Types of war horse

Light Horse

The “Eastern” light horse, like his ancestors the Arab, Barb and Akhal-Tekee has traditionally been used for war because of his speed, endurance and agility. This kind of horse has a characteristic size ranging from 13 to 15 hands/spans (52-60 inches or 1.32-1.52 meters) and has a weight of between 400 and 500 kilos. To gain speed, the rider must set a course and carry a fixed light weapon such as a bow, spear, or javelin or later, a gun.  This approach was originally used for reconnaissance, raids and communication.

Throughout history many cultures have used this kind of horse, including the Scythians, the Parthians, the ancient Egyptians, Mongols, Arabs and Americans. Throughout the Ancient Near East, groups of two or more of the first domesticated horses were used to pull light carts to war. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the horse was the slightly more representative Palfrey. In later times these horses have been used on occasion for mounted dragoons and infantry, depending on the amount of weight required for each soldier.

Draft horse

From the Iron Age, horses with an average weight were used to fulfill the needs of the civilizations that used them: to pull heavy loads and for drivers to haul more weight.  The first specimens of race horses – Andalusian, Lipizzaner and hot blood – were used to pull the triumphal cars, as well as wagons and supplies carrying relatively heavy weapons, including light artillery pieces.
Despite the relatively large size of the average war horse, when it was carrying weapons or heavy-armed horsemen the heavy cavalry was used. The horses of this class have a size ranging between 14.2 and 17 spans (1.47 to 1.73 m) and a weight of between 500 and 750 kg. These horses were quite fast in battle, but were not comparable to the light cavalry. The horses that are more representative of this class are the destrier, the friesian and the Irish draft horse.  They can also be classified as a horse of average weight in certain European and other equine classes such as the dragoon and the mounted infantry.

Heavy draft horse

Heavy horses, whose weight ranges between 750 and 1,000 pounds, began to be used in the Middle Ages, especially in Europe. This kind of horse was used to tow heavy loads thanks to its muscular power, especially in the transport of arms supplies in dangerous situations.

Modern historians have held that this kind of horse carried the most heavily armored knights of the Middle Ages in Europe, although this issue is currently a subject of debate. Among the heavy horses are the first specimens of the current Percheron, a horse that allowed warriors to maneuver quickly in the battlefield. Currently there is a debate as to whether the destrier is included within this classification

Other horses

Humans have used not only horses for war. The mule and the donkey have also been used in combat operations, especially pulling wagons to transport supplies and on occasion to transport troops.

The mule, generally regarded as more peaceful and stronger than the horse, has been used for task support, particularly for transporting food and weapons across rugged terrain. The kind of work for which mules were used depended on their size and weight. The mule, like the horse could be light and was classified into moderately sized as opposed to those who were classified as heavy. The smaller donkey was used to transport soldiers not carrying gear.