158-548: The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons . By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs made chariot warfare common throughout the Ancient Near East , and the earliest written training manual for war horses was a guide for training chariot horses written about 1350 BC. As formal cavalry tactics replaced
316-402: A horse collar . The traces are often made of chain and attach to loops on the shafts of the vehicle. A chain attached to the shafts may be passed over the saddle to carry their weight. Reins are of rope or leather, depending on region of the world. Similar to wagon harness but without breeching, used for dragged loads such as plows , harrows , canal boats or logs. This style is also used on
474-662: A saddle or in a harness between the ages of two and four. They reach full adult development by age five, and have an average lifespan of between 25 and 30 years. Horse breeds are loosely divided into three categories based on general temperament: spirited "hot bloods" with speed and endurance; "cold bloods", such as draft horses and some ponies , suitable for slow, heavy work; and " warmbloods ", developed from crosses between hot bloods and cold bloods, often focusing on creating breeds for specific riding purposes, particularly in Europe. There are more than 300 breeds of horse in
632-455: A breast collar instead of a horse collar and are made with strong but refined-looking leather throughout, usually black and highly polished. In draft horse showing and combined driving , horse collars are seen, but harness leather is still highly polished and well-finished. Lighter weight but strong harness similar to show harness, used for pulling passenger vehicles such as buggies or carts, or other lighter loads. The traces attach either to
790-551: A breast collar that is positioned too high. Putting harness on a horse is called harnessing or harnessing up . Attaching the harness to the vehicle or load is called putting to in the British Isles, or hitching in North America. The order of putting on harness components varies by discipline, but when a horse collar is used, it is usually put on first. Harness components designed for other animals (such as
948-454: A clear hierarchy of rank, led by a dominant individual, usually a mare. They are also social creatures that are able to form companionship attachments to their own species and to other animals, including humans. They communicate in various ways, including vocalizations such as nickering or whinnying, mutual grooming , and body language . Many horses will become difficult to manage if they are isolated, but with training, horses can learn to accept
1106-428: A constant eye out for danger. Unlike humans, horses do not sleep in a solid, unbroken period of time, but take many short periods of rest. Horses spend four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. Total sleep time in a 24-hour period may range from several minutes to a couple of hours, mostly in short intervals of about 15 minutes each. The average sleep time of
1264-514: A defensive screen for marching armies. Large teams of draught horses or oxen pulled the heavy early cannon . Other horses pulled wagons and carried supplies for the armies. During the early modern period the shift continued from heavy cavalry and the armoured knight to unarmoured light cavalry , including Hussars and Chasseurs à cheval . Light cavalry facilitated better communication, using fast, agile horses to move quickly across battlefields. The ratio of footmen to horsemen also increased over
1422-551: A domestic horse is said to be 2.9 hours per day. Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep . They only have to lie down for an hour or two every few days to meet their minimum REM sleep requirements. However, if a horse is never allowed to lie down, after several days it will become sleep-deprived, and in rare cases may suddenly collapse because it slips, involuntarily, into REM sleep while still standing. This condition differs from narcolepsy , although horses may also suffer from that disorder. Horse harness A horse harness
1580-553: A few horse cavalry units were still used into World War II , especially as scouts. By the end of World War II, horses were seldom seen in battle, but were still used extensively for the transport of troops and supplies. Today, formal battle-ready horse cavalry units have almost disappeared, though the United States Army Special Forces used horses in battle during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan . Horses are still seen in use by organized armed fighters in
1738-473: A full 60 calendar months (five years) old. The horse skeleton averages 205 bones. A significant difference between the horse skeleton and that of a human is the lack of a collarbone —the horse's forelimbs are attached to the spinal column by a powerful set of muscles, tendons, and ligaments that attach the shoulder blade to the torso. The horse's four legs and hooves are also unique structures. Their leg bones are proportioned differently from those of
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#17328018394221896-478: A good sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight response . Related to this need to flee from predators in the wild is an unusual trait: horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down, with younger horses tending to sleep significantly more than adults. Female horses, called mares , carry their young for approximately 11 months and a young horse, called a foal , can stand and run shortly following birth. Most domesticated horses begin training under
2054-427: A harness includes the bridle and bit, reins to control the horse, and other controlling straps. Harness bridles are slightly different than riding bridles. They usually include blinders , also called blinkers or winkers , beside a horse's eyes to prevent it from being distracted or frightened by the carriage or other activity behind or beside it. When there are horses harnessed in front of another, all those behind
2212-499: A high head carriage; extremely high settings are considered abusive. Properly adjusted bearing reins and overchecks give the horse ample freedom of his head while prohibiting a horse from reaching to eat grass or scratching sweaty bridles on anything within reach—potentially causing accidents when a bit or rein gets hooked on something. The primary names of these straps are bearing rein and side check (UK), overcheck (USA), but also check rein, overhead check, and overdraw. In some cases
2370-640: A high level of intelligence that may or may not be used to cooperate with human handlers. Small size, by itself, is not an exclusive determinant. For example, the Shetland pony which averages 10 hands (40 inches, 102 cm), is considered a pony. Conversely, breeds such as the Falabella and other miniature horses , which can be no taller than 76 centimetres; 7.2 hands (30 in), are classified by their registries as very small horses, not ponies. Horses have 64 chromosomes . The horse genome
2528-439: A higher rate of gastric ulcers than horses listening to music, and racehorses stabled where a radio was played had a higher overall rate of ulceration than horses stabled where there was no radio playing. Horses have a great sense of balance, due partly to their ability to feel their footing and partly to highly developed proprioception —the unconscious sense of where the body and limbs are at all times. A horse's sense of touch
2686-598: A highly efficient fighting force. The use of armies consisting mostly of cavalry continued among the Turkish people who founded the Ottoman Empire . Their need for large mounted forces led to an establishment of the sipahi , cavalry soldiers who were granted lands in exchange for providing military service in times of war. Mounted Muslim warriors conquered North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula during
2844-413: A human as a companion, and thus be comfortable away from other horses. However, when confined with insufficient companionship, exercise, or stimulation, individuals may develop stable vices , an assortment of bad habits, mostly stereotypies of psychological origin, that include wood chewing, wall kicking, "weaving" (rocking back and forth), and other problems. Studies have indicated that horses perform
3002-420: A human. For example, the body part that is called a horse's "knee" is actually made up of the carpal bones that correspond to the human wrist . Similarly, the hock contains bones equivalent to those in the human ankle and heel . The lower leg bones of a horse correspond to the bones of the human hand or foot, and the fetlock (incorrectly called the "ankle") is actually the proximal sesamoid bones between
3160-584: A lightweight war horse became known as the rouncey . Medium-weight horses developed as early as the Iron Age with the needs of various civilizations to pull heavier loads, such as chariots capable of holding more than two people, and, as light cavalry evolved into heavy cavalry , to carry heavily armoured riders. The Scythians were among the earliest cultures to produce taller, heavier horses. Larger horses were also needed to pull supply wagons and, later on, artillery pieces. In Europe, horses were also used to
