres of water during the final battle, and afterwards was too parched to pee. I rather doubt that a knight would take that much water with him, but on the other hand, riding is not as hard as having to run in armor, at least I assume. One classic tip is to drench your gambeson in water before the battle, which makes you a lot heavier, but also cools. Better to have to remove rust then to suffer a heatstroke. These conditions are the reason I do not have a plate on my back. On the other hand, if you thought plate is bad in the summer, i would recommend a follow-up video about wearing it in really cold conditions. In the summer, the plate seals the heat in, in the winter it seems to conduct it perfectly. Makes for a miserable chill, I can tell you.

[@fletcheyuk]

phaederkiel Do you teach in the UK?

[@tomray903]

that is what i was wondering what cold was like, it would HAVE to sap all the heat from your body

[@EmeraldVideosNL]

He actually already made a video wearing the armour in the snow. Should be in the playlist on the channel.

[@wobblysauce]

Some did like yourself and removed some of the protections to have better venting.

[@christiandauz3742]

The Crusaders lost battles due to heat in the Middle-East

[@shantopfloor1911]

I love how Jason took care of Warlord first, even though he was in a bit of trouble. How the animals are treated in this show always warms my heart. There is an incredible amount of kindness in that.

[@lottiefairclough-boyle]

There is always a good amount of care and compassion towards his horses 💞

[@chrisdoe2659]

You said "I suppose you get used to it up to a point" and that is much more true than you know. I spent 6 years in the American Army, including a year long deployment to Iraq, and you actually do truly get used to it. It's kind of shocking how much your body can adapt to the heat. If you did these sorts of exercises, in these temperatures, for a month, it would become almost trivial.

[@jasonkingsley2762]

useful to know, thanks.

[@bcaye]

Thank you for your service, from a fellow (although peacetime) veteran.

[@HisameArtwork]

Don't you get brain damage from overheating? My dad is of m.e. descent and that is what he said. That's why everybody has siesta then.

[@keklordgrey4522]

i agree... one gets used to it fast...

[@WickedWildlife]

Chris Doe very true When I’m not doing wildlife shows I shear sheep for a living, shearing sheds regularly reach upwards of 40 degrees C (which I think is roughly 105 farrenheight) and some blokes can drag and shear over 200 a day in those conditions

[@lindybeige]

It seemed to me, watching the slow-motion footage of the charging horse, that it did not get the height between strides that it would normally - that the armoured rider was heavy enough to keep the horse's posture lower.

[@sasalazarevic1475]

Good day to you, good Sir!

[@ModernKnight]

I've not noticed that from first-hand experience, though one of the riding skills necessary is compensation for the horse's movement. I shall pay more attention to it next time.

[@ModernKnight]

They didn't ride draught horses, lol, all the evidence we have is that western knights typically rode stallions of about 15hh to max 16hh, so exactly the same size and type as Warlord. He manages perfectly well. I've ridden rings around knights on heavy horses literally, they're not built to turn but to pull and are slow!

[@emorysaint7116]

instablaster

[@peterclarke7240]

Where'd you get that from? There's an interesting Wikipedia page called "horses in the middle ages" that's well worth a read and dispelled quite a lot of the Hollywood and fantasy myths around war-horses, citing multiple experiments by the Royal Armouries in Leeds, UK, which used examples of actual mediaeval horse armour with horses that were the right size to fit the armour. What they demonstrated was that height was rarely above the 15-16 hands mark, as Jason says, but that the "heavy warhorses" or destriers would tend to be of stockier, more muscular builds (better for charging with), but the majority of horses used were just normal horses that were well-designed for warfare. I think the confusion around horse sizes tends to come from the "bigger is better" school of Hollywood action scenes, and the belief that mediaeval armour was really heavy, neither of which have any basis in historical fact.

[@rabidspatula1013]

As a Viking reenactor I once nearly passed out after 45 mins of fighting in maille at 35C. Saw the tunnel and nearly went down. Breathed through it and got in the shade and slammed back about 2 litres of water in 2 mins. We just play around but our water carriers are angels.

[@lindabrookes1756]

Warlord is so beautiful. Should have his own fan-club!!!!!

[@kerryandrews4017]

Awesome! Here in Australia, there were many days in summer we just could not ride. The horses would be in the paddock already heat exhausted, covered in sweat standing under trees. Heat exhaustion is a horrible thing. Loved seeing the stables and watching Warlord tearing around the place. He is lovely.

