Alternate form and armour

[ShantyOddnut]

So I hope this isn't something that's been asked before, I've had a look and not found an answer,

My question is in 2 parts firstly:

The entry for alternate form for a silver dragon doesn't mention a duration
Does this just mean that they can stay in that form for weeks, months or years at a time?

And the second part is I know what happens to armour when changing forms but can the dragon use alternate form and then equip armour or barding?

(Bonus question: can familiars equip barding)

I'm trying to make a dragon npc that will travel with the party as a human for a while and I'm just trying to work my head around the rules properly

[sleepyphoenixx]

The Alternate Form ability of a silver dragon explicitly says they can stay in it until they choose to assume a new form, so yes.
The only limit is that they can only shift 3 times per day.

As for armor everybody can equip armor (or barding) as long as it's designed for their body shape and size, so you can wear some after changing shape with no problem.
Your familiar can also wear barding if you want it to, you'll just have to get some crafted or make it yourself.

[ShantyOddnut]

Cheers for the response, I was fairly sure about it but it's good to have confirmation from somebody else