Jousting is the most well-known use of horses during the medieval era, but was seen in tournaments more than actual battle.

Horses in the Medieval period in Europe had an extensive role in all aspects of warfare, culture, transportation and even national identity. While the most common image of the medieval horse is the destrier of the armoured knight of the middle ages, there were many types of horses, all specifically documented in historical literature, that formed the foundation stock for many modern horse breeds and disciplines of equestrianism. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2163x1203, 601 KB)Jousting at the Golden Gate Renaissance fair, San Francisco, California. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2163x1203, 601 KB)Jousting at the Golden Gate Renaissance fair, San Francisco, California. ... Jousting is a staple entertainment at Renaissance Fairs. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... A modern-day knight on a draft horse in late medieval plate armor jousting at a Renaissance Fair War Horses have been used in human warfare for millennia, probably since the time of domestication of the horse. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... A destrier is an historical term for a knights war horse. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... A young rider at a horse show in Australia. ...

Medieval horses in battle

Despite the popular image of a European knight on horseback charging into battle, the heavy cavalry charge was not a common occurence.^[1] Pitched battles were avoided, if at all possible, with most offensive warfare in the early Middle Ages taking the form of sieges,^[2]or swift mounted raids called chevauchées, with the warriors lightly armed on swift horses and their heavy war horses safely in the stable.^[3] Pitched battles were sometimes unavoidable, but were rarely fought on land suitable for heavy cavalry. While mounted riders remained effective for initial attacks,^[4] by the fourteenth century, it was common for knights to dismount to fight.^[1] The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ... A pitched battle is a battle were both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges. ... Medieval warfare is the warfare of the European Middle Ages. ... A siege is a military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... A chevauchée (French for promenade) was a method in medieval warfare for weakening the enemy, focusing mainly on wreaking havoc, burning and pillaging enemy territory, in order to reduce the productivity of a region; as opposed to siege warfare or wars of conquest. ...

By the Late Middle Ages (approx 1300-1550), large battles became more common, probably because of the success of infantry tactics and changes in weaponry.^[2] However, because such tactics left the knight unmounted, the role of the war horse also changed. By the 17th century, the medieval charger had become a thing of the past, replaced by lighter, unarmoured horses. Dante by Michelino The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (1300–1500 A.D.). The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early Modern era (Renaissance). ... Ever since human beings fought, infantry existed. ... Medieval weapons varied from simple tools to complex engines of emerging medieval warfare technology. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

Tournaments

An image of a tournament melee. Codex Manesse

Tournaments began in the eleventh century as both a sport and training for battle. Usually taking the form of a mêlée, the participants used the horses, armour and weapons of war.^[5] In the process the pageantry and specialization became less war-like, perhaps because of the knight's changing role in war.^[4] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (654x822, 332 KB) Codex Manesse, fo. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (654x822, 332 KB) Codex Manesse, fo. ... For other meanings of the term, see melée (disambiguation). ... Tournament by Jörg Breu the Elder 1510s, depicting jousting Tournament, or tourney (Fr. ... Mêlée generally refers to disorganized hand-to-hand combat involving a group of fighters. ...

Horses were specially breed for the joust, and heavier armour developed. However, this did not necessarily lead to significantly larger horses. Interpreters at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, have re-created the joust, using specially bred horses and replica armour.^[6] Their horses are 15-16 hands, and approximately 1100 lb,^[7] and perform well in the joust. The researchers also tested historic artifacts and found that the medieval war saddle within the armoury fit one of their smaller horses perfectly.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see Armour (disambiguation). ... Looking up the main stairwell of the armouries The Royal Armouries houses the British national collection of arms and armour. ... A hand is a unit of length measurement, usually based on the breadth of a male human hand and thus around 1 dm. ...

Transportation

During much of the Middle Ages, there was no system of interconnected roads and bridges. Though parts of Europe still had remnants of Roman roads built before the collapse of the Roman Empire, most had long fallen into disrepair.^[8] People who traveled long distances usually had to ride.^[9] Because of the necessity to travel long distances over uncertain roads, smooth-gaited horses were preferred, and most ordinary riding horses were of greater value if they could do one of the smooth four-beat gaits collectively known as an amble rather than the more jarring trot^[10] A Roman road in Pompeii Road Construction on Trajans Column The Roman roads were essential for the growth of their empire, by enabling them to move armies. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Horse gaits are the different ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans. ... Horse gaits are the different ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans. ...

