Samurai Steeds, Saddles and Stirrups
The horses and Saddlery of the Samurai
The horses used by the Samurai weren’t the sleek, long legged beasts you often see in the movies, but short, squat, shaggy creatures called Kiso-uma. Another name for the Kiso horses was Aka-uma, as their long tails would seemingly glow red when caught in the right sunlight. There are currently only about 120 Kiso-uma left in Japan, the majority being kept in Aichi, Nagano and Gifu Prefectures. Samurai would only ride male horses, stallions, as they are more aggressive. The female horses were used only for breeding and non-military pack bearing duties.
