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Anastasija Ropa lectures at the Latvian Academy of Sport Education, and has owned and trained horses for many years. Her books include Practical Horsemanship in Medieval Arthurian Romance (2019).<i>The Medieval Horse</i> is a comprehensive and readable exploration of the many meanings of horses in the Middle Ages. The book is a feast not just for history and literature scholars but for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the period without getting lost in buzzwords and theory.
Susanna Forrest, author of The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey through Human History
In <i>The Medieval Horse</i>, Anastasija Ropa takes the reader on an exhilarating journey into relatively unexplored territory as well as revisiting some familiar historical spaces. This book successfully contends with much of the mythology surrounding the subject without losing any of its magic.
Miriam A. Bibby, co-editor-in-chief of Cheiron: The International Journal of Equine and Equestrian History
A fresh and wonderfully comprehensive study of medieval horses and their relationship with humans, from breeding and training to the elite warhorse and the humble Welsh “dung-mare”, and to horses in literature, myth and superstition in Europe, the Arab lands, India and China. The book reflects both the most recent international research in this field and the author’s deep knowledge and understanding of horses.
John Clark, Curator Emeritus, London Museum
Anastasija Ropa’s <i>The Medieval Horse</i> takes us on an immensely pleasurable gallop through the equestrian Middle Ages, where horses of all kinds enlivened and defined the period. We encounter a wide cast of equine characters on Ropa’s richly described journey, from the more familiar environs of western Europe to those much further afield, including the Welsh “dung mare” to horses that resided in the Mughal emperor’s lush stables, from the archery horses of Japanese <i>yabusame</i>, to those who trotted along the Khorasan-India Road in Iran. Ropa’s impressive command of multiple languages, as well as her extensive knowledge of medieval treatises, literary sources, religious traditions, and imagery allows her to deftly interrogate commonly received historiographies with the critical eyes of a historian and an equestrian. There is something for all scholars of equestrian history in this book, which is written in a light and engaging style, and brimming with lively stories of horses that makes it a delight to read. Ropa’s <i>The Medieval Horse </i>will no doubt take a well-earned place among the classic texts on the horses of the Middle Ages.
Katherine Kanne, University College Dublin and University of Exeter
This book explores the role of horses across the medieval world, from the Kievan Rus' and Scandinavia to Central Europe, Byzantium, the Arab world and Asia, including China and India. Covering the early medieval period to the late Middle Ages, it examines how horses shaped societies, warfare and culture and how their legacy persists in traditional equestrian sports today.
Drawing on little-known primary sources, artefacts, and the author’s hands-on experience with historical horsemanship, the book offers a vivid account of the deep connection between people and horses. Combining scholarly insight with practical knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study of medieval horses in Europe and Asia to date.
Introduction
1 Real and Imagined Equines in the Medieval East and West
2 The Less Glamorous Horse: Breeding, Working and ‘Wild’ Equines
3 Horses and Horsemanship of Military Elites
4 Horses in War and Equestrian Equipment
5 The Horse and the Supernatural
6 Illustrious Riders and Famous Horses
Conclusion: The Legacy of the Medieval Horse
References
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index