The Destrier

by Scott Howard

A knight’s destrier was as much a staple as his sword and armor. Without it he was virtually powerless and subject to a man at arms’ quicker spear thrusts or sword strokes - a soldier who would be more lightly armored. In combination, a knight and his destrier were lethal, operating in tandem with only the slightest prod of the knee or light gesture.

Public Domain - From Wikimedia Commons

A destrier was not a breed of horse but a type of horse specifically bred for war. From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary its origins are: Middle English, from Anglo-French destrer, destrier, from destre right hand, from Latin dextra, from feminine of dexter. First Known Use: 14th century.1 The “right hand” may refer to the horse being led by a squire on a knight’s right side.

This breed of warhorse was typically a stallion with powerful hindquarters and a fearless disposition. They had to be able to turn on a silver penny with a nudge from the knee – the mounted knight typically had his hands full swinging a sword or mace and hefting a shield. Their iron-shod hooves could kill those on foot with a kick or flail of the feet. They were also known to bite those who happened to be too close. And the cries of battle and blood did not seem to faze them. Coupled with an armored knight, this created a dangerous war machine.

If you happen to visit a Renaissance Fair, the joust is the highlight of the day. After spending wads of cash eating turkey legs and other goodies, you find that watching two knights banter back and forth on huge draft horses relaxing. After trading insults for the benefit of the crowd, they close their visors then lumber down the field on a behemoth of a horse. This is the image we most often remember, but it is not the case. The truth is much more frightening.

Contrary to popular belief, the medieval knight was not mounted on a huge plodding draft horse like the famous Shire. By combining archaeological finds with pictorial evidence we can paint a picture of the typical Destrier as a very athletic short-backed horse not exceeding 15.2 hands in size. Medieval paintings often show horses in perfect collection with beautiful gaits, permitting the conclusion that the medieval warhorse was highly trained and extremely manoeuvrable.2

Public Domain From Wikimedia Commons

The horse was athletic, perhaps not as nimble as an Arabian stallion encountered by Crusaders in Outremer, but they were strong enough to carry an armored knight and maneuver around, punching through the press.  The truth is much more frightening, as stated before.  Together, an armored knight and an equally armored warhorse operate like a machine. The video below captures that thought.

1http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destrier  2http://www.destrier.org.uk/warhorses.html

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A Soul’s Ransom

 

Scott Higginbotham writes under the name Scott Howard and is the author of A Soul’s Ransom, a novel set in the fourteenth century where William de Courtenay’s mettle is tested, weighed, and refined, and For a Thousand Generations where Edward Leaver navigates a world where his purpose is defined with an eye to the future.  His new release, A Matter of Honor, is a direct sequel to For a Thousand Generations.  It is within Edward Leaver's well-worn boots that Scott travels the muddy tracks of medieval England.