Mule trains, for land travel, and barges, for river and canal travel, were the most common form of long-distance haulage, although wheeled horse-drawn vehicles were used for shorter journeys.^[9] Four-wheeled wagons and two-wheeled carts were more common in towns, such as London^[11][12] and, depending on type of vehicle and weight of the load, were usually pulled by teams of two, three, or four horses harnessed in tandem.^[11] In areas with good roads, regular carrier services were established between major towns.^[11] A barren of mules. ... Self propelled barge carrying bulk crushed stone A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Look up Tandem in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Because medieval roads were generally so poor, carriages for human passengers were rare. When roads permitted, early carriages were developed from freight wagons.^[9] Carriage travel was made more comfortable in the late fourteenth century with the introduction of the chariot branlant, which had strap suspension.^[12] Catherine IIs carved, painted and gilded Coronation Coach (Hermitage Museum) George VI and Queen Elizabeth in a landau with footmen and an outrider, Canada 1939 The classic definition of a carriage is a four-wheeled horse drawn private passenger vehicle with leaf springs (elliptical springs in the 19th century...

Breeding of medieval horses

This 13th century manuscript shows the knights' legs extending well below the horses' barrels.

There is little evidence for controlled and consistent breeding of horses in Europe during the early Middle Ages, or for much development of particular breeds or strains. Uncontrolled breeding throughout Europe during this period resulted in the loss of good breeding stock, which had to be built up again over the following centuries.^[13] However, there were exceptions; in the 7th century, a Merovingian kingdom still retained at least one active Roman horse breeding centre.^[8] Horse breeding is the process of using selective breeding to produce additional individuals of a given phenotype, that is, continuing a breed. ... There are other articles with similar names; see Merovingian (disambiguation). ...

The origins of the medieval war horse are obscure, although it is believed they had some Arabian blood, through the Spanish or Andalusian horse. It is also possible that other sources of oriental bloodstock came from what was called the Nisaean breed from Iran and Anatolia, another type of oriental horse brought back from the Crusades.^[8] Spanish horses were the most expensive (although that refered to their origin, not their breeding). In Germany, spanjol became the word used to describe warhorses; German literary sources also refer to fine horses from Scandanavia.^[14] Strong feudal societies, such as France, were producers of good war horses.^[12] The Arabian horse is a breed of horse with a reputation for intelligence, high spirit, and outstanding stamina. ... Andalusian horse The Andalusian horse or Spanish horse is one of the purest breeds of horses in the world today. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Siege of Antioch, from a medieval miniature painting, during the First Crusade. ... Peasants plowing in front of a castle, French manuscript c. ...

Later in the period, as the importance of horse breeding to successful warfare was realized, planned breeding programs increased. As with other ancient knowledge lost in the "dark ages," many changes were due to the influence of Islamic culture through both the Crusades and the Moorish invasions of Spain; the Arabs kept extensive pedigrees of their Barb and Arabian horses via an oral tradition.^[15] Some of the earliest written pedigrees in recorded European history were kept by Carthusian monks, who were among those who bred the Spanish Jennet, a forerunner to the modern Friesian and Andalusian horse. Because they could read and write, thus kept careful records, monastics were given the responsibility for horse breeding by certain members of the nobility, particularly in Spain.^[16] Written pedigrees for certain breeds of horses existed by about 1330 A.D.^[17] Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... The Siege of Antioch, from a medieval miniature painting, during the First Crusade. ... For the terrain type see Moor Moors is used in this article to describe the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus and the Maghreb, whose culture is often called Moorish. For other meanings look at Moors (Meaning) or Blackamoors. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The word barb can have many meanings: Look up barb in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Arabian horse is a breed of horse with a reputation for intelligence, high spirit, and outstanding stamina. ... Oral tradition or oral culture is a way of transmitting history, literature or law from one generation to the next in a civilization without a writing system. ... A Carthusian Monastery in Jerez, Spain The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. ... A Friesian horse The Friesian (also Frisian) horse is a breed of horse from Friesland, a province of the Netherlands. ... Andalusian horse The Andalusian horse or Spanish horse is one of the purest breeds of horses in the world today. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ...

