Training horses for war

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

:lol: :lol:

Yeah I suppose!

[John Conyard]

Nine days ago I started sitting on a new possible mount for next season. Silver is a 15 hand 12 year old grey mare who seems intelligent, very handy, and very very fast. She is very excitable, and if I let her go I'm not sure how long it will take her to stop. She can run all day. She is sometimes very aggressive to other horses.

We're fine together in walk and trot. Another few weeks should see us properly at home in canter. Gallop can wait.

She is fine against one infantryman with large shield. I don't know how she will do against a shield wall. I suspect she may try and jump over it, which may be an alternative way of breaking the formation.

If all goes to plan horse and rider will work well togther by Christmas, and be able to do a display by next May. Horse archery will take some time to learn since when I drop the reins she takes off, and she responds too well to shifts in weight and balance.

But's it's a welcome challenge.

[fasta]

She is fine against one infantryman with large shield. I don't know how she will do against a shield wall. I suspect she may try and jump over it, which may be an alternative way of breaking the formation.

But's it's a welcome challenge.

On the behalf on the infantry please don't let her jump over the front line of men hock:

[John Conyard]

It's good to meet on RAT

In all honesty I have never really jumped over anything. Murph sort of bunny hopped into the infantry in the past.

So far Silver has tried to jump over several fences, one car bonnet and a passing dog. I just hang on ............

But Silver's speed means you can really land a blow. Nobby was great at taking big hits today, a real proffesional.

Riding makes me lose weight and feel better in myself. However the chances of Silver hospitalising me in the next few weeks is high, but declining with every session.

[fasta]

I think I'll stand at the back just in case and let the new recruits go at the front :lol:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hmmmm, I think I would rather be jumped over than bunny hopped on by a big horse(or a small one for that matter) hock:

[M. Demetrius]

It would behoove the infantry to get out of the way or be hooved, eh? :lol:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Problem solved then...formation broken! :lol:

[Nihonius Legio]

I had a college teacher last year who I think was full of it. I argued with her about the size of horses back in ancient times. She said that everyone would fight on horses like Clydesdales. I really dont think they would be quick low maintenance horses at all. There is alot of dispute on this, but most agree that ancient horses were fairly small. Most medieval armor is made for horses no bigger than ours today.
About whether someone would attack full charge or not, I'm sure that would depend on the judgement of the general and riders on how good the terrain was for a particular attack. If you wanted to attack as a body with lances, you would probably charge fairly fast. If you were spread out and using a longsword, you could probably just gallop into it or whatever. It depends on how quickly your needed too. Common sense stuff.
For training, I couldnt find any sources at all. But my opinion is that they would simulate the noises and smells of battle alot. Make the horses used to it. War horses were not cheap, partly because of their training and breeding.