[@WickedWildlife]

Kerry Hockey so true We are shearing today and it’s already 38 degrees at 9am!

[@angelinabrown2931]

I love Warlord. He's an amazing horse.

[@cricket8438]

Kerry Hockey here in the Southern part of the USA, our horses are kept in the barn under fans during the day and turned out at night when it is cooler. There are MANY days when riding is impossible after 7:00 AM.

[@user-uy1rg8td1v]

I can't imagine how horses in armor took the heat.

[@andrewgillis3073]

It is difficult to quantify how many knights died of Heat Stroke in a tournament, as their deaths are often attributed to other causes (Often listed as suffocation). Even though Europe was a little cooler than it is today, knights and men at arms did succumb to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. In battle, it was rare if any knight or soldier was looked at to see how they died. At some Battles, like Agincourt, there was also the possibility of drowning. Many helmets, like the pig nose basicnet or great helm, were difficult to free from the suction of thick mud. I know of at least one re-enactor who had to be bodily pulled out of his helmet.

[@jacquelinetaylor8683]

The reaction from the horses when you were leading out Warhorse was fascinating. They obviously enjoy being ridden and working as they would have in medieval times. You could hear by their wining that they wanted to be going out with you.

[@geoMARROTT]

It is watching History in Motion. I have always been captivated by castles, knights and medieval times. If there is one thing I love about Modern History is the authenticity it brings.

[@mrsillywalk]

Late Roman Empire called their mounted nights "boiler boys"! An apt image!

[@hivezphone]

Clibanarii, that is.

[@galahaddayne]

When you were charging forward with Warlord it looked awesome and you guys looked invincible, just imagine how the footmen would feel looking at a whole armada of mounted knights charging at them, must be terrifying, very informative video. It would be fascinating to see one of your jousting videos from the tournaments, lol seems like Warlord had a fun time too.

[@jasonkingsley2762]

thanks, Warlord enjoys showing off infront of the camera.

[@bcaye]

@@jasonkingsley2762, he should, he is fabulous! You are as well, going to this effort to recreate history. I can see you love it and care for your animals, so nice.

[@ainmaloy1727]

My teacher of LARP-fencing for many years take a part in reconstruction of a battle Moscow (september 7 1812). Once he tould us about one icident happend to him there. That year he was there as russian light infantry soldier. He was at battlefield and suddenly he saw french cuirassier charging him. It was clear to him that it is not a real battle and the horseman woun't do him any harm. My teacher is a realy strong and tough man but he said that it was the most frightening moment in his life.

[@JukeboxTheGhoul]

Most of the time, horses don't actually trample the troops they're charging towards because people's bodies very much fit the description of being difficult terrain. Almost all the effect of the cavalry charge is the terror of that mass coming towards you as a footman. Secondarily is the poking and slashing, because of the reduced range they have. We have records of Napoleonic period companies preventing a cavalry charge by laying down on the ground, which lead the horses to avoid trampling them because they don't want to step on people. This didn't happen always because it's hard to coordinate and takes courage to not scramble away Source - my A level teacher who went to Oxford for Military History who regularly went to medieval history conferences.

[@KianoUyMOOP]

Didn't stop the English archers from standing their ground at Agincourt though.

[@patrickbarrett5650]

We need neighbours like you during lockdown, I’d be at the windows all day. What a fabulous sight (oh to be in England ). 👏🏻

[@prophetisaiah08]

I haven't done any training in armor, but I did work outdoor labour in northern Canada. Our cold-weather clothing would have similar effects to the arming garments you mentioned. It's weird to think that you can get heat exhaustion in -25°C, but it's very possible. Remember, the air ouside might be -25, but inside your snow suit is WAY hotter than that, especially if you're exerting yourself over a notable period of time.

[@axlefoxe]

Its interesting that plate developed in more northern climates but in the hottest parts of the world, mail stayed in usage right up into the 19th century, with all of the holes it probably allowed heat to escape and air flow of the charge and maneuver to get through better.

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

you also had lamenar armor as wuite popular in southern regions.

[@Csarci]

owning and wearing chain can confirm its much more comfortable in temperature extremes.

[@benjaminthibieroz4155]

The guy is completely exhausted from heat but he still takes time to bring back his horse. Respect.