3318-426: A limited extent to maneuver cannons on the battlefield as part of dedicated horse artillery units. Medium-weight horses had the greatest range in size, from about 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) but stocky, to as much as 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm), weighing approximately 450 to 540 kilograms (1,000 to 1,200 lb). They generally were quite agile in combat, though they did not have
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#17328018394223476-526: A major component of grass, through the process of hindgut fermentation . Cellulose fermentation by symbiotic bacteria and other microbes occurs in the cecum and the large intestine . Horses cannot vomit , so digestion problems can quickly cause colic , a leading cause of death. Although horses do not have a gallbladder , they tolerate high amounts of fat in their diet. The horses' senses are based on their status as prey animals , where they must be aware of their surroundings at all times. The equine eye
3634-593: A major role, particularly after the Seven Years' War when Hussars started to play a larger part in battles. Though some leaders preferred tall horses for their mounted troops this was as much for prestige as for increased shock ability and many troops used more typical horses, averaging 15 hands. Cavalry tactics altered with fewer mounted charges, more reliance on drilled maneuvers at the trot , and use of firearms once within range. Ever-more elaborate movements, such as wheeling and caracole , were developed to facilitate
3792-457: A manner similar to that of oxen . However, such a design is incompatible with equine anatomy , limiting both the strength and mobility of the animal. By the time of the Hyksos invasions of Egypt , c. 1600 BC, horses were pulling chariots with an improved harness design that made use of a breastcollar and breeching , which allowed a horse to move faster and pull more weight. Even after
3950-491: A mule and work to which it was put depended largely on the breeding of the mare that produced the mule. Mules could be lightweight, medium weight, or even, when produced from draught horse mares , of moderate heavy weight. The oldest known manual on training horses for chariot warfare was written c. 1350 BC by the Hittite horsemaster, Kikkuli . An ancient manual on the subject of training riding horses, particularly for
4108-797: A number of cognitive tasks on a daily basis, meeting mental challenges that include food procurement and identification of individuals within a social system . They also have good spatial discrimination abilities. They are naturally curious and apt to investigate things they have not seen before. Studies have assessed equine intelligence in areas such as problem solving , speed of learning, and memory . Horses excel at simple learning, but also are able to use more advanced cognitive abilities that involve categorization and concept learning . They can learn using habituation , desensitization , classical conditioning , and operant conditioning , and positive and negative reinforcement . One study has indicated that horses can differentiate between "more or less" if
4266-475: A precarious position for moving quickly, and the horses were held by a handler on the ground, keeping the archer free to use the bow. Thus, these archers were more a type of mounted infantry than true cavalry. The Assyrians developed cavalry in response to invasions by nomadic people from the north, such as the Cimmerians , who entered Asia Minor in the 8th century BC and took over parts of Urartu during
4424-589: A precocial species, and foals are capable of standing and running within a short time following birth. Foals are usually born in the spring. The estrous cycle of a mare occurs roughly every 19–22 days and occurs from early spring into autumn. Most mares enter an anestrus period during the winter and thus do not cycle in this period. Foals are generally weaned from their mothers between four and six months of age. Horses, particularly colts, are sometimes physically capable of reproduction at about 18 months, but domesticated horses are rarely allowed to breed before
4582-477: A predominantly white hair coat and pink skin, a fairly rare occurrence. Different and unrelated genetic factors can produce white coat colors in horses, including several different alleles of dominant white and the sabino-1 gene . However, there are no " albino " horses, defined as having both pink skin and red eyes. Gestation lasts approximately 340 days, with an average range 320–370 days, and usually results in one foal ; twins are rare. Horses are
4740-455: A rider greater leverage with weapons, as well as both increased stability and mobility while mounted, nomadic groups such as the Mongols adopted this technology and developed a decisive military advantage. By the 7th century, due primarily to invaders from Central Asia, stirrup technology spread from Asia to Europe. The Avar invaders are viewed as primarily responsible for spreading the use of
4898-424: A single horse, a pair, or in a larger team, only for the wheelers (the animal or pair closest to the vehicle). The leaders in a team do not have breeching, as they are in front of the shafts or pole and cannot help to slow the vehicle. Breeching may be omitted for vehicles with efficient brakes or when pulling very light vehicles such as in fine harness driving. A crupper is a soft padded loop which goes under
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5056-860: A small war chariot at speed. Heavy supply wagons, artillery , and support vehicles were pulled by heavier horses or a larger number of horses. The method by which a horse was hitched to a vehicle also mattered: horses could pull greater weight with a horse collar than they could with a breast collar , and even less with an ox yoke . 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 12 hands (48 inches, 122 cm) to just under 15 hands (60 inches, 152 cm), weighing approximately 360 to 450 kilograms (800 to 1,000 lb). To move quickly, riders had to use lightweight tack and carry relatively light weapons such as bows, light spears, javelins, or later rifles. This
5214-408: A solid framework, or " tree ", provided a bearing surface to protect the horse from the weight of the rider, but was not widespread until the 2nd century AD. However, it made a critical difference, as horses could carry more weight when distributed across a solid saddle tree. A solid tree, the predecessor of today's Western saddle , also allowed a more built-up seat to give the rider greater security in
5372-408: A specially designed running martingale may also be added. A looser overcheck may also be used in a working harness to prevent the horse grazing. The overcheck hooks to a pedestal on the harness saddle. Horse brasses are ornamental brass plaques mounted on leather straps, used for decoration, especially on working harness. Made in a wide range of designs. The middle section of a harness includes
5530-425: A team of two to four horses, they also had to learn to work together with other animals in close quarters under chaotic conditions. Horses were probably ridden in prehistory before they were driven. However, evidence is scant, mostly simple images of human figures on horse-like animals drawn on rock or clay. The earliest tools used to control horses were bridles of various sorts, which were invented nearly as soon as
5688-412: Is "form to function". Therefore, the type of horse used for various forms of warfare depended on the work performed, the weight a horse needed to carry or pull, and distance travelled. Weight affects speed and endurance, creating a trade-off: armour added protection, but added weight reduced maximum speed. Therefore, various cultures had different military needs. In some situations, one primary type of horse
5846-451: Is a domesticated , one-toed , hoofed mammal . It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus . The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, Eohippus , into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BCE , and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BCE. Horses in
6004-455: Is a device that connects a horse to a horse-drawn vehicle or another type of load to pull. There are two main designs of horse harness: (1) the breast collar or breaststrap, and (2) the full collar or collar-and-hames. For pulling heavy loads, a full collar is required because it distributes pressure over a larger area of the horse. An ill-fitting full collar can cause chafing on the horse's skin and can interfere with its breathing, as can
6162-505: Is adequate healthy food. All horses move naturally with four basic gaits : Besides these basic gaits, some horses perform a two-beat pace , instead of the trot. There also are several four-beat ' ambling ' gaits that are approximately the speed of a trot or pace, though smoother to ride. These include the lateral rack , running walk , and tölt as well as the diagonal fox trot . Ambling gaits are often genetic in some breeds, known collectively as gaited horses . These horses replace
