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Days in Horse Country – The Mighty War Horse
Pay a visit
to a history museum, and you’ll see them in paintings, sculptures, and
tapestry. The war horses of the Middle
Ages have been preserved for all time in these forms of art.
Who were these magnificent beasts who bravely carried men wearing heavy armor into battle? Equine historians say these horses were called destriers, and that they were bred specifically for this purpose. Always stallions, they weighed anywhere from 1,200 to 1,400 lbs (544 to 635 kg). Their bulk and might proved invaluable on the battlefield from 476 to 1450 AD, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the end of the Hundred Year War between France and England, giving more impact to the soldier’s lance.
As methods of battle changed and soldiers began to fight more on foot to accommodate their new and improved weapons, the destriers fell into disuse. They remain popular as a status symbol, however, and they were the mounts of choice for knights embarking in displays of chivalry.
Michael