[@SomeoneBeginingWithI]

"It's an incredibly hot day outside" ... "Let's see what it's like outside" ... "It's very hot" Jokes aside, much respect to you for taking opportunities to test things like this, and for taking such good care of your horses. I'm glad you got yourself back before you were too tired to get off the horse, that could have been a nasty situation!

[@mattiron9312]

I have been watching these with my kids due to lock down. And not only finding them interesting but also finding the presenter rather attractive. 😉

[@IndianaDundee]

That horse seems to know he’s on camera. Beautiful.

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

This is why they probably chose the day of battle whenever they could to be under cloudy sky and preferably early in the morning :)

[@crusaderofthelowlands3750]

Or... NIGHT ATTACKS! Though then you'd have the problem of not being able to see anything, let alone distinguish friend from foe.

[@Starry_Night_Sky7455]

@@crusaderofthelowlands3750 I would have to be on night attacks. Not a morning person, nope. 12AM? Alright.

[@HRRRRRDRRRRR]

​@@crusaderofthelowlands3750 Keep in formation and hit anyone that's facing you.

[@crusaderofthelowlands3750]

@@HRRRRRDRRRRR Kinda hard to walk in formation during a night attack. Night attacks mostly target people' encampments, the enemy isn't just sitting around in an open field.

[@Historynerd30]

Dying in the morning is also a lot more comfortable to me😂😂😂

[@kinjiru731]

I appreciate that you didn't just talk about how the heat impacted those in armor, but actually demonstrated and lived it.

[@anthonyhargis6855]

One of the reasons "knights in training" were required to wear their armor all day. Having served with the 82nd -- late 70s, early 80s -- twenty mile forced marches take the same "getting used to." They build you up gradually. Many's the recruit that fell out from heat exhaustion. Just "discovered" your channel a couple of days ago -- the series on food of the period. Love what you're doing and need to do some "catching up." Can't seem to find what episodes came before (Food) "Part 13" though. Pity. I'll keep looking. And, having subscribed, I'll keep watching. Great stuff.

[@ieuanhunt552]

This would be very important. I went on holiday to Egypt during Ramadan. The locals would be working on a boat all day without drinking anything. I asked them if they worry about heatstroke and they shrugged and said "eh you get used to it"

[@thomasvertommen9526]

Love this notion, it opens up a whole other chapter on combat. It kind of shows you the average knight's required level of physical fitness in being able to actually keep fighting for prolonged times in armour and in any weather conditions. It ties in well with the concept of a professional warrior class; the daily physical training, getting used to armour as a "second skin", getting used to the weight of your weapons etc... My guess is that it will all probably help you up to a certain point, and if you account for servants running to and fro with ale, water and what not; a well trained man-at-arms could probably sustain combat for hours with short breaks, until the absolute limit would be reached. Add the rush and adrenaline to that and you've probably got people going beyond their limits, only to drop half an hour later... utterly fascinating, and near-impossible to simulate safely =D

[@marcusc9931]

The battle of Grunwald was on the 15th of July, and I've seen the heat be a serious problem to reenactors. This was actually weaponised during the real battle, when the Teutonic Knights took positions in the open, and the Polish king, who had his forces mostly in the forest, kept them waiting, going as far as listening to several masses before taking the field. According to one version, this is what prompted the "two swords" insult.

[@Loromir17]

There's something lovely about seeing the horse buck and jump in place after stopping :D Too often it is forgotten in movies, games and books that horses are not motorcycles, but living beings with character.

[@blinkyrem]

Makes you wonder about the layered armour of cataphracts in Anatolia, the Middle East and Iran. On a hotter day, they could simply wear a layer or two less.

[@l33tsamurai]

they COULD, theoretically, but also theoretically that one or two layers less could get them killed. so i doubt they did that...

[@SetuwoKecik]

And don't forget those crusades in holy land

[@kyle18934]

@@SetuwoKecik that was mostly mail at that time i believe, that may give them a bit more airflow. but the padding underneath might be a bit warm

[@gasmask7064]

cheesy cheese man no, from the sound of it they were in hell.

