Horses in warfare

Horses have been used in human warfare for millennia, probably since the time of domestication of the horse. Horses were specially trained for a variety of military uses, including battle, individual combat, reconnaissance (scouting), transport, and supply. The term war horse usually refers to horses used for fighting, whether as cavalry in battle or in individual combat. The best-known war horse was the destrier, ridden by the knight of the Middle Ages. However, even horses used for purposes other than direct combat played a critically important part of successful military ventures. There are still some uses for horses in the military even in today's modern world.

Light-weight horses
Light, "oriental" horses such as the ancestors of the modern Arabian, Barb, and Akhal-Teke were used for warfare that required speed, endurance and agility. Such horses ranged from about 13 hands to about 15 hands (52 to 60 in., 1.32 m to 1.51 m)[citation needed], weighing approximately 800 to 1000 pounds (400 to 500 kg). To move quickly, riders had to use lightweight tack and carry relatively light weapons such as bows, light spears or javelins, or, later, rifles. This was the original horse used for raiding, light cavalry, scouting or reconnaissance, and communications.

Light horses were used by many cultures, including the Scythians, the Parthians, the Ancient Egyptians, the Mongols, the Arabs, and the American Indians. Throughout the Ancient Near East, because the first domesticated horses were small, light animals, (see domestication of the horse) teams of two or more horses were often used to pull chariots. In the European Middle Ages, the light type of horse became known as a Palfrey. Light horses sometimes carried Dragoons and Mounted infantry, depending on the amount of weight required to be carried by each soldier.


Medium-weight horses

Japanese warriors fending off invaders of the Mongol invasions of Japan, painted c. 1293 A.D. By this time, a medium-weight horse was used.Medium-weight horses developed with the needs of most civilizations to pull heavier loads and to carry heavier riders, beginning as early as the Iron Age. Breeds such as the ancestors of the modern Andalusian, Lipizzan, and the various Warmblood breeds got their start by the need for horses to haul chariots capable of holding more than two people, pull supply wagons, and maneuver various types of weapons, such as horse artillery into place. As light cavalry evolved into heavy cavalry, a larger horse was also needed to carry the increased weight of a more heavily-armed and armored rider. Medium-weight horses had the greatest range in size, from about 14.2 hands to as much as 17 hands (58 in to 68 in, 1.47 m to 1.73 m) weighing approximately 1,000 to 1,500 pounds (500 to 750 kg ). They generally were quite agile in combat, though they did not have the raw speed or endurance of a lighter horse. The heavier horses in this class were sometimes called Destriers and may have resembled the modern Friesian or Irish Draught. Horses similar to the modern warmblood often carried European Dragoons and Mounted infantry.


Heavy-weight horses

Large, heavy horses, weighing from 1,500 to nearly 2,000 pounds (750 to nearly 1,000 kg), the ancestors of today's draft horses, were used, particularly in Europe from the Middle Ages onward. They pulled heavy loads, having the muscle power to pull weapons or supply wagons and to remain calm under fire. Some historians believe they may also have carried the heaviest-armored knights of the European Late Middle Ages, though this claim is disputed. Breeds at the smaller end of the heavyweight category may have included the ancestors of the Percheron, which are agile for their size and would have been physically able to maneuver in battle. However, there is considerable dispute if the Destrier class of horse actually included draft types.


Other Equids

Horses were not the only equids used to support human warfare. Mules, a hybrid of a horse and a donkey or ass were also commonly used, especially as pack animals and to pull wagons, though occasionally as riding animals. Mules, as a general rule, are considered both calmer and hardier than horses and so were useful for strenuous, difficult support tasks, particularly hauling food and supplies over difficult terrain. The size of a mule and work to which it was put depended largely on the breeding of the mare that produced the mule. Mules, like horses, could be lightweight, medium weight, or even, when produced from draft horse mares, of moderate heavy weight. Donkeys were often used by non-mounted units to carry gear. (see pack animal)