The Medieval Warhorse: Origin, Development and Redevelopment

by R.H.C. Davis

A study and history of the horse bred especially for warfare

Genres: History

144 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1989

About the author

Ralph Henry Carless Davis, always known publicly as R.H.C. Davis, was an English historian and educator specialising in the European Middle Ages. He was a leading exponent of strict documentary analysis and interpretation, was keenly interested in architecture and art in history, and was successful at communicating to the public and as a teacher.

R.H.C. Davis was the son of historian H.W. Carless Davis

Reviews

[Adam McPhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stuff in this about the development of the horse.

Did you know, for example, that horses grow bigger when raised in fenlands? It's because of all the water in the grass. But they can actually outgrow their strength, so it's not a solvesall for big horses. Was hoping there'd be more on the medieval destrier, but it's the nature of the thing that we're left with a lot of conjecture. The Renaissance stuff was interesting too, how the Italians rediscovered Xenophon's On Horsemanship and how you can get more agile horses through kindness.

[T.D. Krupp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short, with more emphasis on the nobles who owned them than the horses at times. While there was a discussion on horse driven economics, it was to short to truly cover the importance of the horse to medieval society. Would have liked expanded sections on veterinary medicine and war horse training techniques.