[@kyle18934]

@@gasmask7064 lol true, from the mild to semi severe cold of england and France to the blistering heat of the deserts of the middle east must have felt great when basicly wearing thick blankets under the mail. Oh man and the chain mail would get so hot The mail in the sun is problably one reason of why they chose white decorative cloth over the mail to reflect some sunlight

[@Azabaxechan]

Great video!!! Thank you! :) This is one of the things that I have wonder when I see a knight in armor since I was I child. Maybe because I am from the south of Spain and many important battles or sieges of our History happened in late spring and summer. One of the most important battles of the Reconquer of Spain was fought at Las Navas de Tolosa at 16 of July (1212) This place is in Jaén province and nowadays it gets almost 40° or 45° Celsius in summer. In the records of historians it is said that many knights and servants died by heat and disentery, caused by the high temperature and the lack of hygiene. In the place where I live, Málaga, in the scenary of the Reconquer, too, the Siege of Málaga took place between May and August of 1487. I asure you that there are days in August that even in the beach you cannot stand the heat. I do admire the strength and resistance of the knights and I do admire you (and the horse too!) for taking their testimony. :)

[@carlosbah4623]

That's one of the reasons why many knights from other places of Europe who went to fight as volunteers alongside the spanish Christians returned... That and the prohibition of plundering.

[@mawill432]

Love your channel! It makes me nostalgic of the old History channel where content like this was commonplace. You make quality videos that myself and my children can enjoy. Please keep it up!

[@skyreach669]

Warlord looked so happy to do those charges lol.

[@camillephilippon9594]

Ever heard about the March'Alp project? In july 2019, four historians reenacted the crossing of the Alps by king François the 1st and his army in 1515 (a few weeks before the Marignan battle). 28 km long and 1300 meters elevation hike in full armor with horses. François the 1st wrote that he was "very upset" to wear the armor in the mountains. Two of the history buffs were wounded during the ascension, but they made it to the top.

[@MrSoundSeeker]

Very nice video. It reminded me of some historical fact. In 1410 a battle of Grunwald took place. Before the fight Polish-Lithuanian forces waited in the forest while Teutonic Knights waited in the sun. Now I can clearly see the impact on human body, that the sun has. Your videos are soooo great because we could understand history not in the sense of words written on paper but actual people, their reactions and the daily life. Great!

[@sirandrelefaedelinoge]

Warlord seems to be having a whale of a time; he's a very beautiful horse...

[@lorib1696]

Watching this video made me actually nervous. Even the horses were looking skeptical in the beginning. I've seen heavy fighters at SCA events pass out from heat exhaustion when it gets over 90F. Some have tried to put ice packs inside their armor but it doesn't help. The packs melt and heat up more quickly than the armor can be opened up to replace them. I don't even like watching in the hottest part of the summer. The heat is way more brutal than the fighting. I have to say though you and Warlord look magnificent!

[@vickierayhill4637]

Saw the thermometer in the beginning: Laughs in August Pennsic heat and humidity....

[@jeffreyrobinson5769]

That horse is a star and seemed to enjoy himself what a gentle giant

[@gooddeal3186]

I can't believe you did this man. You are a brave soul.

[@franzbauer1367]

I remember walking the 3,5km from the Campsite to the fair at MPS Rastede in full armor during the summer. I think it was 35°C... there was a single tree about halfway where everybody would stop to spend a few minutes in the Shade 😂 god it was hot that day. Didn't help with mead consumption either, it went straight to your head. I also remember the Armor was so hot that you couldn't touch it. I had to sit in the shadows for about 10 minutes before my squire could start taking it off.

[@MedievalTrebuchet]

I wonder if wearing a cloth surcoat like the crusaders would keep the sun off the metal and keep you cooler. The question then would also be whether black cloth or white works better.

[@samprastherabbit]

I'm thinking that a tabard- something worn over plate that features quite a but in Italian art might be worth looking into for heatwaves but it seems overheating in armour is an issue no matter where in the world you are. Great video- thank you for uploading!

[@nguyenming1987]

white cloth works wonderfully. You can try it yourself, put 3 pieces of metal on the ground under the sun on a hot day. First one with no cover, cover other pieces with black and white cloth respectively. Let them sit for an hour then check. The bare metal would be so hot that it can burn your skin, the piece cover with black cloth would still be hot but will not burn you. The one covered with white cloth would be quite comfortable to handle (comparing to others pieces ).

[@Samuel9]

Obviously white cloth would be better. You can try it yourself in summer just by wearing a black shirt and then a white shirt. I can garantee you will notice the difference.

