In the high medieval period, barding represented the apex of equestrian protection, mirroring the evolution of man-at-arms' plate armor. It typically comprised several distinct elements: the chanfron for the head, the criniere for the neck, the peytrel for the chest, and the flanchards and crupper for the flanks and hindquarters. While primarily utilitarian in protecting the knight's most valuable tactical asset—his destrier—barding also served as a vital canvas for heraldic display, particularly through the use of the caparison, a textile covering embroidered with the rider's coat of arms.
By the Tudor era, barding reached a zenith of artistic complexity, often being 'garnished' or embossed to match the rider’s armor as part of a coherent harness. In the context of English chivalry and the tournament, it functioned as both a demonstration of wealth and a necessity of the tilt. The weight of full steel barding was immense, requiring horses of significant stature and strength, and its use eventually declined as the advent of firearms rendered heavy equine plate less effective in the field of battle.