A Knight and His Horse

by Ewart Oakeshott

Explore a fascinating dimension of medieval life in this engaging account of knights and their horses. Oakeshott reveals how war tactics changed because of the swift terror of fighting on horseback instead of on foot. The author brings us into the world of jousts and spear-play, where a horse's strength, speed, and resiliency were absolutely essential. To engage in such exciting, dangerous activities, a "knight's horse had to have nerves of steel and a steadfast heart." Oakeshott dispels myths about the so-called ponderous horse of medieval times. He tells how horses were bred and trained for war, and how they became symbols of social class and sources of pride. Without a horse, a knight was nothing. Originally published in 1962-and of interest to young and older readers-this updated and revised edition of A Knight and His Horse has an extensive and useful glossary. Accurately illustrated by the author, the book captures the wonder and magic of a past time. Also available from Dufour are A Knight and His Weapons, A Knight and His Castle, and A Knight in Battle.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing as well as informative. Though I should mention the major portion of the book is about tournaments (jousting) and less about the actual horse. I still enjoyed it, but I was anticipating a bit more on the actual horse. Still, it had much about the types, armor, and history as well as some debunked lies that we currently believe about knights. It was short yet informative. I finished it in about four hours (I'm a slow reader). Definitely recommend if you want some basic knowledge on knights, their horses, and tournaments.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The late Mr. Oakshott wrote this nice little introductory work to the medieval knight and his horse. It has some interesting tidbits about saddles, horses, and knights. It is a compliment to his other works and is meant for young readers or people with only a passing interest in the topic.

If you have a more in-depth interest in the topic of medieval horses, there are several works that are more robust (see my books and select Historical Horsemanship).

The book lacks a significant bibliography.