Charging Steeds: Equipping The Horse For War (1200-1800)

The horse has played a vital role in warfare throughout the world. Images of European knights thundering across the battlefield on warhorses and Asian horse archers loosing arrows at a furious gallop are firmly and justifiably lodged in the popular imagination.

Join curators – Karen Watts, Senior Curator, (Armour and Art) and Natasha Bennett, Acting Curator (Oriental Collections) – as they examine the practical partnership between man and horse during this dedicated seminar.

Delegates will have the opportunity to handle the specialised armour, weaponry and equipment which helped to make the cavalry such an effective part of medieval warfare in Asia and Europe.

The session will also consider the preparation and techniques used to equip mounted warriors and their steeds with the skills they would need during battle, such as hunting and tournament.

This seminar will focus primarily on the period 1200–1800. Numbers are limited to 16 people.