It is also hard to trace what happened to the bloodlines of destriers when this type seems to disappear from record during the seventeenth century.^[1] Many modern draft breeds claim some link to the medieval "great horse," with some historians considering breeds such as the Percheron, Belgian and Suffolk Punch likely descendants of the destrier.^[12] Other modern breeds, including the Shire and Frisian also claim such descent.^{[citation needed]} However, other historians discount this theory.^[18] Such a theory would suggest the war horses were crossed once again with the cold bloods, since war horses, and the destrier in particular, were renowned for their hot-blooded nature.^[13] A pair of very typical dapple grey Percheron Horses Percheron draft horse at the Maryland State Fair Breed History: The Percheron gets its name from the La Peche valley in the south of France. ... Suffolk draft horses The Suffolk Punch is one of the breeds of draft horses. ... Shire draft horse The shire horse is a breed of draft horse. ... A Friesian horse The Friesian (also Frisian) horse is a breed of horse from Friesland, a province of the Netherlands. ...

Size of war horses

There is dispute in medievalist circles over the size of the war horse, with some notable historians claiming a size of 17-18 hands, as large as a modern Shire horse.^[19] However, there are practical reasons for dispute over size. Analysis of existing horse armour located in the Royal Armouries indicates the equipment was originally worn by horses of 15 to 16 hands,^[20] or about the size and build of a modern Field hunter or ordinary riding horse.^[21] Research undertaken at the Museum of London, using literary, pictorial and archeological sources, supports military horses of 14-15 hands, distinguished from a riding horse by its strength and skill, rather than its size.^[11] Shire draft horse The shire horse is a breed of draft horse. ... Looking up the main stairwell of the armouries The Royal Armouries houses the British national collection of arms and armour. ... A hand is a unit of length measurement, usually based on the breadth of a male human hand and thus around 1 dm. ... A field hunter, or a fox hunter, is a type of horse used in the hunt field for foxhunting. ... Interior showing the Mayors state coach The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Palaeolithic to the present day. ...

A horse in Barding, showing stylized equipment suitable for a tournament

Perhaps one reason the 'myth' of the giant warhorse was so persuasive is the assumption, still held by many, that medieval armour was heavy. In fact, even the heaviest tournament armour (for knights) weighed little more than 90 lb, and field (war) armour 40-70 lb; Barding, or horse armour, more common in tournaments than war, rarely weighed more than 70lb.^[22] For horses, Cuir bouilli (a type of hardened leather), and padded bards would have been more common,^[23] and probably as effective.^[22] Even allowing for the weight of the rider, such a load could easily be carried by a 1200 lb horse. A hoplite wearing a helmet, a breastplate and greaves (and nothing else). ...

Further evidence for a 14-16 hand war horse is that it was a matter of pride to a knight to be able to vault onto his horse in full armour, without touching the stirrup.^{[citation needed]} This arose not from vanity, but necessity: if unhorsed during battle, a knight would remain vulnerable if unable to mount by himself. In reality, of course, a wounded or weary knight might find it difficult, and rely on a vigilant squire to assist him. Incidentally, a knight's armour served in his favour in any fall. With his long hair twisted on his head to form a springy padding under his padded-linen hood, and his helm placed on top, he had head protection not dissimilar to a modern bike helmet.^[24]

Types of medieval war horses

The most well known horse of the medieval era of Europe is the destrier, known for carrying knights into war. However, most knights and mounted men-at-arms rode smaller horses known as coursers and rounceys.^[22] (A generic name often used to describe medieval war horses is charger, which appears interchangeable with the other terms). In Spain, the jennet was used as a light cavalry horse.^[22] The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... A destrier is an historical term for a knights war horse. ... The silver Anglia knight, commissioned as a trophy in 1850, intended to represent the Black Prince. ... Man-at-arms was a medieval term for a soldier, almost always a professional. ... Species Pluvianus aegyptius Cursorius cursor Cursorius temminckii Cursorius coromandelius Cursorius rufus Rhinoptilus africanus Rhinoptilus cinctus Rhinoptilus chalcopterus Rhinoptilus bitorquatus The Coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. ... Place setting with red charger. ... The definition of jennet varies depending on location and on the antiquity of the usage. ... An army unit consisting of mounted soldiers are commonly known as cavalry. ...

