Horses In The Middle Ages

As John Trotwood Moore said, "Wherever man has left his footprints in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization, we find the hoofprint of a horse beside it." Horses were used for a number of things during the Middle Ages including transportation, farming, recreation, and warfare. Every horse at the time had a certain purpose and was used until they had nothing left to offer. They were one of the most highly prized possessions in English society as they played a substantial role in many people’s lives. For some, highly specialized and costlier horses played well on their stature. For others, horses were needed or wanted for sport, transport, and fighting; furthermore, horses were also needed for jobs because in that time many a job was
In the upper class, Marshals and Constables were in charge of the stables and the horses within. Constables were in charge of arranging tournaments and, in times of war, preparing the horses for the military (Horses in the Middle Ages 1). Then, there were vets, farriers, breeders, grooms, even stable boys who found that their jobs centered on horses. Past those who cared for the horses were those who depended on them for their living such as farmers. The horses made farming far easier as one horse could plow fields faster than a pair of oxen. The increase in speed of crop production, harvest, and transportation of crops made it so that farmers had longer, more profitable seasons (Horses in History). Besides there use for work and entertainment, horses were incredibly important for transportation. During the Middle Ages, everyone traveled regardless of class. Without horses, trips that could be completed in a day would take weeks, and people needed them for more than just transport of themselves, they needed them for transport of products supplies. Horses were one of the greatest tools to any individual with access and “regardless of their purpose, people valued their horses as if they were gold” (Horses in the Middle Ages
Horses proved their worth a great deal at this time. The horse and rider became one, they became a true team. Every knight had a horse that would respond to leg commands, they would ride into battle hands filled with weapons and steeds completely under control. In response to flashing swords and shooting arrows, the horses found themselves with more than an armored knight on their back. The horses themselves were tasked with carrying their own armor (Horse Armor in Europe). In true form, the destiers were the most reliable carriers as they had the physical strength needed to carry the extra 250-300 pounds (Horses Were Specifically…). Although, in certain battle knights would need coursers because of their swiftness compared to the destiers strength. In fact, it’s even said that when a knight was called to war by royalty he might have been asked to bring a certain type of horse depending on the need (Horses in the Middle Ages 2). If not asked for anything specific, this is where the choice would be made by a knight (A Tank on Legs). On average, it was believed that knight’s would bring a total of five horses with them. They would have one destier, two palfreys, and two coursers. Knights would have the greatest options this way, and depending on how they had to travel they would always have the best mount. (Horses in the Middle Ages