11-07-2012, 10:35 PM
What kind of horses would be available to the native peoples of northern Britain during the Roman period?
Earlier Britons (perhaps later ones too) were famous for their use of chariots - might this suggest that British horses were too small to be used effectively by mounted men in battle? The horse was a prestige animal in some areas (Uffington, several British coin types and Pictish reliefs show them) - but did the northern Britons have cavalry? The Vindolanda 'Brittunculi' tablet mentions that the locals have 'very many cavalry', but that they dismount to throw javelins - so were the horses only used for transport?
Later Pictish stones show mounted warriors, but depictions of battle show men fighting on foot, against mounted enemies...
![[Image: benvie.jpg]](http://www.pictavia.org/A&S/weapons/media/benvie.jpg)
Earlier Britons (perhaps later ones too) were famous for their use of chariots - might this suggest that British horses were too small to be used effectively by mounted men in battle? The horse was a prestige animal in some areas (Uffington, several British coin types and Pictish reliefs show them) - but did the northern Britons have cavalry? The Vindolanda 'Brittunculi' tablet mentions that the locals have 'very many cavalry', but that they dismount to throw javelins - so were the horses only used for transport?
Later Pictish stones show mounted warriors, but depictions of battle show men fighting on foot, against mounted enemies...
Nathan Ross
