Destrier The War Horse 9 Destrier The War Horse Summary The name “Destrier” comes from a Latin word which means “right-sided”. Different researchers have variously interpreted this. Some are of the view that the knights who jousted or fought on top of a Destrier were usually right-handed, so the horses were given a name which meant this accordingly. A different view makes more sense which holds that Destrier horses were probably trained to lead with their right foot in charging during wars and tournaments, and this specific aspect of the horse’s gait was referred to in its name. Some sources state that the Destrier was so-named because a knight’s squire led the horse with his right hand. Destrier The War Horse Characteristics A Destrier horse was usually a type of horse who had been trained in a specific manner. Such superior trained horses were usually taken from a certain set of horse breeds but Destrier in itself didn’t mean any specific breed. A destrier was trained from the earliest days of his life and were highly preferred in all matters related to combat. A Destrier could easily sprint, stop, turn around and make other movements as required by the rider with perfect ease and speed.

Because of their training, Destrier horses had strong hind-legs, letting them shift their weight and make rapid movements easily. Traditional Qualities of a Destrier A number of extant sources from the medieval ages elaborate on the specific features which made a Destrier so desirable. These sources define a good Destrier to have a strong bone but a brief back, a neck which rose and arched elegantly, and a strong loin. Moreover, a Destrier had a strong jaw and a broad face so that there was a goodly width of space between the eyes. Many breeds of horses had such traits but the particular training of a Destrier honed and harnessed these traits, making them perfectly suited for combat and tourneys. Given its specific set of skills in being agile, strong and swift, a Destrier horse was highly preferred in battles and tournaments Destrier as the Battle Horse Given its specific set of skills in being agile, strong and swift, a Destrier horse was highly preferred in battles and tournaments. For other horse-related tasks such as carriage riding, bag lifting and practice riding, other types of horses were typically used. Destriers were reserved specifically for tournaments and battles.

This allowed the trainers to spend a lot of time with Destriers, perfecting them for combat situations. At the other hand, this allowed the Destrier horses to avoid menial tasks and be perfectly fit and strong for use when the occasion arose. Size of a Destrier War Horse Medieval sources offer many exaggerated accounts of the overall size of a typical Destrier horse. Recent researchers and archaeological evidence provides definite data on this front. According to recent researches, war horses such as Destriers probably ranged from 14 to 15 hands in height. Drawing from the proof of medieval horse armours, other researches have confirmed this, further elaborating that at a maximum, the height of a Destrier probably rose to 16 hands. The size of a Destrier, then, was not unusual compared to a regular riding horses, and the Destrier stood apart only on account of its agility, strength and intelligence. Price of a Destrier War Horse The price details regarding a typical Destrier horse, as provided in different medieval sources, are a key indicator of the worth of this specific type of war horse.

According to the medieval Salic law, for example, the price of a typical mare was 3 solidi but that of a Destrier was as much as 12 solidi. So a 7th century Destrier was valued at four times the price of a regular mare. This disparity increased even further in later times. A 13th century source, for example, reveals that the price of a single Destrier as used by the knights was seven times that of a usual horse. According to medieval sources, the Destrier horse was not found in England until the 11th century. Destrier use in England According to medieval sources, the Destrier horse was not found in England until the 11th century. It was William The Conqueror who brought this specific type of horse with him to England and from this time onwards, the breed became popular with the richest knights who could afford to purchase it. The mares used by the Moors in medieval times and the stallions more popular in Europe were considered equally capable war-horses, almost comparable to the Destrier. Destrier War Training A Destrier horse was typically quite intelligent, being able to understand his rider’s commands and respond to them accordingly.

For instance, a Destrier was trained to inflict damage and injury on the enemy in the battlefield and a Destrier was trained to spot and sense an enemy for this purpose. It could bite or kick on the command of its rider and usually moved with extraordinary agility by making use of its very powerful hindquarters. Destrier The War Horse Summary The Destrier was a specific type of horse used in medieval times. It was typically used as a warhorse and during jousting competitions. A Destrier was extensively trained for these purposes and was never used for other tasks such as regular riding or in hauling carriages. Typically, a Destrier rose to a height of 14 to 16 hands, had a short back but a very strong hindquarter and was very agile. It was able to move rapidly and respond to a knight’s commands by putting its weight on hindquarters. Compared to regular horses, Destriers were highly valued in medieval times and were esteemed at many times the value of a normal horse. Moreover, they were fairly rare and only a few knights used them during wars. Towards the 17th century, this specific type of horse became extinct.

