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Horses were sent to the rear, and kept ready for pursuit. [31] By the Late Middle Ages (approx 1300–1550), large battles became more common, probably because of the success of infantry tactics and changes in weaponry. [32] However, because such tactics left the knight unmounted, the role of the war horse also changed.
The size and weight of the horseshoe changed significantly over the course of the Middle Ages. [14] In the 10th century, horseshoes were secured by six nails and weighed around one-quarter of a pound, but throughout the years, the shoes grew larger and by the 14th century, the shoes were being secured with eight nails and weighed nearly half a ...
The lance, White says, is the strongest evidence that the Franks had adopted the stirrup by this time. [5]: 28 He further claimed: "The feudal class of the European Middle Ages existed to be armed horsemen, cavaliers fighting in a particular manner which was made possible by the stirrup."
Horseshoe-shaped wall decorations are also common. In the Middle East, blue-glazed terra cotta horseshoe plaques are widely used, while in Turkey, metal or blue glass horseshoes are combined with the "all-seeing eye" to create distinctive protective talismans believed to ward off the evil eye.
The destrier is the best-known war horse of the Middle Ages. It carried knights in battles, tournaments, and jousts. It was described by contemporary sources as the Great Horse, due to its significance. While highly prized by knights and men-at-arms, the destrier was not very common. [1]
The nailed iron horseshoe first clearly appeared in the archaeological record in Europe in about the 5th century AD when a horseshoe, complete with nails, was found in the tomb of the Frankish King Childeric I at Tournai, Belgium. [9] In Gallo-Roman countries, the hipposandal appears to have briefly co-existed with the nailed horseshoe. [1] [7]
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Horses were shod with nailed-on horseshoes from the Middle Ages to the present, though well-trained farriers also performed barefoot trimming for horses that did not require the additional protection of shoes. It has become standard practice to shoe most horses in active competition or work.