War horses (was RE: How Mil Specs Live Forever)

[Corun MacAnndra <corun@access.digex.net>]

Poster: Corun MacAnndra <corun@access.digex.net>

Alys wrote:
>
>> Poster: petersr@spiegel.becltd.com (Peters, Rise J.)
>> 
>> If two warhorse-butts could fit within a 4' 8 1/2 " space, those were pretty 
>> slim-hipped warhorses.
>
>Horses were, on the whole, smaller back then.

Milady,

I would beg of you tell us how you come by this assertion. In all honesty,
it sounds much like the urban myth that people were also much smaller in
period. There are many varieties of horse, and those chosen as war horses by
the Europeans were, to the best of my knowledge, mostly draught horses of
the Clydesdale, Percheron and Shire variety. These are the three largest
breeds that I know of, the Shire being by far the largest (I have a friend
whose family raises them, and a colt of theirs measured eleven hands at
birth). Also, I have seen in the Tower of London the armour of Henry VIII
mounted upon a replica of his warhorse which was also wearing full armour,
and as I recall, this animal was huge.

I will give this disclaimer; I am no expert on horses in period or out, and
I only write out of curiosity. Also to help dispel the myth, if myth it is
indeed.

In service,
Corun

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   Corun MacAnndra   |			They also serve
 Dark Horde by birth |		     who only lurk and pry
   Moritu by choice  |					Dark Horde Proverb

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