Share this: Destrier Us Real Warhorses Contrary to popular belief, the medieval knight was not mounted on a huge plodding draft horse like the famous Shire. By combining archaeological finds with pictorial evidence we can paint a picture of the typical Destrier as a very athletic short-backed horse not exceeding 15.2 hands in size. Medieval paintings often show horses in perfect collection with beautiful gaits, permitting the conclusion that the medieval warhorse was highly trained and extremely manoeuvrable. Our Horses Working with the UK's leading suppliers of stunt and re-enactment horses, we attempt to recreate the image of the medieval Destrier by using a large variety of different breeds. Destrier members constantly train, expanding the skills of horse and rider to meet the challenges of medieval mounted warfare. Riding a spirited horse in real armour, wielding a variety of medieval weapons on horseback, and controlling the horse safely and effectively in combat, are the core skills of every Destrier rider. Of course our horsemen are more than happy to share their knowledge of the medieval warhorse with an interested public, be it questions about breeding, training or use.

© Destrier Horses of Medieval Europe Horses of Medieval Europe Photo Courtesy of Joust Evolution In the Right Hand: Horses of Medieval Europe Firn Hyde Much of medieval European society was built upon the steady shoulders of a noble horse. This creature played an important part in many aspects of life for all classes of people, from farmers to soldiers to royalty, shouldering tasks as diverse as carrying ladies, pulling ploughs, and charging into battle. Of course, the same type of horse could hardly be used for everything, so horses were bred – then as now – for specific purposes. In that time, horses were not yet classified as breeds, but referred to as types, and each type had different uses. Many obscure terms were used for the types of horses, sometimes interchangeably and frequently in contradiction with one another, in medieval texts. However, historians have uncovered three basic types of horse; namely, chargers, palfreys, and sumpters. 1 Horses of War Photo Courtesy of Joust Evolution Chargers were medieval warhorses, of which there were three subtypes; rounceys, coursers, and the most well known of all horses from the Middle Ages, the destrier.

The height and weight of medieval warhorses is a much-disputed topic. However, it appears that the common perception of real warhorses as being massively powerful beasts closely resembling the modern Shire is incorrect. They are far more likely to have been compact, powerful, but agile horses, ranging from about 14-15.2hh and built more like warmbloods, thoroughbreds or baroque horses than draft horses. 2 Knights would seldom ride their warhorses except in battle; squires would usually lead them from the back of a more common mount. This was to spare the charger’s strength for fighting. The rouncey was the cheapest and usually the animal of choice for a poorer knight, man-at-arms, or squire. Rounceys were rather plain, general-purpose horses who were also used for riding and as packhorses (but never for pulling carts), but they could also be trained for war. Rich knights supplied their retinues with rounceys. They varied greatly in characteristics; virtually any sound and reasonably fast horse seemed to fall under the label of “rouncey”. 3 Coursers were light, fast horses.

They were the most common medieval warhorses, being slightly more expensive – and better quality – than rounceys, but not as expensive as destriers. Occasionally, coursers were preferred over destriers because of their speed. Also used for hunting, the courser was better for hard battle and fast pursuit than destriers. 4 Destriers were the royalty of medieval horses. Beautiful and well-bred, they resembled the modern baroque horse breeds such as the Friesian and Pure Spanish Horse. They were extremely strong, but agile. Popular for jousts, destriers were very expensive. In the 13th century, destriers were valued at 20 to 300 parisian pounds at a time when coursers cost about 5 to 12 pounds. Their peculiar name comes from the Latin dextarius, or “on the right side”, because of the way squires would lead the destriers from horseback in their right hands, controlling their own mounts with the left. 5 The real Shire-like Great Horses were never used for actual war. These enormously ponderous creatures were massive, clumsy draft horses who would be no use in a real battle.