Stallions were often used as war horses in Europe due to their natural agression and hot-blooded tendencies. A thirteenth century work describes destriers "biting and kicking" on the battlefield.^[14] However, the use of mares by European warriors cannot be discounted from literary references.^[14] Mares were the preferred war horse of the Moors, the Islamic invaders who attacked various European nations from A.D. 700 through the 15th Century.^[15] Moorish Ambassador to Queen Elizabeth I of England The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of al-Andalus (the Iberian Peninsula including present day Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal) as well as the Maghreb and western Africa, whose culture is often called Moorish. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( ▶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ...

War horses were more expensive than normal riding horses, and destriers the most prized, but figures vary greatly from source to source. Destriers are given a values ranging from seven times the price of an ordinary horse^[8] to 700 times.^[13] The Bohemian king Wenzel II rode a horse "valued at one thousand marks" in 1298.^[14] At the other extreme, a 1265 French ordinance ruled that a squire could not spend more than twenty marks on a rouncey.^[22] Knights were expected to have at least one war horse (as well as riding horses and packhorses), with some records from the later Middle Ages showing knights bringing twenty-four horses on campaign.^[1] Five horses was perhaps the standard.^[8] Wenceslaus II on Jan Matejkos painting Wenceslaus II Premyslid (Czech: , Polish: Wacław II Czeski) (September 17, 1271 – June 21, 1305) King of Bohemia (1278 - 1305), Duke of Krakow (1291 - 1305), King of Poland (1300 - 1305). ... In feudal times a squire was a man-at-arms in the service of a knight, often as his apprentice. ...

Destriers

Main article: Destrier

The term Destrier does not refer to a breed, but to a type of horse displaying superior abilities and training for war; it needed to be strong, fast and agile.^[21] A fourteenth century writer described them as "tall and majestic and with great strength".^[25] A destrier is an historical term for a knights war horse. ...

In contemporary sources, it was frequently referred to as the "great horse" because of its size and reputation.^{[citation needed]} This is, of course, a subjective term, and gives no firm information about its actual height or weight. The average horse of the time was 12-14 hands,^[11] thus a "great horse" by medieval standards might appear small to our modern eyes.

The destrier was highly prized by knights and men-at-arms, but was actually not very common,^[1] and appears to have been most suited to the joust; coursers seem to have been preferred for battle.^[22] This article is about the 1982 arcade game. ...

Rounceys

Main article: Rouncey

The rouncey was a general, all purpose horse, which could be kept as a riding horse or trained for war.^[22] It was commonly used by squires, men-at-arms or poorer knights. A wealthy knight would keep rounceys for his retinue.^[21] Sometimes the expected nature of warfare dictated the choice of horse; when a summons to war was sent out in England, in 1327, it expressly requested rounceys, for swift pursuit, rather than destriers.^[1] A retinue (O. Fr. ...

Coursers

Main article: Courser (horse)

Coursers were the preferred horse for hard battle as they were light, fast and strong.^[22] They were valuable, but not as costly as the destrier.^[21] They were also used frequently for hunting. King William I and King Harold II of England are portrayed hawking in the Bayeux Tapestry. ...

Riding horses

A 13th century depiction of a riding horse.

Riding horses were used by a variety of people during the middle ages, and so varied greatly in quality, size and breeding. Knights and nobles kept riding horses in their war-trains, saving their warhorses for the battle.^[1]

The best riding horses were known as palfreys; other riding horses were often called hackneys, from which the modern term "hack" is derived. Ladies sometimes rode small quiet horses known as jennets.^[21] A Palfrey is a type of horse, not a breed of horse. ... Hackney is the principal area of the London Borough of Hackney in East London. ... Look up hack, hacking in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The definition of jennet varies depending on location and on the antiquity of the usage. ...

As for war horses, these names referred to a type of horse, rather than a breed. Individual horses were often described by their gait ('trotters' or 'amblers'),^[22] their colouring^[1] or place of origin. In Germany, Hungarian horses were commonly used for riding.^[14] The trot is a gait of the horse where the diagonal pairs of legs move forwards at the same time, a diagonal gait. ... Horse gaits are the different ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of specialized training by humans. ...