[@Scoelho83]

maybe tabard and put water around the armour help

[@jillbill7752]

White has the highest albedo, meaning it reflects the most light, therefore absorbing less heat. Black has the lowest albedo meaning it absorbs the most light and therefore the most heat.

[@Tacitus-qd3ev]

While I obviously enjoyed the topic of the video, I also really appreciate how you treat your horse. Such a magnificent creature, it is fortunate to have a caring owner like you.

[@LizzieWestBathandBody]

Warlord and Jason are very cohesive. They work well together. Jason you trained him very well. His cues, he listens and reacts to his requests with his tail and ears! Well done! Glad you are ok. Great experiment.

[@ModernKnight]

thanks

[@maddie9602]

*Epic music plays* Jason: slowly dies of heatstroke

[@jig-ga]

7:35 when you look at warlord and he looks back. i caught that little moment :D too cool

[@joshuawagner2590]

As I was watching, I couldn't help but say "Go Warlord, go!" Oh, and the knight's there too. Lol.

[@sirchsirch9949]

I'm not sure what I like best about this channel - the exploratory hands-on history, Jason's enthusiasm or the beautiful horses. What I hate is that I've seen all the videos!

[@ModernKnight]

sorry, more comming soon!

[@eyarouziel3528]

When you yelled and charged and the music swelled up, i started to well up... I can tell you as a former soldier in the middle east (with modern gear of course) that heat exhaustion sucks, but it's just a fact of life that you have to manage, mostly by drinking a TON. At the hottest days we had to drink a full canteen of water, that's 750cc, every half an hour, and of course trying to focus the activity times on the cooler hours of the day if possible (time of day can be as important strategically as the terrain when utilized correctly). Conditioning, fitness and age also help. That being said, I don't know if even the heaviest modern gear compares to full plate Armour sealing you from the tip of your feet to the tip of your head...

[@swatson1190]

I am a firefighter. Full turn out gear in the extreme heat of an Arkansas summer(100 degrees plus humidity) fighting fire for hours. I totally get it. tons of water and Gatorade if possible. we still have guys fall out every summer from the intense heat.

[@ArleneAdkinsZell]

Wow, Warlord charging with an armored knight is quite impressive and I admire Jason for getting out there and doing the physical research instead of relying on texts.

[@XandruReguera]

The first charge of Warlord with your warcry brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for posting this Sir.

[@ModernKnight]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@acertainredpanda1115]

I really like how Jason handles the horses. He really cares for their well-being. He makes me very interested in horses, they seem like wonderful animals.

[@ladyofthemasque]

Back in the late 1980s, I went to an SCA event (medieval society) with a tournament, and one of the watching ladies called over one of the punchdrunk-looking fighters, had him sit in the shade, put his helm on the table in the sunlight, and held a thermometer inside the dome, without touching it. Curious, I watched the air inside this helmet rise up above 110F...above 115F...above 120F, in one minute. She said, "You are ALL done fighting for the day. NO arguing." The thing was, they HAD been fighting in the shade, but it was over 90F...in the shade. Add in the heat your body generates when you exercise, and you can get into dangerous heat exhaustion & even potentially lethal heat stroke territory before you realize it. (And yes, they all obeyed. I kept an eye on the thermometer sitting in the shade of the helmet in the sunlight...and saw it get up to 140F. NOT touching the helmet, just inside the dome of it.)

[@ModernKnight]

Yes adrenaline makes you do really stupid things sometimes. You need a sensible authority figure to make you stop!

[@ladyofthemasque]

@@ModernKnight She was later elected to be our first baroness of our barony (an organizational division within that medieval society). Everyone respected her & her mothering skills long before that point, so it was completely natural to appoint her as the First Mum of the region, lol.

[@zerof15]

My God this channel is absolutely awesome! The riding scenes were epic.

[@Will-Parr]

That’s an awesome horse, stable, and arena. The armor is amazing. Excellent demonstration. Well presented.

[@crusaderofthelowlands3750]

This is my favourite video of all time. Also, I do think Medieval people had some counter measures against over-heating. My guess it would've been the same tactics the Romans used to prevent their troops from tiring out. Kind of like this: Step 1: Assign the Knights to different groups. Step 2: Tell group one to charge the enemy. Step 2.5: Once group one starts getting tired, have them fall back and let them rest for a while. Maybe have a cold drink to cool off. Step 3: Send in the fresh Knights from group two. Then rinse and repeat with however many groups you have.

