In movies about medieval wars, we can often see knights riding imposing war horses. However, the image may not be exactly like this when these wars actually took place. A new study reveals that most medieval warhorses weren’t much larger than modern-day ponies.
A team of archaeologists and historians from the University of Exeter has analyzed the largest set of English horse bones between 300 and 1,650 BC. Horse size was measured in “hand”, an ancient unit equivalent to 10.16 centimeters. The research found that horses were generally under 14.2 hands tall, rather than today’s larger horses that are 17 to 18 hands tall. Today’s ponies, on the other hand, have a length of approximately between 14 hands and 14.3 hands.
The researchers, who publish their work in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, say that when breeding war horses, the selection likely focused on other factors important to medieval warfare.
“Selection and breeding practices in royal breeders may have focused on the right physical traits for temperament and combat as well as raw size,” Professor Alan Outram of the University of Exeter said in a press release.
Even when a royal stud net existed in the 1st and 14th centuries, 15-16 hand-length horses were rare. But back then, people thought these animals were incredibly large.
The tallest horse that researchers have found from the Norman period (1066 – 1075), with about 15 hand lengths, was discovered at Trowbridge Castle. In the high medieval period, longer horses appeared, some reaching 16 hands.
Researcher Helene Benkert of the University of Exeter said: “Neither size nor limb bone strength alone are sufficient to confidently identify warhorses in the archaeological record. The historical record does not give specific criteria to define a war horse; It’s much more likely that different horse styles are desired in response to tactics and cultural preferences.”
Until the post-medieval period (1500-1650), the average height of horses began to approach that of today’s working horses. So, if you’re imagining early European medieval warfare, we suggest imagining a group the size of a modern pony embarking on a very deadly journey. . .
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