They were only bred and used for tournaments in the late Middle Ages, when jousting armour became so heavy that warhorses could not carry it. Even these Great Horses could barely do the job, and jousting was done at a slow canter or even a trot. 6 Beasts of Burden Horses were also the main choice of beast of burden. While donkeys and oxen were still evident in the Middle Ages, oxen being the historical choice, horses almost completely replaced them. They were used for agricultural work (pulling implements such as ploughs) and transport (as both riding- and carthorses). The lowliest type of horse was the humble sumpter. 7 These were powerful draft horses, but much smaller than the modern draft, averaging 13- Public Domain14hh. Doubtlessly not very well-bred, fiery, or good-looking, the sumpter did much of the work essential for society, such as pulling ploughs and wagons. They were used by peasants in agricultural work and not very valuable.

While rounceys were frequently used for everyday riding from place to place, and rounceys and coursers were used for hunting, the most valuable and ideal riding horse was the "palfrey". 8 Palfreys could equal a destrier in price, and for good reason; they had an extra gait known as the amble, which was fast, comfortable, and could be maintained by both rider and horse over long distances. This made travelling much easier and more pleasant. The amble resembled the single-foot, tölt, and rack of modern gaited breeds such as the Icelandic horse. They were small horses, probably no taller than 15 hands. Their closest descendants are thought to be the modern Peruvian Paso and Paso Fino, which breeds most closely resemble the medieval palfrey. The horse of choice for noble ladies, the palfrey was probably quite pretty. It was used almost exclusively by nobility because of its high price tag. Medieval Horsemanship Public Domain Little is known about horse care during the Middle Ages, but with the aid of documents and depictions such as the Bayoux Tapestry, medieval riding is relatively well-known.

Ironically, the modern English rider would find the medieval knight’s seat absolutely baffling. Knights rode with their legs straight and pushed well forward; their weight was held well back. Because of the high pommel of the medieval war saddle, and the necessity of holding shield and reins in the same hand, their rein hand was held up high. This meant that they had to make use of powerful curb bits and neck-reining to control their horses. Modern Western riding closely resembles this riding style. In fact, Western riding has its roots in the way medieval knights rode, and while the type of horse and the purpose has changed, the tack and riding style remains very much the same. Western riders have their stirrups a little shorter than knights, but otherwise little has changed. The reason for this seat was simple; it could withstand the impact from a cavalry charge. One good charge of knights could virtually obliterate an enemy regiment. With their sharp lances couched under their arms, knights would advance first at a trot, then a canter and eventually slow gallop, striking their enemies with tremendous force. This force, of course, would bowl the rider clean out of the saddle unless he rode in this manner with the legs thrust forward.

This meant that when the lance met its target and kicked back under the knight’s arm, he would be pushed back against the high cantle, and remain securely in his seat. 9 An Unsung Hero Were it not for the horse, medieval life would have been very different. Wars would have been fought afoot; travelling would be painfully slow to the point of being almost impossible; and agriculture would be limited to the capacity of the powerful but ponderous ox. More at this time than ever before, or ever after, the horse played a vital role in society. Though many call this time the Dark Ages, it was the heyday of the horse – if not in the way it was treated, then certainly in its value to society. Mankind needed the horse, and it is yet another example of God’s graciousness that this animal was even created. He is the horse’s perfect Designer, and made it in such a way that it would become invaluable to mankind. How could a creature so well suited to serving humans have happened by accident? Horses did not evolve. They were made, and they served a vital part in the history of civilisation.

Our past is borne on a horse’s back; today he is mostly used for recreation alone, and has faded out of his place at the centre of a working society. His Creator, however, remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Knights and destriers: representations and symbolism of the medieval warhorse in medieval art – Medieval Animal Data-Network · Updated May 21, 2015 The horse is a common figure in medieval art. This is especially the case within the context of military representations, among which one often finds the figure of the knight riding his noble steed. Indeed, the horse cannot be dissociated from knighthood, a new military form of nobility that arose in the eleventh century. Yet, at its beginning, chivalry represented above all a function: knights were elite horse-riding warriors who subsequently elaborated ethical rules for themselves that became the framework of their identity. Their warhorses played a crucial part in this. Unlike today, husbandry in the Middle Ages largely ignored specific breeds of horses. Horses were designated with regards to their geographical origin or their function, the latter according to their natural qualities or their training.

