Horses have
been used in warfare since ancient times, and the knights of the Middle Ages
stand at the forefront of a long history of mounted warriors. Warhorses, or destriers, were horses bred specially for knight to be
ridden in tournaments and battles. A destrier was a larger than average horse
who was a solid color. These horses were specifically trained for knights and
were very rare and expensive. Because of this destriers were not only tools and
partners to knights, they were also status symbols.
During
the middle ages only the upper class could afford to own a horse, thus it was
truly a sign of a knight's upper status, and it gave him a distinct advantage
over the peasants that became foot soldiers. Horses are heavily featured in
Medieval works about chivalry, such as The Song of Roland in which the
knight's horses are mentioned by name. Horses are also featured heavily in the
Bayeaux Tapestry.
After
the introduction of the domestic horse in Medieval Europe breeders quickly
spread all over, and among them it was the monks who were considered to breed
the best horses. Though the destrier was bred for battle knights often did not
travel on them. Instead they traveled on smaller horses, called palfreys, which were smaller and easier to
ride. This also helped to ensure that their destrier did not become fatigued or
injured.
Sources:
I really enjoyed this post, Samantha. I had not thought about the specific type of horse that a knight would use. I completely agree on the comment you made about showing the status of the knight. Apparently they were super into showing off back then.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post! A lot of people don't think about how important horses were to knights and other nobility in the Middle Ages. I didn't realize though that they had horses for battle and then had different horses for travel. It also surprised me when you said that monks were the primary breeders of horses. I wonder how much a horse cost in the Middle Ages?
ReplyDeleteI didn't think that knights would need a separate horse to ride upon while traveling. This does indeed make sense though, to keep the battle horse fresh and ready to battle. No idea either that monks were considered the best at breeding horses. I can see this though as monasteries were often seen as centers of learning.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I ride horses myself and knew most of this already from my own research on medieval horses from over the years but you described it very well. My friends and I tried dressing their horses up for a 'medieval fight' but it didn't work out very well and we completely failed at it.
ReplyDeleteThis is an intriguing post. Like the others, I had no idea that breeding habits were implemented in this time. It would be interesting to know if they were as strict and recorded as some breeding techniques today. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense that monks would be the ones to perfect horse breeding, they seem far more academic than most people of the time. It also adds another source of income for monasteries beyond donations. How do you kill a warhorse charging you? I feel like you're pretty screwed vs a knight and horse both in full plate.
ReplyDelete