The Warhorse in England Under Edward I and Edward II: 1272-1327

This thesis looks at the warhorses used on the campaigns of Edward I and Edward II (1272-1327). Its purpose is to gain an understanding of the types of horses ridden on campaign, their origin and training, and to consider the impact of warfare on their health and welfare. This is achieved by analysing a corpus of mostly unpublished primary sources including army inventories and royal stable accounts, and by drawing from the intellectual framework on horse care presented in contemporary hippiatric texts. This thesis contributes to both Military History and Animal Studies. It places horses within the wider context of armed conflict and argues that that during these periods the production and management of warhorses was an important component of English warfare.
Chapter One provides an overview of the benefits and limitations of the primary source material used to analyse the warhorses of the period. Chapter Two investigates the horses used by men-at-arms on campaign and discusses their types and physical characteristics. Chapters Three and Four focus on where warhorses came from: Chapter Three analyses the import of warhorses from overseas and the English horse market; Chapter Four explores how royal studs focused on the breeding of warhorses. Chapter Five considers how warhorses were trained and prepared for combat. Chapter Six investigates how warhorses were looked after on campaign and considers the impact of warfare on their numbers and welfare.