6320-407: Is buckled firmly to the saddle. A surcingle is a term used within certain fine harness designs to describe the combination of a light girth and harness saddle. Loops attached to the back band to hold up the shafts of a vehicle in van or fine harness (not needed in cart harness, which attaches to hooks on the shafts). Two types: A strap going through the harness saddle, or attached to it, to join
6478-399: Is held into place by the girth , a strap which goes under the belly of the horse. Together, the saddle and girth encircle the horse. Attached to the saddle are other parts of the harness such as rein terrets (above), tugs (to each side), a back strap and crupper (to the rear), and bearing reins or overcheck (to the front). The girth is a strap that goes under the horse's belly and
Horses in warfare - Misplaced Pages Continue
6636-436: Is hitched in front of another, the rear horse's harness may have extra terrets through which are run the lines to the horse ahead of them. There may be terrets attached near the rear horse's ears, called Roger rings, or double rings on the saddle to separate the lines for the rear horse from the lines to the forward horse or horses. The purpose of the rear section of harness is for holding the traces (the pulling straps) up off
6794-416: Is in the nostrils and nasal cavity, which analyze a wide range of odors. The second, located under the nasal cavity, are the vomeronasal organs , also called Jacobson's organs. These have a separate nerve pathway to the brain and appear to primarily analyze pheromones . A horse's hearing is good, and the pinna of each ear can rotate up to 180°, giving the potential for 360° hearing without having to move
6952-410: Is measured at the highest point of the withers , where the neck meets the back . This point is used because it is a stable point of the anatomy, unlike the head or neck, which move up and down in relation to the body of the horse. In English-speaking countries, the height of horses is often stated in units of hands and inches: one hand is equal to 4 inches (101.6 mm). The height is expressed as
7110-417: Is one of the largest of any land mammal. Horses are lateral-eyed, meaning that their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads. This means that horses have a range of vision of more than 350°, with approximately 65° of this being binocular vision and the remaining 285° monocular vision . Horses have excellent day and night vision , but they have two-color, or dichromatic vision ; their color vision
7268-426: Is somewhat like red-green color blindness in humans, where certain colors, especially red and related colors, appear as a shade of green. Their sense of smell , while much better than that of humans, is not quite as good as that of a dog. It is believed to play a key role in the social interactions of horses as well as detecting other key scents in the environment. Horses have two olfactory centers. The first system
7426-467: Is summed up by the traditional adage, "no foot, no horse". The horse hoof begins with the distal phalanges , the equivalent of the human fingertip or tip of the toe, surrounded by cartilage and other specialized, blood-rich soft tissues such as the laminae . The exterior hoof wall and horn of the sole is made of keratin , the same material as a human fingernail . The result is that a horse, weighing on average 500 kilograms (1,100 lb), travels on
7584-617: Is usually considered to be a horse and one less than 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) a pony, but there are many exceptions to the traditional standard. In Australia, ponies are considered to be those under 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm). For competition in the Western division of the United States Equestrian Federation , the cutoff is 14.1 hands (57 inches, 145 cm). The International Federation for Equestrian Sports ,
7742-520: Is well-developed. The most sensitive areas are around the eyes, ears, and nose. Horses are able to sense contact as subtle as an insect landing anywhere on the body. Horses have an advanced sense of taste, which allows them to sort through fodder and choose what they would most like to eat, and their prehensile lips can easily sort even small grains. Horses generally will not eat poisonous plants, however, there are exceptions; horses will occasionally eat toxic amounts of poisonous plants even when there
7900-516: The Ancient Greek cavalry is Hippike ( On Horsemanship ) written about 360 BC by the Greek cavalry officer Xenophon . and another early text was that of Kautilya , written about 323 BC. Whether horses were trained to pull chariots, to be ridden as light or heavy cavalry, or to carry the armoured knight, much training was required to overcome the horse's natural instinct to flee from noise,
8058-514: The Cossacks , but once in the field, the lack of supplies typical of wartime meant that horses of all types were used. Since horses were such a vital component of most armies in early modern Europe, many instituted state stud farms to breed horses for the military. However, in wartime, supply rarely matched the demand, resulting in some cavalry troops fighting on foot. Horse at least 48 published The horse ( Equus ferus caballus )
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#17328018394228216-521: The Franks developing heavier, bigger horses. As the amount of armour and equipment increased in the later Middle Ages, the height of the horses increased; some late medieval horse skeletons were of horses over 1.5 metres (15 hands ). Stallions were often used as destriers due to their natural aggression. However, there may have been some use of mares by European warriors, and mares, who were quieter and less likely to call out and betray their position to
8374-485: The Global South . Many nations still maintain small units of mounted riders for patrol and reconnaissance , and military horse units are also used for ceremonial and educational purposes. Horses are also used for historical reenactment of battles, law enforcement , and in equestrian competitions derived from the riding and training skills once used by the military. A fundamental principle of equine conformation
8532-559: The Middle Ages onward. They pulled heavy loads like supply wagons and were disposed to remain calm in battle. Some historians believe they may have carried the heaviest-armoured knights of the Late Medieval Period , though others dispute this claim, indicating that the destrier, or knight's battle horse, was a medium-weight animal. It is also disputed whether the destrier class included draught animals or not. Breeds at
8690-643: The Middle East as well as parts of West Africa and the Iberian peninsula , Muslim armies consisted mostly of cavalry, made up of fighters from various local groups, mercenaries and Turkoman tribesmen. The latter were considered particularly skilled as both lancers and archers from horseback. In the 9th century the use of Mamluks , slaves raised to be soldiers for various Muslim rulers, became increasingly common. Mobile tactics, advanced breeding of horses, and detailed training manuals made Mamluk cavalry
8848-488: The Morgan horse . Horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. In an adaptation from life in the wild, horses are able to enter light sleep by using a " stay apparatus " in their legs, allowing them to doze without collapsing. Horses sleep better when in groups because some animals will sleep while others stand guard to watch for predators. A horse kept alone will not sleep well because its instincts are to keep
9006-619: The Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1050 BC), where they appear in burials. The high point of chariot use in China was in the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), although they continued in use up until the 2nd century BC. Descriptions of the tactical role of chariots in Ancient Greece and Rome are rare. The Iliad , possibly referring to Mycenaen practices used c. 1250 BC, describes
9164-471: The Spanish Riding School have their roots in manoeuvres designed for the battlefield. However, the airs above the ground were unlikely to have been used in actual combat, as most would have exposed the unprotected underbelly of the horse to the weapons of foot soldiers. Horses used for chariot warfare were not only trained for combat conditions, but because many chariots were pulled by
9322-477: The Trakehner or Hanoverian , developed when European carriage and war horses were crossed with Arabians or Thoroughbreds, producing a riding horse with more refinement than a draft horse, but greater size and milder temperament than a lighter breed. Certain pony breeds with warmblood characteristics have been developed for smaller riders. Warmbloods are considered a "light horse" or "riding horse". Today,
9480-756: The Ummayads who settled in the Guadalquivir valley. Another strain of horse that came with Islamic invaders was the Turkoman horse . Muslim invaders travelled north from present-day Spain into France, where they were defeated by the Frankish ruler Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD. During the European Middle Ages , there were three primary types of war horses: the destrier ,
