The Medieval Warhorse – Ann Hyland

R45.00

Condition: Very good
Format: Hardcover with DJ
Published: 1994 (Grange Books)
Pages: 196
ISBN: 9781856279901

1 in stock

SKU: P893 Categories: , Tag:

Description

The Medieval Warhorse – Ann Hyland

Little specialized attention has previously been paid to horses in the medieval period. When it has, it has usually been limited to a very narrow time-span and has dealt mainly with animals used by the upper classes, and, even more narrowly, the heavy warhorse or destrier.

This study breaks new ground in addressing the whole spectrum of the medieval warhorse in all its varieties — its origins, its nature and its uses; for the first time it allows us into its stable and environment, to learn how it reacted, how it was bred, raised, doctored and fed, the nature of its training, and its value, both monetary and practical. In telling the story of the warhorse from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Crusades, the author looks at the horses of the several nations that shaped the Middle Ages.

As well as the legacy left by the Romans there were strong influences from many different equestrian traditions, including those of the steppe nomads, the Sassanid Persians and the Arabs, along with later influences from Hungary’s Magyar tradition and the Turkish and Mongolian peoples. The west learnt relatively late how to utilize this mobile weapon and it learnt as a direct result of these eastern influences. The infrastructure supporting these animals was no less important, and is also reviewed here.

Despite the earlier flush of Greek and Roman treatises, veterinary science in the west made scant advance until the thirteenth century. In the east, however, the Arabs had a long tradition of more advanced veterinary science, and attention is given to this significant area. The book is based upon a wealth of research among contemporary documentary, archaeological and pictorial sources, and much of the evidence has been subsequently tested through field trials.

Profusely illustrated, the book is a fascinating survey of the role and importance of the warhorse as it emerged from the Roman and Byzantine eras and took its place as an essential element in the military campaigns of medieval Europe.

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