[@johnabbott257]

Thank you for all your incredibly hard work, the information and detail you provide, along with making us flood with imagination.

[@DerEddi]

I stumbled over this channel a few weeks ago and i REALLY enjoy it! thank you so very much for it! so interesting. i cant really say what my fav. video is... but i can say i enjoyed them all very much!

[@Mommamacnz]

This was really interesting to watch. I can't really imagine how hot it was in all that metal. But the sounds - the armour rattling, the horse tack jangling, the roaring as he charged. Amazing.

[@adamant4107]

I LOVE how much care is taken in these videos to be compassionate to the animals. Jason you're amazing! Really hope others are inspired to act honorably towards animals because of this. Warlord is, as always, awesome!

[@jackhunter3292]

It reminds me Battle of Grunwald in July 1410 when Teutonic Order's army had to wait for a battle in full sunshine for a few hours...

[@gabriel4596]

Makes you wonder how knights such as Templars managed in the holy land?

[@nguyenming1987]

if the temperature out side is too hot, wearing a thick layer of cloth especially while cloth will protect you from the heat better than wearing short and T-shirt. It will act as as insulation , preventing the heat from outside transfer into your body.

[@DarkMagicianMan20]

Their time only noble lord get access to plate armor. Foot soldiers using mail shirt and padding

[@Misere1459]

Templars and crusaders in Palestine was very very before the full plate of armor.

[@Misere1459]

@@DarkMagicianMan20 In the time of the "palestinian" crusades, the full plate of armor doesn't exist, and foot soldiers has nothing, or maybe a gambeson. At this time, mail was very expensive.

[@ronbird121]

bright gambeson ,bright sircode and chanmail lets air circulate.

[@LynneFarr]

This kind of experiment shows how important it is to try things out. Few modern Medieval historians would factor in heat in their discussions of combat. Texas ranchers & horses work cattle in 100+ deg F Temps on a regular basis, but they sure don't do it in armour. I'll bet the Spanish conquistadors had some problems in what was to become the American Southwest and Mexico!

[@andromeda1903]

this is the best channel for historical info. best host. love the production. love everything about it! thanks for sharing this awesomeness with us!

[@NSYresearch]

I remember doing a parade in full Napoleonic cavalry uniform and having sweat coming out of my boots one year. The sweat was dripping off our horses.. not great ... Lots of water on the horses and in us.

[@jeffwebster402]

Warlord a true stallion ... he clearly loves being allowed to stomp and charge around and burn off that aggressiveness.

[@minerwaweasley1008]

Awww... Warlord is a gelding

[@sterlingwallace7465]

Thanks so much for all the work, effort, time and cost you put into these videos. They are really truely fantastic and insightful.

[@theophilhist6455]

One of the best on KZbin.. Warlord is quite the horse as well ! Thank you.

[@jamesgoddard8375]

I've almost passed out in armour through heat exhaustion twice. I was well supplied with water but the heat just doesn't leave the body. Im fit and strong and I have no clue how they fought in the heat. I wonder if reenactment groups in places like Malta would know how it was done.

[@himanshuwilhelm5534]

So... When is rebellion coming out with their knightly combat game?

[@AshleySef08]

I don't know if he wants to mix his hobby and business together. But they would make a cracking medeival game no doubt.

[@KianoUyMOOP]

Let Warhorse Studios take care of that. However, I do thing Rebellion can benefit from making 'Longbow Elite'.

[@thankfulgrateful9623]

Watching Warlord is just beautiful. Glad to see you are well recovered. Take care and thank you for such wonderful videos.

[@Kikuishka]

The sound of the armor is very cool

[@Roxanewolfie]

so cool to see a bit of the crew from behind the scenes as well! but man, just thinking about having to wear that armour in the UK heat is making me sweat.

[@Gimmel748]

As a person who's lived his entire life in a Mediterranean climate and *loves* the summer - this was painful to watch. It would actually be interesting to watch a video about the things knights had to do historically when fighting in the Holy Land and elsewhere during the crusades. Also, it'd be interesting to see what the Jewish and Muslim defenders wore at the time.

