Roundel with Playing at Quintain ca. 1500 French Quintain originally was a tilting exercise in which a dummy or other target was employed by knights in training for the joust. Balance quintain was a popular variation. As seen here, a seated man held up one leg, placing his foot against the foot of a standing man; one person then tried to upend the other. By the fifteenth century, balance quintain was often played as a courting game with men and women.. Roundel with Playing at Quintain 469853