9638-711: The Wu Hu rebellions in China, and the Mongol conquest of much of Eurasia. The literature of ancient India describes numerous horse nomads. Some of the earliest references to the use of horses in South Asian warfare are Puranic texts, which refer to an attempted invasion of India by the joint cavalry forces of the Sakas , Kambojas , Yavanas , Pahlavas , and Paradas , called the "five hordes" ( pañca.ganah ) or " Kśatriya " hordes ( Kśatriya ganah ). About 1600 BC, they captured
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#17328018394229796-406: The cannon bones (a single equivalent to the human metacarpal or metatarsal bones ) and the proximal phalanges , located where one finds the "knuckles" of a human. A horse also has no muscles in its legs below the knees and hocks, only skin, hair, bone, tendons , ligaments , cartilage , and the assorted specialized tissues that make up the hoof . The critical importance of the feet and legs
9954-405: The courser , and the rouncey , which differed in size and usage. A generic word used to describe medieval war horses was charger, which appears interchangeable with the other terms. The medieval war horse was of moderate size, rarely exceeding 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm). Heavy horses were logistically difficult to maintain and less adaptable to varied terrains. The destrier of
10112-537: The early Middle Ages was moderately larger than the courser or rouncey, in part to accommodate heavier armoured knights . However, destriers were not as large as draught horses , averaging between 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) and 15 hands (60 inches, 152 cm). On the European continent, the need to carry more armour against mounted enemies such as the Lombards and Frisians led to
10270-466: The gene controlled by the Melanocortin 1 receptor , also known as the "extension gene" or "red factor". Its recessive form is "red" (chestnut) and its dominant form is black. Additional genes control suppression of black color to point coloration that results in a bay , spotting patterns such as pinto or leopard , dilution genes such as palomino or dun , as well as greying , and all
10428-451: The harness saddle , goes to the top of the horse's head and downward to attach to a bit. In English carriage harness, a bearing rein or side check travels through rings near the horse's ears and attaches to the bit. Common in harness racing and in fine harness showing, an overcheck strap passes between the horse's ears, comes down the front of the face, splits and attaches to a small auxiliary bit. Overchecks are sometimes used to attain
10586-535: The steppes of Eurasia , in what today is Ukraine , Hungary , and Romania . Not long after domestication of the horse , people in these locations began to live together in large fortified towns for protection from the threat of horseback-riding raiders, who could attack and escape faster than people of more sedentary cultures could follow. Horse-mounted nomads of the steppe and current day Eastern Europe spread Indo-European Languages as they conquered other tribes and groups. The use of horses in organised warfare
10744-464: The yoke used with oxen ) are not suitable for horses and will not allow the horse to work efficiently. Throughout the ancient world, the 'throat-and-girth' harness was used for harnessing horses that pulled carts ; this greatly limited a horse's ability to exert itself as it was constantly choked at the neck. A painting on a lacquerware box from the State of Chu , dated to the 4th century BC, shows
10902-594: The "cold-bloods", such as most draft breeds , are quieter and calmer. Sometimes "hot-bloods" are classified as "light horses" or "riding horses", with the "cold-bloods" classified as "draft horses" or "work horses". "Hot blooded" breeds include " oriental horses " such as the Akhal-Teke , Arabian horse , Barb , and now-extinct Turkoman horse , as well as the Thoroughbred , a breed developed in England from
11060-501: The 16th century, the concept of a combined-arms professional army had spread throughout Europe. Professional armies emphasized training, and were paid via contracts, a change from the ransom and pillaging which reimbursed knights in the past. When coupled with the rising costs involved in outfitting and maintaining armour and horses, the traditional knightly classes began to abandon their profession. Light horses, or prickers , were still used for scouting and reconnaissance; they also provided
11218-590: The 7th and 8th centuries AD following the Hijrah , of Muhammad in 622 AD. By 630 AD, their influence expanded across the Middle East and into western North Africa . By 711 AD, the light cavalry of Muslim warriors had reached Spain, and controlled most of the Iberian peninsula by 720. Their mounts were of various oriental types, including the North African Barb . A few Arabian horses may have come with
11376-467: The 7th and 8th centuries AD. Europeans used several types of war horses in the Middle Ages , and the best-known heavy cavalry warrior of the period was the armoured knight . With the decline of the knight and rise of gunpowder in warfare, light cavalry again rose to prominence, used in both European warfare and in the conquest of the Americas . Battle cavalry developed to take on a multitude of roles in
11534-436: The 9th century, and became widespread by the 12th century. Two major innovations that revolutionised the effectiveness of mounted warriors in battle were the saddle and the stirrup. Riders quickly learned to pad their horse's backs to protect themselves from the horse's spine and withers , and fought on horseback for centuries with little more than a blanket or pad on the horse's back and a rudimentary bridle. To help distribute
11692-789: The British Territorial Army experimented with the use of Dartmoor ponies as pack animals in 1935, finding them to be better than mules for the job. Horses were not the only equids used to support human warfare. Donkeys have been used as pack animals from antiquity to the present. Mules were also commonly used, especially as pack animals and to pull wagons, but also occasionally for riding. Because mules are often both calmer and hardier than horses, they were particularly useful for strenuous support tasks, such as hauling supplies over difficult terrain. However, under gunfire, they were less cooperative than horses, so were generally not used to haul artillery on battlefields. The size of
11850-532: The Elbow, Buxton, Liverpool , and the Wilson snaffle. The first three offer adjustments in severity for each horse, which is useful when working with multiple horses where all the horses wear matching bits, but the adjustments in curb leverage allow for each individual horse's needs. Reins or lines are long leather straps (occasionally ropes) running from the bit to the driver's hands which are used to guide
12008-749: The Greeks. A century later, the "Men of the Mountain Land," from north of Kabul River , served in the army of Darius III of Persia when he fought against Alexander the Great at Arbela in 331 BC. In battle against Alexander at Massaga in 326 BC, the Assakenoi forces included 20,000 cavalry. The Mudra-Rakshasa recounted how cavalry of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Kiratas , Parasikas , and Bahlikas helped Chandragupta Maurya (c. 320–298 BC) defeat
12166-577: The Southern Hemisphere. The exception is in endurance riding , where the minimum age to compete is based on the animal's actual calendar age. The following terminology is used to describe horses of various ages: In horse racing , these definitions may differ: For example, in the British Isles, Thoroughbred horse racing defines colts and fillies as less than five years old. However, Australian Thoroughbred racing defines colts and fillies as less than four years old. The height of horses
12324-456: The age of three, especially females. Horses four years old are considered mature, although the skeleton normally continues to develop until the age of six; maturation also depends on the horse's size, breed, sex, and quality of care. Larger horses have larger bones; therefore, not only do the bones take longer to form bone tissue , but the epiphyseal plates are larger and take longer to convert from cartilage to bone. These plates convert after
12482-537: The art of using archery from horseback. The archery skills of mounted samurai were developed by training such as Yabusame , which originated in 530 AD and reached its peak under Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199 AD) in the Kamakura period . They switched from an emphasis on mounted bowmen to mounted spearmen during the Sengoku period (1467–1615 AD). During the period when various Islamic empires controlled much of
12640-480: The base of the tail and is attached to the back strap , which runs across the back and is attached to the top-rear of the saddle . The back strap and crupper together keep the saddle from slipping forward. A strap running from the crupper to the rear of the saddle or pad. The back strap and crupper together keep the saddle from slipping forward. The back strap also holds in position any loin straps or breeching straps. Show harnesses for light cart driving have