[@david_aug_1017]

Keep in mind that I'm no expert, but as far as I know, the armor and weapons used in during the crusades were fairly similar on both sides. No plate armour yet, just maille, cloth armour and shields. But the locals in the Middle East and North Africa obviously would have been used to the heat, and would have worn more appropriate clothing and managed their water/temperature better. One thing I do know is that, according to historical sources, a great number of crusaders actually did die as a direct result of heat exhaustion. Especially those who wore great helms over their regular helmets.

[@gdhdi5339]

I did hear about one re-enactor here in Australia, who attempted a mock battle in plate armour. He lasted an hour, then collapsed. Myth confirmed.

[@jeffwebb727]

As always a very well done video. I believe this video is actually extremely important and does as you say, "Makes you think." It truly does. Thank you again for a great production! The work you do on this channel is outstanding and extremely valuable.

[@gungasc]

It's still being used in the military. Some units are on the opposite spectrum for the weather they will be fighting in. Typically takes 2 weeks to get acclimated to the weather. EX: State side while serving I typically drank 7-8 glasses, overseas in Iraq I was drinking about 7-8 pints.

[@jamesbizzotto7778]

Great video

[@050Hidden]

I like how conscientious he is of the horses. It's a nice trait he has.

[@PrototypeOnDemand]

man your channel is lit , I always pick up something new

[@KittyShadows]

as a Texan who has worked with horses in the dead of summer, this video gave me so much anxiety dear god

[@sarahrogers5490]

Ned stark out here risking a heat stroke so we can learn

[@user-os7kv5uq7f]

It's so much fun watching you. Thank you for sharing yourself with us 😊

[@theillyri8339]

The crackling of the armor would drive me insane in minutes, I'd use headphones with sleeping music to avoid it .

[@YuckTradingCo]

I'm never complaining about wearing pants on a 95 degree day again.

[@KurNorock]

I have to wear black pants and black leather boots to work during the day. But here it gets to 118+ regularly. It's like my feet are in an oven.

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

Interesting video. What maybe we must not forget: maybe that was one of the reasons why knights were trained from a very young age doing all these things. Sure there were enough warriors just killed by the heat. Now I know nothing about your further background, but I do not suppose that you were trained to wear armour from the age of seven on. And from my own experience in the dressage arena wearing a riding jacked, tall boots and all that official stuff: yes, it is very uncomfortable, and you are just looking for throwing the stuff off again. Regarding Warlord: if he is a Lusitano born and bread in Portugal, I do not wonder that he has no problems managing the heat. Iberian horses are much more used to dry heat than our local horses (even those in Germany). I experienced that with my boy (he was from Spain). He never had problems doing his job when it was hot, even though I really preferred a nice hack in the woods to training in the dressage arena at those times.

[@jasonkingsley2762]

Sandra Archer good points, especially about Warlord, though the heat here in England is very humid too. I’ve been wearing harness for over a decade and riding since I was eight. My guess it was just as hard for them as it is for us, but who knows!

[@peterspatling3151]

I was quite surprised as you said that your soaking wet arming doublet did NOT cool you down. Most reenactors I know say that this in the case. However at the tournament in Schaffhausen where they were competing at 38°C they also said at some point that it is just too much for the riders and horses. So the effect of the sweaty doublet cooling your body probably only takes place when you are not constantly moving/fighting/riding.

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

Indeed. As long as you carry out your task in hot weather, you simply keep on sweating - as long as there is water in you. When this is gone and you have no squire to give you water, you are pretty much out of luck. It may not matter so much in tournament or competition situations, but in war or also at eventing (when horse and rider are out for a longer period of time), it can get quite dangerous. At war, you dry out, during eventing, the rider is prone to collapse (well, pretty much the same effect). Though thoroughbreds may also be prone to dry out, as they are not as well-adapted as Iberian horses to this type of situation (think bullfighting, also some kind of extreme sports).

[@jasonkingsley2762]

the issue with plater harness is that the sweat doesn't evaporate and so cool you and even more troubling is it increases the conduction of heat through your arming clothes.

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

Let's put it like that: with this iron encasing, it is almost like being slowly cooked in a cooking pot? Oh dear, how very unpleasant.

[@pennydonato8072]

Love this channel so much. I really hope you will start making this kind of video again :) I know there is a lot of research behind them tho.

[@skipsabin7157]

THANK YOU SIR, THIS IS A OVERSIGHT THAT WE TEND TO OVER LOOK WHEN WE WATCH MIDEVIL MOVIES. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BRINGING US THE INSIGHT OF WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE.