THE WAR HORSE.

[VANDOO]

IT COULD COST A FORTUNE FOR A GOOD WAR HORSE AND ITS TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT. SOME WERE TAUGHT TO RIDE, CHARGE AND MANEUVER AS A GROUP. SOME WERE TAUGHT TO ACTUALLY FIGHT BY KICKING TRAMPLING AND BITING AND MIGHT EVEN CONTINUE THE FIGHT AFTER THEY LOST A RIDER. SOME WORE NO ARMOR SOME VERY LITTLE AND SOME HEAVY ARMOR. THIS REQUIRED A LOT MORE TRAINING AND I SUSPECT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SPECIALIZED IN ALL FORMS OF TRAINING AND WERE WELL PAID. MAKING THE TACK AND ARMOR WAS ALSO A PROFITABLE BUSINESS SO THE WAR HORSE WAS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY. SOME HORSE ARMOR HAD A SPIKE OR HORN ON THE FOREHEAD IT WAS LIKELY THERE TO INSPIRE FEAR. A WILD HORSE IS SCARY ENOUGH BUT ARMOR CAN HEIGHTEN THE ASPECT. IT'S POSSIBLE THEY COULD HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO USE THE HORN BUT IT IS UNLIKELY UNLESS THEY WERE A UNICORN. "GRIN" HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES.
#1. THE WARWICK SHAFFRON THE OLDEST SURVIVING MEDIEVAL HORSE HEAD ARMOR SURVIVING.
#2. & #3. 1550 KING SIGISMUND THE SECOND'S ARMOR POLAND, ROYAL ARMORY STOCKHOLM
#4. 1545 HORSE ARMOR
#5. & #6. TWO EXAMPLES OF HORSE ARMOR
#7. OLD DRAWING OF THE BATTLE OF ASKALON IN 1099
#8. & #9. TWO MORE EXAMPLES
#10. HENRY OF FRANCE ARMOR
#11. HORSE ARMOR HEAD PIECE WITH SPIKE
#12. ITALIAN CHAMFRON

[VANDOO]

ORIENTAL HORSE ARMOR
#1. MONGOL ARMOR
#2. NOT KNOWN
#3. & #4. JAPANESE SAMURAI ARMOR ONE A DRAGONS FACE.
#5. PATTERNS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF MAIL ARMOR.

[Jim McDougall]

This is a fascinating topic and not often covered directly as arms and armour are discussed, but the horse was throughout history very much a 'weapon'.
The horse was not only means of transport, but in many cases trained to even become a combatant in battle, such as with the famed Lippizaner stallions.

Ibrahiim, thank you for posting the dramatic painting of the charge of the Royal Scots Greys at Waterloo by Lady Butler, known as "Scotland Forever".
This famous charge, in which Napoleon referred to the 'Greys' as they rode headlong into immortality, as 'the finest cavalry in Europe', has been greatly studied and key in military history.

These units of heavy cavalry became in military battle order, 'shock action' in the opening of pitched battle between armies, intended to break and decimate ranks prior to use of the light cavalry units in more strategic tactical attacks. Before this, mounted troops were typically 'dragoons', which were effectively mounted infantry who rode to battle location, dismounted and fought accordingly. Meanwhile, other units fought mounted, such as the famed Polish 'winged hussars' , though the actual use of the 'wings' feature in combat has been disputed.

One of my favorite recollections in researches was in 1996, when deeply involved in studying British cavalry in India, I was able to meet with Brig. Francis Ingall, who led one of the number of 'last' mounted cavalry charges of the 20th century . This was in 1931 in plains areas in the Khyber Agency of the Northwest Frontier, when he was a subaltern with the 6th Bengal Lancers (Duke of Connaughts Own).
He had written his autobiography, "Last of the Bengal Lancers" (1988) which described these events.

As we talked in his home in Sonoma, Calif. and he showed me swords from these times including the M1912 sword he carried in the charge, he would look wistfully at the huge portrait in a place of honor over the fireplace.
It was of his 'faithful charger', named Eagerheart, and I thought perfectly recalled the bond between man and horse as they faced battle together.

While from a different context, that same bond is well portrayed in the movie "Lonely are the Brave", with Kirk Douglas. Though not a 'war horse' and about a cowboy and his horse as the modern world encroaches into their wilderness.

[kahnjar1]

Photos from my Great Grandfathers collection... He was The Press Newspaper rep at the time, and luckily most of his photos are preserved.
Photos show Boer War era New Zealand mounted troops. Also included a pic of the Parade honouring the visit to New Zealand of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in 1907.
Stu

[Bob A]

The Spanish Riding School maintains a tradition of very high-level schooling of the horse. While the emphasis is on dressage and grace, it is important to understand that many of the maneuvers taught are intended to be useful in combat.

I suspect they focus on stallions for size, but in my limited experience mares are more suited for combat, or at least stealth operations, as they are less prone to distraction my the scent of estrus. Also, I've always been more readily able to bond with a female; in my experience, human females are more inclined toward working with and developing a bond with stallions. Of course, this is far from chiseled in stone.

Link to Spanish Riding School: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Riding_School

At any rate, thanks for the thread, as the horse has played a major part in human combat and weapons systems for several thousand years, and may yet have a role to play in the foreseeable future.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

This is a fascinating topic and not often covered directly as arms and armour are discussed, but the horse was throughout history very much a 'weapon'.
The horse was not only means of transport, but in many cases trained to even become a combatant in battle, such as with the famed Lippizaner stallions.

Ibrahiim, thank you for posting the dramatic painting of the charge of the Royal Scots Greys at Waterloo by Lady Butler, known as "Scotland Forever".
This famous charge, in which Napoleon referred to the 'Greys' as they rode headlong into immortality, as 'the finest cavalry in Europe', has been greatly studied and key in military history.

These units of heavy cavalry became in military battle order, 'shock action' in the opening of pitched battle between armies, intended to break and decimate ranks prior to use of the light cavalry units in more strategic tactical attacks. Before this, mounted troops were typically 'dragoons', which were effectively mounted infantry who rode to battle location, dismounted and fought accordingly. Meanwhile, other units fought mounted, such as the famed Polish 'winged hussars' , though the actual use of the 'wings' feature in combat has been disputed.

One of my favorite recollections in researches was in 1996, when deeply involved in studying British cavalry in India, I was able to meet with Brig. Francis Ingall, who led one of the number of 'last' mounted cavalry charges of the 20th century . This was in 1931 in plains areas in the Khyber Agency of the Northwest Frontier, when he was a subaltern with the 6th Bengal Lancers (Duke of Connaughts Own).
He had written his autobiography, "Last of the Bengal Lancers" (1988) which described these events.

As we talked in his home in Sonoma, Calif. and he showed me swords from these times including the M1912 sword he carried in the charge, he would look wistfully at the huge portrait in a place of honor over the fireplace.
It was of his 'faithful charger', named Eagerheart, and I thought perfectly recalled the bond between man and horse as they faced battle together.

While from a different context, that same bond is well portrayed in the movie "Lonely are the Brave", with Kirk Douglas. Though not a 'war horse' and about a cowboy and his horse as the modern world encroaches into their wilderness.

Thank you Jim for that important anecdote on the Bengal Lancers and Brig. Francis Ingall ...I hope I can include some pictures of that Regiment later but as it happens I have some stirring pictures of the War Horse of North America which I hope people can become equally inspired about as I know you are...

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

The Bengal Lancers.