For example, the palfrey was a costly civilian horse capable of a marching amble, a more comfortable gait for travelling. But the most expensive horse in the medieval stable was the destrier, or great horse, the stallion trained for war and tournament. Physically, the perfect destrier was tall (the tallest of medieval horses, between 1.50 and 1.60 metres) with thin legs but a compact and muscular body. The word destrier, meaning “right handed”, seems to appear in Old French texts at the beginning of the twelfth century, with the spread of the most well-known knightly form of combat: the charge with a couched lance. This technique, first observed among the Norman riders on the Bayeux tapestry, consists of holding a lance under the right armpit, and passing it over the horse’s neck, on its left side (protected by the great shield) in order to hit another fighter on the knight’s left; and all of this on the back of a galloping horse (Gillmor, ed. 1992, p. 15).

It could deliver a powerful blow (even piercing chain mail armour), but the charge was also meant to disorganise the enemy’s ranks and to have a pronounced psychological impact upon them. The use of the horse was essential to the use of the lance, for the power of its impact is determined by its speed and its strength; the rider’s job consisting in maintaining the correct position, controlling the horse and aiming at his opponent. This was very difficult and required extensive training from childhood and could only be practiced efficiently by those who had the time and money to afford such training. Warhorses likewise required special training. First, they needed to become acclimatized to the sounds and violence of combat. Secondly, for the couched lance technique, they had to accept running directly towards another rider (a rather unnatural thing for a horse), while also galloping on the right lead for the meeting. Indeed, the gallop is an asymmetrical gait, and by galloping on the right lead (the right front leg advancing and touching the ground in a forward direction to a greater extent than the left one, used by the animal to keep its balance in curves), it could compensate for an impact coming from its left.

This special training may be an explanation for the name destrier (literally “right-handed horse”). Because the momentum of the moving horse actually gave the blow its power, it also had to learn both to push, and to absorb the blow given to its rider. Warhorses were selected to be tall, fast, manoeuvrable and strong enough to both give and receive blows. That is why the lance, until the very end of the practice of chivalry, remained the most knightly of weapons; because only a knight with long practice on a costly trained horse could use it efficiently. All of these technical explanations are important for understanding the relationship between these horses and the creation of the notion of chivalry, and why the warhorse was considered to be the knight’s true double in representations (both pictorial and literary). Fig. 1: The Duke of Brittany and his knights entering the town, preceded by the destriers’ parade, Barthélémy d’Eyck, King René’s Book of Tournaments, c. 1460-1465, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ms Fr. 2695, ff.

51v-52r © BnF Several examples of the symbolic treatment of warhorses may be seen in King René’s Book of Tournaments, illustrated by Barthélémy d’Eyck (Fig. 1). One such instance is the image depicting the participants’ official entry into town just before the tournament. Part of this official ceremony is the warhorses’ parade, which precedes the knights’ entry. A big black destrier, wearing Brittany’s colours, is ridden (as René says) by a “very small page”, certainly for the purpose of visually increasing the beast’s stature. It is followed by musicians and then the duke of Brittany and his knights. These figures are not riding warhorses but palfreys who were shorter in stature. Indeed, they never employed the warhorse for travelling to the tournament or the battlefield in order to preserve its strength for combat (and also because palfreys and civilian saddles were more comfortable for travelling). Parading these horses without their noble riders gave these animals particularly high distinction and allow the audience to appreciate their qualities. René was a well-known horse-lover explaining why this practice held his attention. Fig.