12798-407: The belly band on both sides of the horse. It takes the weight of the shafts. In heavy cart harness it is replaced by a chain running in a groove in the harness saddle, hooked to the shafts either side. A strap that goes over the girth, but more loosely under the belly of the horse. It prevents the shafts from rising up, especially on a two-wheeled vehicle where weight on the rear of the cart may tip
12956-747: The calm, patient temperament needed to pull a plow or a heavy carriage full of people. They are sometimes nicknamed "gentle giants". Well-known draft breeds include the Belgian and the Clydesdale . Some, like the Percheron , are lighter and livelier, developed to pull carriages or to plow large fields in drier climates. Others, such as the Shire , are slower and more powerful, bred to plow fields with heavy, clay-based soils. The cold-blooded group also includes some pony breeds. " Warmblood " breeds, such as
13114-479: The chariot had become obsolete as a tool of war, there still was a need for technological innovations in pulling technologies; horses were needed to pull heavy loads of supplies and weapons. The invention of the horse collar in China during the 5th century AD ( Northern and Southern dynasties ) allowed horses to pull greater weight than they could when hitched to a vehicle with the ox yokes or breast collars used in earlier times. The horse collar arrived in Europe during
13272-719: The chariot to Ancient Egypt in the 16th century BC and the Egyptians adopted its use from that time forward. The oldest preserved text related to the handling of war horses in the ancient world is the Hittite manual of Kikkuli , which dates to about 1350 BC, and describes the conditioning of chariot horses. Chariots existed in the Minoan civilization , as they were inventoried on storage lists from Knossos in Crete , dating to around 1450 BC. Chariots were also used in China as far back as
13430-451: The chariot, so did new training methods, and by 360 BC, the Greek cavalry officer Xenophon had written an extensive treatise on horsemanship. The effectiveness of horses in battle was also revolutionized by improvements in technology , such as the invention of the saddle , the stirrup , and the horse collar . Many different types and sizes of horses were used in war, depending on the form of warfare. The type used varied with whether
13588-456: The command of cavalry divisions, but in some battles, such as Waterloo , the horse artillery were used as a rapid response force, repulsing attacks and assisting the infantry. Agility was important; the ideal artillery horse was 1.5 to 1.6 metres (15 to 16 hands ) high, strongly built, but able to move quickly. Relations between steppe nomads and the settled people in and around Central Asia were often marked by conflict. The nomadic lifestyle
13746-593: The cost of keeping horses. Heavy cavalry was believed to have been developed by the Ancient Persians , although others argue for the Sarmatians . By the time of Darius (558–486 BC), Persian military tactics required horses and riders that were completely armoured, and selectively bred a heavier, more muscled horse to carry the additional weight. The cataphract was a type of heavily armoured cavalry with distinct tactics, armour, and weaponry used from
13904-469: The day. Therefore, compared to humans, they have a relatively small stomach but very long intestines to facilitate a steady flow of nutrients. A 450-kilogram (990 lb) horse will eat 7 to 11 kilograms (15 to 24 lb) of food per day and, under normal use, drink 38 to 45 litres (8.4 to 9.9 imp gal; 10 to 12 US gal) of water . Horses are not ruminants , having only one stomach, like humans. But unlike humans, they can digest cellulose ,
14062-476: The demise of the knight to the invention of gunpowder , or to the English longbow . Some link the decline to both technologies. Others argue these technologies actually contributed to the development of knights: plate armour was first developed to resist early medieval crossbow bolts, and the full harness worn by the early 15th century developed to resist longbow arrows. From the 14th century onwards, most plate
14220-430: The driver only holds two reins. Reins are often 13 feet long or more. A lead rein —a rein that passes a rear horse to reach a horse in front of it—may well be 24 feet long. Driving reins were traditionally russet (undyed brown leather) because the dye used to color harness black would rub off on the driver's clothes where the reins draped across their lap. A bearing rein or overcheck is a strap system which attaches to
14378-472: The early toe loop stirrup is credited to the cultures of India, and may have been in use as early as 500 BC. Not long after, the cultures of Mesopotamia and Ancient Greece clashed with those of central Asia and India. Herodotus (484–425 BC) wrote that Gandarian mercenaries of the Achaemenid Empire were recruited into the army of emperor Xerxes I of Persia (486–465 BC), which he led against
14536-652: The enemy, were the preferred war horse of the Moors , who invaded various parts of Southern Europe from 700 AD through the 15th century. Geldings were used in war by the Teutonic Knights , and known as "monk horses" ( German : Mönchpferde or Mönchhengste ). One advantage was if captured by the enemy, they could not be used to improve local bloodstock, thus maintaining the Knights' superiority in horseflesh. The heavy cavalry charge, while it could be effective,
14694-645: The first known use of a yoke placed across a horses's chest, with traces connecting to the chariot shaft. The hard yoke across the horse's chest was gradually replaced by a breast strap, which was often depicted in carved reliefs and stamped bricks of tombs from the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). Eventually, the horse collar was invented in China, at least by the 5th century. Different regions and different purposes cause variation in harness construction, however there are many parts of harness that are common. The collar and traces are responsible for pulling
14852-427: The form of sieges , and in the later Middle Ages as mounted raids called chevauchées , with lightly armed warriors on swift horses. The war horse was also seen in hastiludes – martial war games such as the joust , which began in the 11th century both as sport and to provide training for battle. Specialised destriers were bred for the purpose, although the expense of keeping, training, and outfitting them kept
15010-401: The front of the mouth, adapted to biting off the grass or other vegetation. There are 24 teeth adapted for chewing, the premolars and molars , at the back of the mouth. Stallions and geldings have four additional teeth just behind the incisors, a type of canine teeth called "tushes". Some horses, both male and female, will also develop one to four very small vestigial teeth in front of
15168-438: The front up. A strap passing between the front legs, from the bottom centre of the collar to the belly band, to hold the collar in position. Called "false", because unlike a true martingale it does not attach to the bridle or have any influence on the horse's action. Terrets are metal loops through which reins pass. Terrets are mounted on the saddle or collar to support the reins and keep them in position. Where one horse
15326-404: The ground so a horse doesn't get a leg over one, and for the horse to slow or stop a wheeled vehicle, or "hold back" the vehicle against gravity when going downhill. Breeching is a horizontal strap that goes around the horse's haunches allowing the horse to slow a vehicle or hold it back when going downhill. It is usually hooked to the breeching dee on the shafts by breeching straps . Used for
15484-507: The head. Noise affects the behavior of horses and certain kinds of noise may contribute to stress—a 2013 study in the UK indicated that stabled horses were calmest in a quiet setting, or if listening to country or classical music, but displayed signs of nervousness when listening to jazz or rock music. This study also recommended keeping music under a volume of 21 decibels . An Australian study found that stabled racehorses listening to talk radio had
15642-481: The heavy variety. The Chinese used chariots for horse-based warfare until light cavalry forces became common during the Warring States era (402–221 BC). A major proponent of the change to riding horses from chariots was Wu Ling , c. 320 BC. However, conservative forces in China often opposed change, as cavalry did not benefit from the additional cachet attached to being the military branch dominated by
15800-424: The horse from seeing beside and behind him to various degrees by use of blinkers (horse tack) , or may be raced with an "open" bridle, one that does not have blinkers. Specialized equipment, called "hobbles" or "hopples" are added to the harness of race horses who pace (and sometimes to the harness of those who trot ) in order to help them maintain their gait . Harness for pulling heavier vehicles always has
15958-460: The horse was domesticated . Evidence of bit wear appears on the teeth of horses excavated at the archaeology sites of the Botai culture in northern Kazakhstan , dated 3500–3000 BC. The invention of the wheel was a major technological innovation that gave rise to chariot warfare. At first, equines, both horses and onagers , were hitched to wheeled carts by means of a yoke around their necks in
