what new inventions assisted a soldier in manoeuvring on horseback
Horses in warfare
During the European Middle Ages , there were three primary types of war horses : The destrier , the courser , and the rouncey , which differed in size and usage . A generic word used to describe medieval war horses was charger , which appears interchangeable with the other terms . The medieval war horse was of moderate size , rarely exceeding 15.2 hands ( 62 inches , 157 cm ) . Heavy horses were logistically difficult to maintain and less adaptable to varied terrains . The destrier of the early Middle Ages was moderately larger than the courser or rouncey , in part to accommodate heavier armoured knights . However , destriers were not as large as draught horses , averaging between 14.2 hands ( 58 inches , 147 cm ) and 15 hands ( 60 inches , 152 cm ) . On the European continent , the need to carry more armour against mounted enemies such as the Lombards and Frisians led to the Franks developing heavier , bigger horses . As the amount of armour and equipment increased in the later Middle Ages , the height of the horses increased ; some late medieval horse skeletons were of horses over 15 hands .
During the European Middle Ages , there were three primary types of war horses : The destrier , the courser , and the rouncey , which differed in size and usage . A generic word used to describe medieval war horses was charger , which appears interchangeable with the other terms . The medieval war horse was of moderate size , rarely exceeding 15.2 hands ( 62 inches , 157 cm ) . Heavy horses were logistically difficult to maintain and less adaptable to varied terrains . The destrier of the early Middle Ages was moderately larger than the courser or rouncey , in part to accommodate heavier armoured knights . However , destriers were not as large as draught horses , averaging between 14.2 hands ( 58 inches , 147 cm ) and 15 hands ( 60 inches , 152 cm ) . On the European continent , the need to carry more armour against mounted enemies such as the Lombards and Frisians led to the Franks developing heavier , bigger horses . As the amount of armour and equipment increased in the later Middle Ages , the height of the horses increased ; some late medieval horse skeletons were of horses over 15 hands .