2: Kneeling knight, Westminster Psalter, c. 1250, London, British Library, Royal Ms 2a xxii, fol. 220. ©British Library If the destriers’ parade has an important place in René’s treatise, it is also because they became, with the rise of chivalry, a strong element in the identity of this military social class. A warhorse was expensive both to buy and to keep, and if we add its exceptional size and its special training, it represented a luxury that a man was proud to display in public, both in reality and in artistic representations. An illustration from the Westminster psalter, dated to about 1250 (Fig. 2), shows a knight kneeling in front of a king. He is depicted with all the attributes of his class: full military equipment of the latest fashion (chain mail covering the whole body, a sword, lance, helm, and spurs) and with his warhorse behind him. Thus, the latter is really considered to be part of the knight’s iconography (this image representing not a real knight but the perfect ideal of a knight).

Moreover, the knight rises above other men on his warhorse, confirming in this way his social superiority. In his Book of the Order of Chivalry written in 1275, Ramon Llul, describing the symbolism of every piece of the knight’s equipment, says clearly about the warhorse: “The horse is given to the knight to signify the nobility of courage so that he may be mounted higher than other men” (Lulle, ed. 1990, p. 58). By extension, the knight on his horse was also a symbol of pride and vanity in medieval iconography. On Conques Abbey’s great tympanum (France), representing the Last Judgement, in Hell the knight guilty of pride is violently pulled down from his horse by a demon (Fig. 3). Fig. 3: Hell (detail of the Last Judgement), the proud knight is pulled down from is horse, Tympanum of Sainte-Foy de Conques, Early 12th century (Wikimedia Commons) For knights, war, and above all the tournament were avenues for showing off nobility and power.

The beauty of the warhorse, often praised in song in romances and chansons de geste, was part of this display. Beside the horse’s own beauty, finery and rich equipment were used to increased its splendour, and through that, the rider’s own prestige. When their owners could afford it, these horses were adorned with a rich tack and precious fabric comprising the long caparisons covering the animal from head to feet, represented on many medieval images. Appearing in the middle of the thirteenth century, the primary use of these caparisons is still not known: perhaps either a protection against sun or bad weather or an imitation of Saracen trappings encountered during crusades or in Spain? In any case, even if the caparisons depicted in the Maciejowski Bible (Fig. 4) are still plain, in the second half of the century they became the favoured objects where heraldry could be displayed. Fig. 4: King David killing Shobach, captain of the syrian army. Maciejowski Bible, c. 1244-1254, New York, Pierpont Morgan Library (Ms. M 638, fol.

41r) © Pierpont Morgan Library The coat of arms was a means of recognition for knights, both on the battlefield and during tournaments, and because the shield’s size decreased around 1200 due to advances in armour technology, displaying one’s coat of arms on one’s horse was an excellent way to be seen and identified from a long distance. Unfortunately, these gorgeous pieces of fabric are only known today through artistic representations, even if some fragments preserved in museums are thought to once have been parts of horse caparisons. Such is the fourteenth-century embroidery preserved in the Musée de Cluny in Paris (Fig. 5), probably made for Edward III, which shows the royal arms of England. It provides good example of the precious pieces of fabric warhorses were sometime adorned with. Fig. 5: Embroidery with the lions of England , fragments from a horse caparison (?), 1330-40, Paris, musée de Cluny, inv. Cl. 20367.

©RMN-Grand Palais (musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen-Âge/Franck Raux) During combat, however, the destrier was very exposed to injuries and from the twelfth century onwards numerous images showing different types of horse armour reveal a special attention to its protection. Indeed, the animal was so costly that fighters even tried to preserve their opponents’ mounts, hoping to catch them and keep them for themselves. During tournaments it was forbidden–and with harsh punishments for people who broke this rule–to hurt them on purpose. Over and above matters of expense, however, riding an injured horse or having it killed during battle was very dangerous for the knight. He could lose control of his animal or have to fight on foot, where his equipment was less advantageous and his life more at risk. Between the twelfth and the end of the fourteenth century chain mail constituted the main type of armour for warhorses. It had the advantage of being supple, but the disadvantage of being heavy for the animal. The manufacture of this form of protection was time-consuming and costly, especially in the amounts needed to cover the body of a horse.

