DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Daniela: Kone v stredovekom rytierskom vojsku

DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Daniela: Horses in Medieval Knightly Armies.

Autor: DVOŘÁKOVÁ, Daniela

This study analyses the role of horses in medieval knightly armies. The starting point is the Western European model of heavy cavalry based on frontal shock, whose effectiveness was multiplied by the strength and speed of warhorses.  For these purposes, powerful warhorses (dextrarius) were bred. The study discusses the terminology used in connection with warhorses, their functional use in combat, and their limitations (unsuitability for long marches and retreat). The dextrarius was not the only type of horse employed in armies; alongside heavy warhorse stallions, fast riding horses (cursor/gradarius/palefridus) were also utilised—essential for pursuit, withdrawal, and service in light cavalry units, which were a long-standing characteristic of the Kingdom of Hungary. The article examines how horses influenced strategy, as well as the timing and planning of campaigns, and identifies a key weakness of the knightly mode of warfare: the vulnerability of the horse.

Keywords: Middle Ages; knightly armies; horses; heavy cavalry; light cavalry; warhorse

(dextrarius); Kingdom of Hungary

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69809/vojhist.2026.30.2.5

Ročník: 30 | Číslo: 2/2026 | Stránky: 105-120