Palfreys

Medieval riders engaging in falconry from horseback. Codex Menesse

Main article: Palfrey

The well-bred palfrey, which could equal a destrier in price, was popular with nobles and highly-ranked knights for riding, hunting and ceremonial use.^[22] // Flying a Saker Falcon Falconry or hawking is the art or sport involving raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game. ... A Palfrey is a type of horse, not a breed of horse. ... King William I and King Harold II of England are portrayed hawking in the Bayeux Tapestry. ...

Jennets

(Stuff on Jennets, note Bennett web article, they were more than ladies' horses)

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Prestwich, Michael. Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996,
2. ^ ^{a b} Bennet, Matthew; Bradbury, Jim; DeVries, Kelly; Dickie, Iain; Jestice, Phyllis G. Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World: AD 500-AD 1500, London: Amber Books, 2005.
3. ^ Chevauchées were the preferred form of warfare for the English during the Hundred Years' War (see, amongst many, Barber, Richard. The Reign of Chivalry, 2nd Ed. UK: The Boydell Press, 2005, pp 34-38) and the Scots in the Wars of Independence (see Prestwich, Michael. Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996)
4. ^ ^{a b} Barber, Richard. The Reign of Chivalry, 2nd Ed. UK: The Boydell Press, 2005
5. ^ Barker, Juliet. The Tounament in England: 1100-1400, UK: The Boydell Press, 1986
6. ^ Royal Armouries web site, accessed 1 March, 2007
7. ^ Royal Armouries web site, accessed 1 March, 2007
8. ^ ^{a b c d e} Nicolle, David. Medieval Warfare Source Book: Warfare in Western Christendom, UK: Brockhampton Press, 1999
9. ^ ^{a b c} Tuchman, Barbara W. A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, New York: Ballantine Books, p 57, 1978
10. ^ Bennett, Deb. Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship. Amigo Publications Inc; 1st edition 1998. ISBN 0-9658533-0-6
11. ^ ^{a b c d e} Clark, John (Ed). The Medieval Horse and its Equipment: c.1150-c.1450, Rev. 2nd Ed, UK: The Boydell Press, 2004
12. ^ ^{a b c d} Gies, Frances; Gies, Joseph. Daily Life in Medieval Times, UK: Grange Books, 2005,(originally published by Harper Collins in three volumes, 1969, 1974, 1990)
13. ^ ^{a b c} Carey, Brian Todd; Allfree, Joshua B; Cairns, John. Warfare in the Medieval World, UK: Pen & Sword Military, 2006,
14. ^ ^{a b c d e} Bumke, Joachim. Courtly Culture: Literature and Society in the High Middle Ages, translated by Thomas Dunlap, USA: Overlook Duckworth, 2000, p 175-178 (First published in 1986 as Höfische Kultur: Literatur und Gesellschaft im holen Mittelalter by Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag)
15. ^ ^{a b} Edwards, Gladys Brown. The Arabian: War Horse to Show Horse. Arabian Horse Association of Southern California, Revised Collector's Edition, Rich Publishing, 1973.
16. ^ Bennett, Deb. "The Spanish Mustang: The Origin and Relationships of the Mustang, Barb, and Arabian Horse"
17. ^ Lewis, Barbara S. "Egyptian Arabians: The Mystique Unfolded" The Pyramid Society, web page, accessed May 10, 2006
18. ^ See e.g.: Clark, John (Ed). The Medieval Horse and its Equipment: c.1150-c.1450, Rev. 2nd Ed, UK: The Boydell Press, 2004, p 23; Prestwich, Michael. Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996, p 30
19. ^ Davis, R. The Medieval Warhorse, London:Thames and Hudson, 1989;
20. ^ study by Ann Hyland, quoted in: Clark, John (Ed). The Medieval Horse and its Equipment: c.1150-c.1450, Rev. 2nd Ed, UK: The Boydell Press, 2004, p 23
21. ^ ^{a b c d e} Gravett, Christopher. English Medieval Knight 1300-1400, Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002, p 59
22. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Oakeshott, Ewart. A Knight and his Horse, Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998
23. ^ Barker, Juliet, The Tournament in England, 1100-1400, UK: Boydell Press, 1986, pp 175-6
24. ^ Oakeshott, Ewart. A Knight and His Armour, Rev. 2nd Ed. USA: Dufour Editions, 1999, p 92
25. ^ Eustach Deschamps, 1360, quoted in Oakeshott, Ewart. A Knight and his Horse, Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998, p 11