Horses in Medieval Times

MASSACHUSETTS ACADEMY OF MATH AND SCIENCE

Horses in Medieval Times By Darcy Del Dotto and Hailey Prescott

All about Horses during the Middle Ages • Breeding • Uses • Armor • Anatomy

Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester , MA

Here are a few pictures of horses from the Middle Ages

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Let’s get ready to learn all about horses!

Table of Contents What is a horse

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History of Horses

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More on horse breeding

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Different Horse Breeds Used in the Middle Ages

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Andulasian

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Shires

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The Destrier

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Palfry

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Courser

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Rouncy

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Genetics Basic

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Generics in Horse Breeding

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The Destrier

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Calvary

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Jousting

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Horses on the Farm

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Transportation

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Hunting and Horses

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Horse Armor

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More Horse Armor

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Here are a few pictures of Wow! There are about 75 milhorses from the Middle Ages lion horses in the world!

What is a Horse? A horse is a large hoofed mammal that evolved from species of smaller multi-toed mammals that existed almost 55 million years ago. The horse was first domesticated (used by humans) about 6,000 years ago. Horses are used every day for exercise, entertainment, argriculture, and transportation. Horses are herbivores (animals that eat plants) and they enjoy eating carrots, oats, and tall grasses. 4

History of Horse Breeding The Spanish were known to be the best horse breeders

Horse breeding is the selective reproduction of horses in which two horses mate and have a baby with certain qualities. Today horse breeders can help make foals more healthy and strong by giving foals proper food and medical care. During the time of the Roman Empire, horse breeding was very important, but when the empire declined so did the interest in breeding. Horses then bred as they pleased, so trying to breed horses in the Middle Ages was difficult. There were several small breeding centers throughout Europe, but breeding techniques mostly had to be developed all over again. 5

Here few pictures GuessItWhat? Wow! tookare stable A apony hands is notjust a of horses from the Middle Ages baby as long horse, as riders it is actually to prepare a small for full a jousting grown match! horse.

More on horse breeding The ancestors of the medieval horse are unknown. It is believed that the horses came from either Spain or the Middle East, brought back from the Crusades. Spanish

horses were the most expensive to buy, and their horses were the most desired. Other places quality war horses originated from were France and Scandinavia. Successful horse breeding was very important to warfare, so many breeding centers were opened throughout Europe. Monks were known to breed some of the best horses, and they kept the most accurate records. 6

Different Horse Breeds Used in the Middle Ages

Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred horses stand 14.2 to 17.2 hands high and have a solid color. This breed of horses was originally made by mating an Arab stallion and an English mare. This horse breed was so inbred that the ancestry of every thoroughbred can be traced to three different stallions (Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian, Godolphin Arabian). Thoroughbreds are known for their gallant and lively temperament. 7

Herehand are aused few pictures of Wow! One for horse horses from the Middle Ages measurement is equivalent to 4 inches!

Andulasian The andulasian horse breed originated in Spain. It is a cross of two Iberian horse breeds. The andulasian was also used in medieval times as a breeding horse because of its strength, height, and agility. This breed is

about 15.2 to 16.2 hands high, and they are known for their long flowing mane and tails. The majority of andulasian horses are grey or white, and the breed is always one color. Andulasians are known to be intelligent, sensitive, cooperative and able to learn quickly. 8

Shires These horses were used to pull heavy materials or plows. Shire horses originated in England during the Middle Ages. Farmers used shires the most during that time because of their strength and versatility. Today shires are used as show horses, but occasionally they are still used on the farm. Shire horses are known for their immense size. The breed stands from 16.2 to 18 hands high! Shires are usually black, bay, brown, or grey in color, with white feathering on their legs. Shires also are used often because of their gentle and patient nature. 9

Here are a belong few pictures of Fun fact! Horses to the horses from the Middle Ages equus family. Equus is derived from a Greek word meaning quickness

Types of Medieval Horses The Destrier In the Middle Ages horses had different quality ratings and prices. The most expensive and well bred horses, destriers, were used by the noble lords and knights because they displayed a large amount of wealth and importance. Destriers were usually taller horses that were one solid color, such as an andulasian. They were extremely valuable on the battlefield because they provided the knight with power. Destriers were highly trained before they were sold, and this made them extremely expensive and rare. 10

Palfrey Palfreys were also known as Jennets

The palfrey was the “everyday horse” of a knight. The palfrey was shorter and longer than a destrier, but their gait was much smoother which provided comfort for rider when they were not in battle. Most noble women used the palfrey because of its smooth step and high quality. The palfrey was also used by lower level knights during battle. This horse was used for multiple purposes such as travel and battle. 11

Here are aHorses few pictures Did you know? have of horses from the Middle Ages small stomachs which is why you see them grazing all day long!

Courser Unlike the destrier and palfrey, the courser was a fast and easily maneuverable horse. The courser was used as a messenger horse in armies and were sometimes used by

kings to add speed to their travel. Coursers were known for their endurance but not for their refinement. Many of these horses were poorly trained, but they cost significantly less than the destrier and palfrey. 12

Rouncy Horses helped medieval society develop new farming techniques. The rouncy horse was used to carry heavy objects and farm the land. They were usually heavier than the destrier, palfrey, and the courser. These horses were the farmers horse and were usually poorly trained. Rouncy horses had good endurance because they had to work in the fields or travel all day long. There was no special breeding that was associated with the rouncy. It was a horse for the lower class. 13

Here arenucleotides a few pictures of Wow! The four that horses from the Middle Ages make up DNA are adenine thymine, cytosine, guanine.