16116-669: The horse was being ridden or driven, and whether they were being used for reconnaissance , cavalry charges, raiding , communication, or supply. Throughout history, mules and donkeys , as well as horses played a crucial role in providing support to armies in the field. Horses were well suited to the warfare tactics of the nomadic cultures from the steppes of Eastern Europe and Central Asia . Several cultures in East Asia made extensive use of cavalry and chariots. Muslim warriors relied upon light cavalry in their campaigns throughout Northern Africa , Asia , and Europe beginning in
16274-443: The horses. For a single horse, there are two reins (left and right). For a pair of horses harnessed side-by-side, the reins from each horse are joined midway so the driver holds just two reins. When driving teams of four or more horses (multiple "pairs"), each pair of horses ends with two reins at the driver—so a four-in-hand driver holds four reins. In some driving systems, the reins of teams of multiple horses are all joined together so
16432-437: The incisors show changes as the horse ages; they develop a distinct wear pattern, changes in tooth shape, and changes in the angle at which the chewing surfaces meet. This allows a very rough estimate of a horse's age, although diet and veterinary care can also affect the rate of tooth wear. Horses are herbivores with a digestive system adapted to a forage diet of grasses and other plant material, consumed steadily throughout
16590-605: The late 18th century and early 19th century and was often crucial for victory in the Napoleonic Wars . In the Americas, the use of horses and development of mounted warfare tactics were learned by several tribes of indigenous people and in turn, highly mobile horse regiments were critical in the American Civil War . Horse cavalry began to be phased out after World War I in favour of tank warfare , though
16748-415: The leader will have large rings mounted on the side of the bridle to support reins passing to a horse in front of them. Often there is ornamentation on the bridle such as a drop hanging from the crownpiece and down the forehead, rosettes on each side by the ears, and decoration across the browband. Bits for harness may be similar to those used for riding, but there are a few bits unique to driving such as
16906-536: The leaders in a team of animals pulling a vehicle. The traces attach to a whippletree behind the horse and this then pulls the load (or in larger teams may attach to further whippletrees). There are two main plow harness types: the New England D-Ring and the Western harness. The New England D-Ring makes use of a metal D-shaped ring that allows for a ninety degree angle to be maintained at the junction of
17064-429: The load. The rest of the harness is for keeping the harness in position, holding the vehicle or load, and controlling the horse. A collar is the part which a horse pushes against with its shoulders and chest. The two main designs are the breast collar harness and the full collar harness. Traces are the two straps or chains which take the pull from the breast collar or hames to the vehicle or load. The head section of
17222-523: The majority of the population from owning one. While some historians suggest that the tournament had become a theatrical event by the 15th and 16th centuries, others argue that jousting continued to help cavalry train for battle until the Thirty Years' War . The decline of the armoured knight was probably linked to changing structures of armies and various economic factors, and not obsolescence due to new technologies. However, some historians attribute
17380-465: The maximum weight that horses can pull varies widely, depending on the build of the horse, the type of vehicle, road conditions, and other factors. Horses harnessed to a wheeled vehicle on a paved road can pull as much as eight times their weight, but far less if pulling wheelless loads over unpaved terrain. Thus, horses that were driven varied in size and had to make a trade-off between speed and weight, just as did riding animals. Light horses could pull
17538-435: The molars, known as "wolf" teeth, which are generally removed because they can interfere with the bit . There is an empty interdental space between the incisors and the molars where the bit rests directly on the gums, or "bars" of the horse's mouth when the horse is bridled . An estimate of a horse's age can be made from looking at its teeth. The teeth continue to erupt throughout life and are worn down by grazing. Therefore,
17696-766: The nobility as in medieval Europe. Nevertheless, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BC), it is recorded that 300,000 government-owned horses were insufficient for the cavalry and baggage trains of the Han military in the campaigns to expel the Xiongnu nomads from the Ordos Desert , Qilian Mountains , Khangai Mountains and Gobi Desert , spurring new policies that encouraged households to hand over privately-bred horses in exchange for military and corvee labor exemptions. The Japanese samurai fought as cavalry for many centuries. They were particularly skilled in
17854-868: The north and west, the Chinese of the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) developed effective mounted units. Cavalry was not used extensively by the Romans during the Roman Republic period, but by the time of the Roman Empire , they made use of heavy cavalry. However, the backbone of the Roman army was the infantry. Once gunpowder was invented, another major use of horses was as draught animals for heavy artillery , or cannon . In addition to field artillery , where horse-drawn guns were attended by gunners on foot, many armies had artillery batteries where each gunner
18012-1030: The number of full hands, followed by a point , then the number of additional inches, and ending with the abbreviation "h" or "hh" (for "hands high"). Thus, a horse described as "15.2 h" is 15 hands plus 2 inches, for a total of 62 inches (157.5 cm) in height. The size of horses varies by breed, but also is influenced by nutrition . Light-riding horses usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, 142 to 163 cm) and can weigh from 380 to 550 kilograms (840 to 1,210 lb). Larger-riding horses usually start at about 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) and often are as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm), weighing from 500 to 600 kilograms (1,100 to 1,320 lb). Heavy or draft horses are usually at least 16 hands (64 inches, 163 cm) high and can be as tall as 18 hands (72 inches, 183 cm) high. They can weigh from about 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,540 to 2,200 lb). The largest horse in recorded history
18170-555: The older oriental breeds. Hot bloods tend to be spirited, bold, and learn quickly. They are bred for agility and speed. They tend to be physically refined—thin-skinned, slim, and long-legged. The original oriental breeds were brought to Europe from the Middle East and North Africa when European breeders wished to infuse these traits into racing and light cavalry horses. Muscular, heavy draft horses are known as "cold bloods." They are bred not only for strength, but also to have
18328-435: The other factors that create the many possible coat colors found in horses. Horses that have a white coat color are often mislabeled; a horse that looks "white" is usually a middle-aged or older gray . Grays are born a darker shade, get lighter as they age, but usually keep black skin underneath their white hair coat (with the exception of pink skin under white markings ). The only horses properly called white are born with
18486-605: The other parts of the bones, and are crucial to development. Depending on maturity, breed, and work expected, horses are usually put under saddle and trained to be ridden between the ages of two and four. Although Thoroughbred race horses are put on the track as young as the age of two in some countries, horses specifically bred for sports such as dressage are generally not put under saddle until they are three or four years old, because their bones and muscles are not solidly developed. For endurance riding competition, horses are not deemed mature enough to compete until they are
18644-445: The parts that go around the horse's mid-section and hold shafts. Most all the other parts of the harness attach to this stable part of the harness. A harness saddle or pad is the piece of the harness that lies across the horse's back. It is not the same as a riding saddle . A saddle is a stuffed piece of leather that supports the weight of shafts. Saddles for heavy commercial carts may be quite substantial in size to help distribute
18802-481: The period as infantry weapons improved and footmen became more mobile and versatile, particularly once the musket bayonet replaced the more cumbersome pike. During the Elizabethan era , mounted units included cuirassiers , heavily armoured and equipped with lances; light cavalry, who wore mail and bore light lances and pistols; and " petronels ", who carried an early carbine . As heavy cavalry use declined armour
