Armor Type: 

Brief Description:  A peytral is a protective piece of medieval horse armor (barding) designed to wrap around the warhorse's chest and shoulders. Suspended around the horse's neck and connected to the saddle, it shielded the charger from pikes, lances, and sword strikes during mounted combat and jousting.

A typical medieval peytral featured the following design elements:

Construction: Generally crafted from hardened, boiled leather (cuir bouilli) for lighter cavalry or steel plate for heavily armored knights. Steel peytrals weighed between 5 to 12 pounds.

Plate Design: They were typically constructed of three to five articulated metal plates connected by rivets or leather straps. A large central plate protected the middle of the chest, while overlapping side plates protected the shoulders.

Decorative Elements: As a major status symbol, elaborate peytrals were often fluted, etched, or embossed with the knight's coat of arms, religious stories, or family crests.

Attachments: The peytral featured prominent rings or buckles to secure it to the saddle and often included attachments for flanchards (flank armor).