Therefore, only the wealthiest knights could afford it, and like rich fabric it could also serve as a display of wealth and power amongst the knights themselves. From the late thirteenth century onwards, horse armour saw the addition of rigid parts, made with leather and then metal, especially on the head and neck, the body parts most exposed to injuries struck by other riders. From the fifteenth century onwards, fully rigid horse armour was used to protect the entire body, even if armourers were never able to find a way to protect the legs, vulnerable against attack by footsoldiers, without restraining the movement of the horse. Fig. 6: Doppelguldiner (presentation coin) of Emperor Maximilian I, 1509, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. 26261.14. © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nevertheless, Lorenz Helmschmid, Emperor Maximilian I’s great armourer, seems to have created several fully articulated bards for horses around 1500 which included protective gear for the legs. These, however, were more masterpieces by the armourer rather than truly functional defences, and they remained prototypes.

The silver presentation coins (Doppelguldiner) struck from 1508 onwards to celebrate Maximilian’s coronation as emperor, show him with a horse in such horse armour (Fig. 6). Useless in combat (a horse could barely walk with it), this incredible piece could have been displayed in parades or pageants, where such equipment would have gardered the amazement of the assembled crowds It was also a way for Maximilian to tell people that he had in his armoury a person capable of doing what nobody had done before, and to thereby demonstrate his power. Representations of the medieval warhorse tell us about the technical and symbolic role of this animal in chivalric society. This animal was an absolute symbol of a class that, in the last centuries of the Middle Ages, justified its social domination through elitist practice and a real mise-en-scene of horse combat, in actual fact more often in tournaments than on the battlefield. During these feasts, fully armoured and on the back of destriers covered with gold and rich fabric, knights gave their peers and other people in the audience a transcendent image of themselves that then was easily reproduced in art.

Without any doubt these amazing images are responsible for the place still held by the proud knight on his prancing warhorse in the popular mental image of knighthood in the Middle Ages. Bibliography Sources Lulle, R. (trans. by B. Hapel 1990), Le livre de l’ordre de chevalerie. Paris: Guy Trédaniel René d’Anjou, (ed. by F. Avril 2010), Le Livre des Tournois du Roi René de la Bibliothèque nationale. Paris: Herscher. Studies Gillmor, C. 1992, “Practical Chivalry. The Training of Horses for Tournaments and Warfare,” Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History, n.s. 13: 5-29. Pyhrr, S. 2005, The Armored Horse in Europe, 1480-1620. New York: The Metropolitan museum of Art/Yale University Press. Thompson, K. R.

2007, “Le voyage du Centaure: la monte à la lance en Espagne (XVIe-XXIe siècle),” in A cheval! Ecuyers, amazones et cavaliers du XIVe au XXIe siècle. Edited by Roche, D. and Reytier D., 195-209. Paris: Association pour l’académie de spectacle équestre de Versailles. To cite this post : Marina Viallon, “Knights and destriers: representations and symbolism of the medieval warhorse in medieval art”, Medieval Animal Data Network (blog on Hypotheses.org), December, 9th, 2014. [On line] Marina Viallon is an art historian specializing in Medieval and Early Modern arms and armour. She obtained her first degree and a Master’s in Museum Studies at the École du Louvre and then a second Master’s degree in Medieval Studies at the University of Leeds. In 2013-2014, she worked as curatorial assistant at the Arms and Armour department of the Musée de l’Armée (Paris).

Her main field of research concerns chivalric society and its representations and ceremonials. She is particularly interested by the use, the equipment and the place of the warhorse during medieval and Early Modern times. Medieval Warhorse : The Destrier | dermotmccabe Medieval Warhorse : The Destrier by Dermot McCabe Destrier is an archaic word for warhorse. It was not a specific breed but was a horse chosen for battle and individual combat at jousting tournaments. As well as having the strength to carry an armoured knight (good armour weighed about 70 lbs) the Destrier was also trained to inflict injury on the enemy. It was usually a stallion that had to undergo extensive training before being ready for battle. It had to Respond to a knights commands using leg pressure Trample the bodies of fallen enemies Bite and kick on command It needed explosive energy and agility as well as mass. We can see Destriers being trained from the marginalia of manscript 264 in The Bodleian Library. Training Horses Because of the training the Destrier was a very expensive horse. It cost roughly twice that of a Palfrey which was a horse used for travelling because of its comfortable ambling gait.