18960-570: The quantity involved is less than four. Domesticated horses may face greater mental challenges than wild horses, because they live in artificial environments that prevent instinctive behavior whilst also learning tasks that are not natural. Horses are animals of habit that respond well to regimentation, and respond best when the same routines and techniques are used consistently. One trainer believes that "intelligent" horses are reflections of intelligent trainers who effectively use response conditioning techniques and positive reinforcement to train in
19118-448: The raw speed or endurance of a lighter horse. By the Middle Ages , larger horses in this class were sometimes called destriers . They may have resembled modern Baroque or heavy warmblood breeds. Later, horses similar to the modern warmblood often carried European cavalry. Large, heavy horses, weighing from 680 to 910 kilograms (1,500 to 2,000 lb), the ancestors of today's draught horses , were used, particularly in Europe, from
19276-564: The reign of Sargon II , approximately 721 BC. Mounted warriors such as the Scythians also had an influence on the region in the 7th century BC. By the reign of Ashurbanipal in 669 BC, the Assyrians had learned to sit forward on their horses in the classic riding position still seen today and could be said to be true light cavalry . The ancient Greeks used both light horse scouts and heavy cavalry, although not extensively, possibly due to
19434-469: The rider's legs and weight . The horse became accustomed to any necessary tack and protective armour placed upon it, and learned to balance under a rider who would also be laden with weapons and armour. Developing the balance and agility of the horse was crucial. The origins of the discipline of dressage came from the need to train horses to be both obedient and manoeuvrable. The Haute ecole or "High School" movements of classical dressage taught today at
19592-420: The rider's weight and protect the horse's back, some cultures created stuffed padding that resembles the panels of today's English saddle . Both the Scythians and Assyrians used pads with added felt attached with a surcingle or girth around the horse's barrel for increased security and comfort. Xenophon mentioned the use of a padded cloth on cavalry mounts as early as the 4th century BC. The saddle with
19750-560: The ruler of Magadha and take the throne, thus laying the foundations of Mauryan dynasty in Northern India. Mughal cavalry used gunpowder weapons, but were slow to replace the traditional composite bow. Under the impact of European military successes in India, some Indian rulers adopted the European system of massed cavalry charges, although others did not. By the 18th century, Indian armies continued to field cavalry, but mainly of
19908-487: The saddle. The Romans are credited with the invention of the solid-treed saddle. An invention that made cavalry particularly effective was the stirrup. A toe loop that held the big toe was used in India possibly as early as 500 BC, and later a single stirrup was used as a mounting aid. The first set of paired stirrups appeared in China about 322 AD during the Jin dynasty . Following the invention of paired stirrups, which allowed
20066-496: The same animals as horses. The distinction between a horse and pony is commonly drawn on the basis of height, especially for competition purposes. However, height alone is not dispositive; the difference between horses and ponies may also include aspects of phenotype , including conformation and temperament. The traditional standard for height of a horse or a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm). An animal 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) or over
20224-507: The same bones as would a human on tiptoe. For the protection of the hoof under certain conditions, some horses have horseshoes placed on their feet by a professional farrier . The hoof continually grows, and in most domesticated horses needs to be trimmed (and horseshoes reset, if used) every five to eight weeks, though the hooves of horses in the wild wear down and regrow at a rate suitable for their terrain. Horses are adapted to grazing . In an adult horse, there are 12 incisors at
20382-472: The same color may be distinguished from one another by white markings , which, along with various spotting patterns, are inherited separately from coat color. Many genes that create horse coat colors and patterns have been identified. Current genetic tests can identify at least 13 different alleles influencing coat color, and research continues to discover new genes linked to specific traits. The basic coat colors of chestnut and black are determined by
20540-403: The shafts of the vehicle or to the vehicle itself, and the harness may have either a horse collar or a breast collar . The racing harness, like the show harness, is a breast collar harness. Horses are hitched to a very lightweight two-wheeled cart, called a sulky . Most race harnesses incorporate a standing martingale and an overcheck. Horses may be raced in a "blind" bridle, which restricts
20698-684: The smaller end of the heavyweight category may have included the ancestors of the Percheron , agile for their size and physically able to maneuver in battle. The British Army's 2nd Dragoons in 1813 had 340 ponies of 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) and 55 ponies of 14 hands (56 inches, 142 cm); the Lovat Scouts, formed in 1899, were mounted on Highland ponies; the British Army recruited 200 Dales ponies in World War II for use as pack and artillery animals; and
20856-463: The smell of blood, and the confusion of combat. They also learned to accept any sudden or unusual movements of humans while using a weapon or avoiding one. Horses used in close combat may have been taught, or at least permitted, to kick, strike, and even bite, thus becoming weapons themselves for the warriors they carried. In most cultures, a war horse used as a riding animal was trained to be controlled with limited use of reins , responding primarily to
21014-551: The stirrup into central Europe. However, while stirrups were known in Europe in the 8th century, pictorial and literary references to their use date only from the 9th century. Widespread use in Northern Europe, including England, is credited to the Vikings , who spread the stirrup in the 9th and 10th centuries to those areas. The first archaeological evidence of horses used in warfare dates from between 4000 and 3000 BC in
21172-470: The style that best fits with an individual animal's natural inclinations. Horses are mammals . As such, they are warm-blooded , or endothermic creatures, as opposed to cold-blooded, or poikilothermic animals. However, these words have developed a separate meaning in the context of equine terminology, used to describe temperament, not body temperature . For example, the " hot-bloods ", such as many race horses , exhibit more sensitivity and energy, while
21330-513: The subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses . These feral populations are not true wild horses , which are horses that never have been domesticated. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors , markings , breeds , locomotion , and behavior. Horses are adapted to run , allowing them to quickly escape predators, and possess
21488-558: The term "Warmblood" refers to a specific subset of sport horse breeds that are used for competition in dressage and show jumping . Strictly speaking, the term " warm blood " refers to any cross between cold-blooded and hot-blooded breeds. Examples include breeds such as the Irish Draught or the Cleveland Bay . The term was once used to refer to breeds of light riding horse other than Thoroughbreds or Arabians, such as
21646-620: The throne of Ayodhya by dethroning the Vedic king, Bahu. Later texts, such as the Mahābhārata , c. 950 BC, appear to recognise efforts taken to breed war horses and develop trained mounted warriors, stating that the horses of the Sindhu and Kamboja regions were of the finest quality, and the Kambojas, Gandharas, and Yavanas were expert in fighting from horses. In technological innovation,
21804-531: The time of the Persians up until the Middle Ages. In Ancient Greece , Phillip of Macedon is credited with developing tactics allowing massed cavalry charges. The most famous Greek heavy cavalry units were the companion cavalry of Alexander the Great . The Chinese of the 4th century BC during the Warring States period (403–221 BC) began to use cavalry against rival states. To fight nomadic raiders from
21962-788: The trot with one of the ambling gaits. Horses are prey animals with a strong fight-or-flight response . Their first reaction to a threat is to startle and usually flee, although they will stand their ground and defend themselves when flight is impossible or if their young are threatened. They also tend to be curious; when startled, they will often hesitate an instant to ascertain the cause of their fright, and may not always flee from something that they perceive as non-threatening. Most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; natural qualities that extend from their wild ancestors. However, through selective breeding, some breeds of horses are quite docile, particularly certain draft horses. Horses are herd animals , with
