Horse

**Horses** are four-legged mammals which have been domesticated throughout the **Known World** for use as beasts of burden, mounts in war, or simply for transportation.

Horses are prominently used as war mounts by the armored knights of the **Nine Kingdoms**, **Balkan States**, and the **Gulf States**, whose heavy horse charges can devastate many times their number of infantry.

Horses are often bred by farmers in the rich domain of Westernlands, Greenlands, Vale, Easternlands, Southshire, Tyrinia, and the Free Cities.

In the desert climate of the Dornish Marches and the Summer Islands, the Dornishmen have developed a unique breed of horse: the Dornish Sand Steed, followed by the Summer Islanders unique breed of horse: the Mustard Steed. They are splendid beasts that can run for a day and a night without tiring. A knight wearing full metal plate armor would bake in the hot desert sun, so **Dornishmen** wear only light armor, and thus their horses are bred for extreme stamina instead of strength.

## Prominent Horses

* {Blood} - a black war horse belonging to Prince Charles Royne. Died in the Northern Military Campaign.
* {Dancer} - a young grey stallion belonging to Prince Alfonso, specially trained to respond to commands from his finger snaps and whistles after his legs were paralyzed from battle wounds. Slain in the Siege of Orysfort by Cardinal Raoul.
* {Steele} - a steel blue stallion belonging to King Anton Royne. A large and fast warhorse with an aggressive temper.
* {Gazelle} - a tangerine mare belonging to Princess Anastasia Royne.
* {Tyene} - a mustard chestnut mare belonging to Emira Penelope.
* {Stranger} - a red chestnut war horse belonging to Captain Bastian.
* {Blue} - a silver blue stallion belonging to Ser Desmond.
* {Bernard} - a dark brown stallion belonging to General Osmund "The Mountain" Goldleaf. A large and fast warhorse with a steady temper and quick intelligence.
* {Nora} - a chestnut mare belonging to Captain Harrison Love. Later on, came under the possession of Lady Tyene.
* {Silver} - a magnificent silver mare given to **Princess Nadia Royne** by Prince Fahad as a gift on their wedding day. Died in the Wastelands.

## Traits

A male horse which has been castrated is known as a "**gelding**" ("to geld" being another way of saying "to castrate"). Castrating a male horse makes it less hormonal and easier to handle. Uncastrated horses are known as stallions, which typically do not grow as tall as geldings but can also be more aggressive. Young male horses are called "**Colts**". Female horses are known as mares, while young female horses are known as "**Fillies**".

Here is more detail about what specific types of horses are ridden, based on the historical terms for the use of horses in warfare, not classified precisely by breed but by appearance and purpose:

* **Destrier**: the largest, most majestic breed of horses, used by wealthy knights in Tournaments. They can be used as war horses, but it is considered a waste to risk the life of such an expensive animal.
* **Courser**: lighter than destriers, but still a very large and powerful horse. Coursers are the breed most commonly used by wealthy knights in warfare, and also in tournament jousts.
* **Charger**: generic and interchangeable term for a "**war horse**", of any breed.
* **Palfrey**: bred for stamina, palfreys are not intended for warfare but for long riding journeys. Even wealthy knights and royalty will use palfreys for long-distance travel.
* **Garron**: specifically bred for cold, snowy climates and rough terrain, which even destriers and palfreys would have difficulty with. Frequently used in the Northland and Vale, as well as by the **Northern Mountain Clans**.
* **Rounsey**: a strong and capable horse, but a mutt not produced by formal breeding. Frequently used by poorer knights, squires, mounted men-at-arms, and sometimes as pack animals.
* **Stot**: an inferior horse. Both rounseys and stots have no specific breeding. Unbred horses are judged to be a "**rounsey**" if they turn out strong, but as "**stots**" if they turn out to be runts incapable of heavy work.
* **Pony**: a breed that is intentionally small when fully grown. Usually intended for riding by children of the nobility.
* **Mule**: hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, valued for their endurance at non-combat tasks. They are meant for labor, and they can be ridden, but not for combat (the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey is known as a "hinny", but is smaller and less strong than a mule, and thus not bred as often).
* **Dray**: also known as "plow horses", they are strong and meant for heavy labor. They are strong enough to be ridden, but usually are not a good choice for combat.

## Other Breeds

### Sand Steed

A particular breed of horses are the Dornish Sand Steed, Egyxos Sand Steed and Dorean Sand Steed: they are intended as war horses, but bred for stamina instead of strength, meaning that they cannot support the weight of a fully armored rider. Due to the Outskirt Desert Climate of Dorea, and the Desert Climate of Dornish Marches and Egyxos, the style of warfare used by Dornishmen, Egyxosians and Dorean Riders developed differently from the **Rest of Sternlands** and Balkan Kingdoms. Armored knights riding heavy armored horses would quickly bake in the desert sun and suffer from thirst. Warfare in the Marches and Dorean, and with the Harsh Desert Climate of Egyxos is therefore developed to center around light and fast attacks by smaller numbers so that the horses do not overheat or exhaust the available water supply. At most, these Riders only wear light armor, thus Sand Steeds are not required to support this much weight. Sand Steeds are smaller and narrower than normal warhorses, slim even compared to palfreys (also bred for stamina), but are very graceful. Famed for their stamina, the Sand Steeds can run a day and a half without tiring.

However, the **Egyxosians** prefer to rather use a Camel Cavalry instead of Sand Steed Cavalry for heavy and fast attacks so they do not exhaust the available water supply, both for animal and rider. The Riders fight with spears made of Cobalt Steel and wear light armor made of White Steel.

Tymerian Sand Steed: They are intended as war horses, bred for both, stamina and strength to counter the Harsh Desert Climate bordered with the Egyxosians, meaning they support the weight of a fully armored rider. The Tymerian Outskirts has a Harsh Desert Climate followed by Grazing Fields, and to counter the Egyxos. The Sand Steed is used to defend the **Desert Outskirts** and the Silver Steed to protect the **Grazing Fields**. Tymerians wear heavy armor made of White Steel in the Sand and Black Steel light armor in the Grazing Fields.

### Zorse & Mule

**Mules** are hybrid offspring of a donkey stallion and a female horse. They are used for labor and can be ridden, valued for their endurance at non-combat tasks. A lesser breed of mule is a "**Hinny**", the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey, but smaller and less strong than a mule, and thus not bred as often. Stallions cost may vary for gold and silver, but highly expensive, not everyone can buy one, thus, mules are more popular among the farmers and commoners.

The Nomad Tribes & Khanates who live in the Northern Steppe, ride bizarre horse-like animals called "**Zorses**". They are rarely found aside from the region stretching borders with the Desert Lands, Umber States, and the North Pacific Sea. Several members of the Brave Companions sellsword company and the Kahn Riders mount these majestic steed. These are bred by the **Nomadic Tribesmen** of the Northern Steppe, who breed regular horses with a strange striped-horse-like animal from the **Southern Grassylands**. Zorses are sterile, in the manner of mules.