Knights would usually have a Palfrey for day to day journeying with the Destrier reserved for battle or tournaments. Although it is often assumed that the great draught horses such as the Clydesdale are the descendants of the Destrier it seems unlikely because if one looks at medieval representations of Destriers they were far more like the modern Percheron. Percheron These magnificent horses typify the conformation of a Destrier. The St. George by Albrecht Durer Percheron stand about 15 to 18 hands (probably a bit taller than the original Destrier), they weigh around 2000 pounds, are heavily muscled and have a low centre of gravity. It would have been a definite advantage to have a low centre of gravity in a jousting tournament along with explosive speed and power. From paintings of the medieval period we can determine that this is the type of conformation favoured by knights. [The word destrier comes an from Old French word destre right hand, from Latin dextra; from the fact that a squire led a knight’s horse with his right hand] Share this: What is a Destrier? (with picture) What is a Destrier?

Last Modified Date: 14 January 2017 Copyright Protected: 10 hilariously insightful foreign words In the Middle Ages, a destrier was a superior war horse, selected for strength and a calm nature to be trained for the battlefield. Along with rounceys and coursers, two other types of medieval battlefield horses, it was classified as a charger. However, the destrier was considered to be the highest quality of battle horse, fetching a high price and being ridden by upper ranking knights only. Many of the horses depicted in medieval artwork are destriers. The name derives from the Latin dexter, meaning right side or right handed. This is because the horses were only ridden in battle; while traveling, a destrier would have been led at the knight's right side until it was needed. The name is also descriptive of a type of horse, rather than a specific breed, and study of art and writing from the period in which destriers were used suggests that they were of an average height and extremely muscular build. It is likely that Iberian horses such as the Andalusian were used to breed destriers, as they have a reputation for immense physical strength, agility, and a calm nature, which is vital in a chaotic battlefield.

Ad This is all in opposition to beliefs held by researchers over much of the twentieth century, which had held that the destrier was an immense horse similar in build to the modern draft horse . While draft horses were probably cross bred with other horses for use as destriers, they did not have the maneuverability of lighter horse breeds which would have been vitally necessary on the battlefield. Above all, a destrier had to be loyal and brave, and these traits were sought out in young horses being considered for training. The destrier was selected for brute strength, but not endurance. In addition to carrying an armored knight, the horse was also armored, meaning that it had a great deal of weight to carry. In a short encounter such as a clash on the battlefield, the destrier's strength could carry the weight, but it was not capable of maintaining a high level of physical work. Some destriers were also trained to fight alongside their riders, mainly by rearing and attacking fighters on foot. Knights who were able to afford a destrier typically kept several coursers as well. Coursers closely resemble the modern hunter, and were used for speed and agility. They also had more stamina than destriers, and were a good deal less costly.

An ordinary horse, known as a rouncey, would be used by squires and low ranking knights. For pleasure riding, knights would typically use a palfrey , or riding horse. Ad English Historical Fiction Authors: The Destrier English Historical Fiction Authors The Destrier by Scott Howard A knight’s destrier was as much a staple as his sword and armor. Without it he was virtually powerless and subject to a man at arms’ quicker spear thrusts or sword strokes - a soldier who would be more lightly armored. In combination, a knight and his destrier were lethal, operating in tandem with only the slightest prod of the knee or light gesture. Public Domain - From Wikimedia Commons A destrier was not a breed of horse but a type of horse specifically bred for war. From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary its origins are: Middle English, from Anglo-French destrer, destrier, from destre right hand, from Latin dextra, from feminine of dexter. First Known Use: 14th century.1 The “right hand” may refer to the horse being led by a squire on a knight’s right side. This breed of warhorse was typically a stallion with powerful hindquarters and a fearless disposition.

