Armor plating or covering for a horse, especially decorative or protective metal sheets placed over the animal's body during battle or tournaments.
From Middle English barde and Old French barde, derived from Arabic barda'a (pack saddle, armor). The word traveled through Islamic Spain and into European languages via military contact and trade.
Knights spent fortunes armoring their horses—some bardes weighed as much as 100 pounds and were decorated with golden emblems, turning horses into 2,000-pound walking billboards of noble status!
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