Help support TMP


"What did Renaissance-era military horses look like?" Topic


3 Posts

All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.

Please don't call someone a Nazi unless they really are a Nazi.

For more information, see the TMP FAQ.


Back to the Wargaming in the United Kingdom Message Board

Back to the Renaissance Painting Guides Message Board

Back to the Renaissance Discussion Message Board


Areas of Interest

General
Renaissance

Featured Hobby News Article


Featured Link


Top-Rated Ruleset

De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA)


Rating: gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star gold star 


Featured Showcase Article

Fighting 15's Teutonic Order Command 1410

Command figures for the 1410 Teutonics.


Featured Workbench Article

Building the Langton Anglo-Dutch British 1st Rate

Personal logo Virtualscratchbuilder Supporting Member of TMP Fezian is a big fan of the Age of Sail, and these ships really speak to him - he loves transitional eras, and the Anglo-Dutch Wars was one of those.


Featured Profile Article

Dung Gate

For the time being, the last in our series of articles on the gates of Old Jerusalem.


Current Poll


2,565 hits since 13 Oct 2017
©1994-2026 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?

Supercilius Maximus13 Oct 2017 2:36 p.m. PST

I'm particularly interested in English horses – both heavy (demi-lancers) and light (border horse/petronels etc) – for the periods 1500-1520, and 1580-1600, but also the ECW/TYW.

a) Which breeds tended to be used for military service?
b) Do these breeds still exist today, or if not, which are the nearest approximations?
3) What would have been the dominant colours/markings?

Any information gratefully received from our resident "horse whisperers".

Shagnasty Supporting Member of TMP14 Oct 2017 9:14 a.m. PST

I met a reenactor at Warwick Castle in 1984 who said he bred his own. It was 1/4 Clydesdale and 3/4 English hunter. The horse was black, 17 hands tall with sturdy legs but no hoof tufts. The knight said to be careful about rustling cellophane
near him.

Codsticker14 Oct 2017 7:49 p.m. PST

There really wasn't "breeds" as we know them today; more likely types. A 17H horse probably would have been uncommon but not unknown. Most horses would have been, bay (brown with black points), sorrel/chestnut and brown. IIRC it wasn't until the 18thC that we started breeding for a more consistent mount- specifically dark, large horses for heavy cavalry.

Sorry - only verified members can post on the forums.