Genetics Basics Genetics is the science of heredity in living organisms. When organisms inherit traits from their parents, they are inheriting specific genes. There are many different types of genes that make up different sections of chromosomes. DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule that is composed of different patterns of nucleotides. These patterns are translated by a cell to make different proteins that determine hair color, eye color, and height. Different traits are passed on by parents based on whether they are dominant or recessive. For example, brown eyes is a dominant gene, so if your mom has blue eyes and your dad has brown eyes you will have brown eyes because the dominant gene overrules the recessive gene.

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Genetics in Horse Breeding Breeders used genetics for centuries without their own knowledge!

For centuries breeders have been using genetics to help improve horse breeds. When breeders crossbred a strong horse with a fast horse, it resulted in a new stronger, faster breed of horses. This was how the horse breeders developed the hundreds of horse breeds that exist today.

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Did you know? The fastest way to send a message in the Middle Ages was by horse!

Ways the Horse was Used In the Middle Ages there were no cars, no army trucks or tanks, and no video games. Horses were used everyday in many ways. They were used in the armies as part of the cavalry. Horses were a very important part of jousting which was a popular form of entertainment. They were also used on the farm, as transportation, and in hunting parties. 16

Cavalry

Horses’ armor was harder to make than humans'.

During medieval times, horses had many different jobs on the battle field. The fastest horses carried the lightly armed riders. The strongest horses carried the equipment. A horse’s personality and capabilities determined how it would be used.

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a few pictures Wow! ItHere tookare stable hands justof horses from the Middle Ages as long as riders to prepare for a jousting match!

Jousting The idea behind jousting tournaments was to prepare for battle. Participants originally used the same armor and weapons as they did on the battlefield. Over time the sport

developed into a game. Horses wore little armor and were bred to be larger. The armor the riders wore was typically light weight and more decorative. Horses were also decorated to represent a knight’s family or their lord. 18

Horses on the Farm The term horsepower came from how much work a horse could get done in the fields

One of the major developments of the Middle Ages was large scale plowing which made it possible to till heavy soil. Strong animals were required to pull plows across the big fields.

Inventions like the horse collar and the iron horse shoe made it easier for a horse to plow a field. Typically horses plowed in teams of four or six. A team of horses could usually plow an acre of land a day, compared to team of eight oxen that could only plow half an acre a day. 19

are Pack a few horses pictures of Did youHere know? horses from the Middle Ages were called “hackneys”

Transportation During the Middle Ages everyone used pack animals to travel, whether they were rich or poor. Kings and queens had large caravans of horses, while peasants would

merely rent an animal. The best kind of horse for travel was one with a smooth walk. In Europe, there was no uniform system of roads, and most of the paths were dirt. Horses that pulled wagons were called draught horses. They were typically short and could pull almost 600 pounds. 20

Hunting and Horses Only the fastest horses were used for hunting

A popular past time of the Middle Ages was hunting. Noblemen brought their fastest horses to the hunting parties. Typically they would also bring hounds to track down animals such as deer, boar, wolves, and rabbits. 21

Here are a few pictures of Horse armor could weigh over horses from the Middle Ages 100 pounds!

Horse Armor Horse armor was as expensive and time consuming to make as human’s armor. Barding was another word for horse armor. Armor for horses was necessary because enemies attacked horses as a way to slow their riders down. Each piece of armor has its own name. The champron was designed to protect the horse’s face. It extended from the horse’s ears to its muzzle ,with flanges to cover its eyes. The criniere was a set of metal pieces that covered the neck of a horse. These pieces connected to the champron. A horse’s hindquarters were covered by a croupier. This piece was typically made of leather, chain, or plate. Boiled leather was a common material for horse armor, but plate metal was much more protective. 22

More on horse armor To the right is a picture of a horse in full armor, below is a champron

The flanchard covered the horse’s flank and was attached to the side of the saddle, then around the front or rear of the horse and then to the saddle again. Usually the flanchard was made of metal plates riveted to leather. Sometimes there was an opening for a rider to use spurs. A petral was also attached to the saddle, protecting the horse’s chest. Horses were also covered in caparisons, which were like long robes made of cloth. There was also a form of protection for the horse’s reins. Thin metal plates were riveted to the leather to prevent the reins from being cut. 23

a few pictures Check Here backare here if you don’t of horses from the Middle Ages understand a word

Glossary Foal - a young animal of the horse family ; especially : one under one year Hand - is a unit of length measurement, originally based on the breadth of a male human hand and now standardized at 4 inches DNA - deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms Thoroughbred - bred from the best blood through a long line, mix of Arab stallion and English mare Stallion - a male horse kept for breeding Hindquarter -the rear of a four-legged animal Spurs- worn on the heel of a boot, used when riding horses Till - to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops Dominant- a quality that is stronger than another gene for the same trait. Recessive– a quality that is weaker than another gene for the same trait 24

About the Authors

Hailey Prescott is a senior at Mass Academy of Math and Science. She enjoys playing field hockey, skiing, and softball. Hailey enjoys hanging out with her friends and playing with her dog. Hailey is really happy to have written this book because she loved horses when she was younger and always wished she could have a horse of her own.

Darcy Del Dotto is a senior at the Mass Academy of Math and Science. Before coming to the Academy she attended Shrewsbury High School. She enjoys being involved in several music programs and loves to sing. On the weekends you will find her either practicing or hanging out with her closet friends. She would also like to thank Dr. Sumner for making this book possible; she thought it was very fun to write, especially with Hailey. 25

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