This volume provides a unique introduction to the most topical issues, advances, and challenges in medieval horse history. Medievalists who have a long-standing interest in horse history, as well as those seeking to widen their understanding of horses in medieval society will find here informed and comprehensive treatment of chapters from disciplines as diverse as archaeology, legal, economic and military history, urban and rural history, art and literature. The themes range from case studies of saddles and bridles, to hippiatric treatises, to the medieval origins of dressage literary studies. It shows the ubiquitous – and often ambiguous – role of the horse in medieval culture, where it was simultaneously a treasured animal and a means of transport, a military machine and a loyal companion. The contributors, many of whom have practical knowledge of horses, are drawn from established and budding scholars working in their areas of expertise.

• Contents 6
• Introduction 8
• Part I: Working Horses and Their Equipment 20
• 1. Equestrian Cities: The Use of Riding Horses and Characteristics of Horse Husbandry in Late Medieval Urban Agglomerations 20
• 2. Working Horses in the Northern European Countryside between the Thirteenth and Sixteenth Centuries: What Advantage for a Farm 34
• 3. Baggage Animals – The Neglected Equines. An Introductory Survey of Their Varieties, Uses, and Equipping 52
• 4. Medieval Horse Harness – The Evidence of the Images 62
• Part II: Warhorses 78
• 5. Mounted Combat in Transition: The Transformation of the Eleventh Century 78
• 6. The Use of the Crossbow in Medieval Cavalry 94
• Part III: Performing Horses 114
• 7. Reading Horses and Writing Chivalry 114
• 8. How to Ride before a Prince: The Rise of Riding as a Performance Art 130
• Part IV: Caring for Horses 154
• 9. How to Make a White Mark on a Black Horse: Middle English Hippiatric Medicine, Common Diseases, and Their Remedies 154