They had to be able to turn on a silver penny with a nudge from the knee – the mounted knight typically had his hands full swinging a sword or mace and hefting a shield. Their iron-shod hooves could kill those on foot with a kick or flail of the feet. They were also known to bite those who happened to be too close. And the cries of battle and blood did not seem to faze them. Coupled with an armored knight, this created a dangerous war machine. If you happen to visit a Renaissance Fair, the joust is the highlight of the day. After spending wads of cash eating turkey legs and other goodies, you find that watching two knights banter back and forth on huge draft horses relaxing. After trading insults for the benefit of the crowd, they close their visors then lumber down the field on a behemoth of a horse. This is the image we most often remember, but it is not the case. The truth is much more frightening. Contrary to popular belief, the medieval knight was not mounted on a huge plodding draft horse like the famous Shire.

By combining archaeological finds with pictorial evidence we can paint a picture of the typical Destrier as a very athletic short-backed horse not exceeding 15.2 hands in size. Medieval paintings often show horses in perfect collection with beautiful gaits, permitting the conclusion that the medieval warhorse was highly trained and extremely manoeuvrable.2 Public Domain From Wikimedia Commons The horse was athletic, perhaps not as nimble as an Arabian stallion encountered by Crusaders in Outremer, but they were strong enough to carry an armored knight and maneuver around, punching through the press. The truth is much more frightening, as stated before. Together, an armored knight and an equally armored warhorse operate like a machine. The video below captures that thought. Horses: An Informational Site Medieval Horses - Breeds and Types Question: I collect Breyer models and also participate in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).

I'm familiar with the three types of horses used in the middle ages: Destrier (larger horse ridden by knights in battle), Palfrey (A smaller horse with an ambling, comfortable gate -- basically a travel horse) and Courser (A "Hot Blooded" horse used for carrying messages, etc, wherever speed was necessary.) My question is, if I were looking for modern breeds to embody these three types of horse, which would I use? I know the Friesan was used and other French draft breeds, but I'd like to know which might look the best. I'm especially curious about the palfrey as it was described as a long bodied, short legged horse. The courser seems pretty obvious -- and Arab or barb cross would do I expect. ANSWER: Destriers--weren't usually as large as most of us think. The full armor of the late 16th century required the bigger Great Horse (equivalent to today's modern draft). These horses were also more for tourneys and jousting at that point. The destrier of choice was what we know as the Spanish Andalusian.

One of my resource books equates the typical medieval destrier as a stallion about the size of a modern heavy hunter. Deep chested, heavier boned, yet quick on its feet. Don't believe the nonsense about stallions being unmanageable. A well trained horse is a well trained horse. My first show horse, which I started showing at age 10, was a 10 year old Arabian stallion. He was a perfect gentleman. Back on track...William the Conqueror rode an Andalus stallion at Hastings. They were the Cadillac of destriers. Flemish horses, as well as other European (Italy, France, and Spain, mostly) war-horses, were the most prized. Modern equivalents would be Trakehners, Holsteiners, and other Olympic level dressage and jumper horses. Palfreys were the riding horses. The knights wouldn't generally ride their destriers from battle to battle, but rather a horse with a smoother gait. Arabians were popular. So were horses of Barb descent. They covered a lot of ground and had good endurance, for which Arabs are particularly noted. Palfreys were the sports car of the horse world.

The courser was used for speed. Modern equivalents would be Thoroughbreds. Arabs were most likely also used, again for their endurance. There's a fourth type as well, the rouncy or sumpter horse, which carried the baggage. Usually smaller and heavier, not well suited for riding long distances, yet with good endurance. Modern equivalents would probably be small cobs. If palfreys were the sports car equivalent, rounceys were the bicycle. Actually, horses of color (pinto or palomino) were more prevalent in the Middle Ages because there were no stud books. Bedoiuns (Arabs) were the only ones who were prejudiced (and extremely so) against horses of color within the Arabian breed. It is said that a Bedouin would not let a pinto or palomino type into his camp for fear it would corrupt the breed. Arabians have the purest lineage of any breed. I've seen 16th century portraits of pinto Andalusians, which was pretty interesting.

Question: A ‘Destrier’ was the name of what, used by a medieval knight in battle?
Answer: War horse