22120-401: The urine of pregnant mares . Humans provide domesticated horses with food, water, and shelter, as well as attention from specialists such as veterinarians and farriers . Depending on breed, management and environment, the modern domestic horse has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. Uncommonly, a few animals live into their 40s and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record
22278-558: The use of chariots for transporting warriors to and from battle, rather than for actual fighting. Later, Julius Caesar , invading Britain in 55 and 54 BC, noted British charioteers throwing javelins, then leaving their chariots to fight on foot. Some of the earliest examples of horses being ridden in warfare were horse-mounted archers or javelin-throwers, dating to the reigns of the Assyrian rulers Ashurnasirpal II and Shalmaneser III . However, these riders sat far back on their horses,
22436-433: The use of firearms from horseback. These tactics were not greatly successful in battle since pikemen protected by musketeers could deny cavalry room to manoeuvre. However the advanced equestrianism required survives into the modern world as dressage . While restricted, cavalry was not rendered obsolete. As infantry formations developed in tactics and skills, artillery became essential to break formations; in turn, cavalry
22594-402: The weight bearing down from the shafts. For pulling loads without shafts, a pad or back pad is used, which is a wide non-padded leather strap. For example, pads are used for logging, plowing or a pair of horses pulling a 4-wheeled vehicle which uses a pole between two horses, not shafts. A fitted and stuffed saddle pad may be placed underneath a saddle or pad for extra padding. The saddle
22752-1085: The world governing body for horse sport, uses metric measurements and defines a pony as being any horse measuring less than 148 centimetres (58.27 in) at the withers without shoes, which is just over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), and 149 centimetres (58.66 in; 14. 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hands), with shoes. Height is not the sole criterion for distinguishing horses from ponies. Breed registries for horses that typically produce individuals both under and over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm) consider all animals of that breed to be horses regardless of their height. Conversely, some pony breeds may have features in common with horses, and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2 hands (58 inches, 147 cm), but are still considered to be ponies. Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails, and overall coat. They also have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They may have calmer temperaments than horses and also
22910-569: The world today, developed for many different uses. Horses and humans interact in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities such as police work , agriculture , entertainment, and therapy . Horses were historically used in warfare, from which a wide variety of riding and driving techniques developed, using many different styles of equipment and methods of control. Many products are derived from horses, including meat , milk , hide , hair , bone, and pharmaceuticals extracted from
23068-408: Was sequenced in 2007. It contains 2.7 billion DNA base pairs , which is larger than the dog genome , but smaller than the human genome or the bovine genome . The map is available to researchers. Horses exhibit a diverse array of coat colors and distinctive markings , described by a specialized vocabulary. Often, a horse is classified first by its coat color, before breed or sex. Horses of
23226-550: Was " Old Billy ", a 19th-century horse that lived to the age of 62. In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living pony, died in 2007 at age 56. Regardless of a horse or pony's actual birth date, for most competition purposes a year is added to its age each January 1 of each year in the Northern Hemisphere and each August 1 in
23384-631: Was documented early in recorded history. One of the first depictions is the "war panel" of the Standard of Ur , in Sumer , dated c. 2500 BC, showing horses (or possibly onagers or mules) pulling a four-wheeled wagon. Among the earliest evidence of chariot use are the burials of horse and chariot remains by the Andronovo (Sintashta-Petrovka) culture in modern Russia and Kazakhstan , dated to approximately 2000 BC. The oldest documentary evidence of what
23542-413: Was favoured over all others. In other places, multiple types were needed; warriors would travel to battle riding a lighter horse of greater speed and endurance, and then switch to a heavier horse, with greater weight-carrying capacity, when wearing heavy armour in actual combat. The average horse can carry up to approximately 30% of its body weight. While all horses can pull more weight than they can carry,
23700-462: Was increasingly abandoned and dragoons , whose horses were rarely used in combat, became more common: mounted infantry provided reconnaissance, escort and security. However, many generals still used the heavy mounted charge, from the late 17th century and early 18th century, where sword-wielding wedge-formation shock troops penetrated enemy lines, to the early 19th century, where armoured heavy cuirassiers were employed. Light cavalry continued to play
23858-420: Was made from hardened steel, which resisted early musket ammunition. In addition, stronger designs did not make plate heavier; a full harness of musket-proof plate from the 17th century weighed 70 pounds (32 kg), significantly less than 16th century tournament armour. The move to predominately infantry-based battles from 1300 to 1550 was linked to both improved infantry tactics and changes in weaponry . By
24016-404: Was not a common occurrence. Battles were rarely fought on land suitable for heavy cavalry. While mounted riders remained effective for initial attacks, by the end of the 14th century, it was common for knights to dismount to fight, while their horses were sent to the rear, kept ready for pursuit. Pitched battles were avoided if possible, with most offensive warfare in the early Middle Ages taking
24174-451: Was probably a Shire horse named Mammoth , who was born in 1848. He stood 21.2 ⁄ 4 hands (86.25 inches, 219 cm) high and his peak weight was estimated at 1,524 kilograms (3,360 lb). The record holder for the smallest horse ever is Thumbelina , a fully mature miniature horse affected by dwarfism . She was 43 centimetres; 4.1 hands (17 in) tall and weighed 26 kg (57 lb). Ponies are taxonomically
24332-712: Was probably chariot warfare in the Ancient Near East is the Old Hittite Anitta text, of the 18th century BC, which mentioned 40 teams of horses at the siege of Salatiwara . The Hittites became well known throughout the ancient world for their prowess with the chariot. Widespread use of the chariot in warfare across most of Eurasia coincides approximately with the development of the composite bow , known from c. 1600 BC. Further improvements in wheels and axles, as well as innovations in weaponry, soon resulted in chariots being driven in battle by Bronze Age societies from China to Egypt. The Hyksos invaders brought
24490-452: Was provided with a mount. Horse artillery units generally used lighter pieces, pulled by six horses. "9-pounders" were pulled by eight horses, and heavier artillery pieces needed a team of twelve. With the individual riding horses required for officers, surgeons and other support staff, as well as those pulling the artillery guns and supply wagons, an artillery battery of six guns could require 160 to 200 horses. Horse artillery usually came under
24648-659: Was required to both combat enemy artillery, which was susceptible to cavalry while deploying, and to charge enemy infantry formations broken by artillery fire. Thus, successful warfare depended in a balance of the three arms: cavalry, artillery and infantry. As regimental structures developed many units selected horses of uniform type and some, such as the Royal Scots Greys , even specified colour. Trumpeters often rode distinctive horses so they stood out. Regional armies developed type preferences, such as British hunters , Hanoverians in central Europe, and steppe ponies of
24806-599: Was the original horse used for early chariot warfare, raiding, and light cavalry . Relatively light horses were used by many cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians , the Mongols , the Arabs , and the Native Americans . Throughout the Ancient Near East , small, light animals were used to pull chariots designed to carry no more than two passengers, a driver and a warrior. In the European Middle Ages ,
24964-579: Was well suited to warfare, and steppe cavalry became some of the most militarily potent forces in the world, only limited by nomads' frequent lack of internal unity. Periodically, strong leaders would organise several tribes into one force, creating an almost unstoppable power. These unified groups included the Huns , who invaded Europe, and under Attila , conducted campaigns in both eastern France and northern Italy, over 500 miles apart, within two successive campaign seasons. Other unified nomadic forces included
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