War horse equipment

It is likely that the horse has been used since prehistory, although there is no evidence of this theory apart from rock engravings found in the walls of the caves of this period.  The flange, or the reins, are objects that were developed as soon as the slow process of domestication of the horse began.

The oldest evidence of the process of domestication of this animal comes from the time between the years 3500 and 3000 b.c., dating back to cave paintings found in Botai and Kozhai, northern Kazakhstan.

Harness

The invention of the wheel was a major technological innovation that led to the development of carriages of war. Initially portrayed as the Standard of Ur found in ancient Sumer, dating from 2500 BC, it was found with the horse carts being dragged by a yoke.  However, the yoke limited strength and mobility of the horse because it was incompatible with his anatomy. Therefore, a harness was developed which allowed the horse to move more quickly and drag more weight.

By this time the horse-drawn car had been consolidated within the armies of ancient times. Even after a war was over, the horse-drawn car still existed among the great powers of the time.  Further innovations in the industry were needed so that the horse   could pull increasingly heavy loads. One of the most important uses of the horse was still the transport of the supplies and weapons so necessary for armies around the world.

The invention of the horse collar in 5th century China (Southern and Northern Dynasties) allowed the animal to drag greater weight than could be managed with wagons that were linked with the use of a yoke.  The innovation of the collar did not reach Europe until the ninth century, and begin spreading across the continent in the mid-twelfth century.

Stirrup

The two major technological innovations that revolutionized the effectiveness of the warriors were the mounted saddle and the stirrup. The riders quickly learned to protect the spine and the croup of the horse by putting a pad in these areas when they were exposed to deadly weapons of the enemy. These mounted warriors fought for centuries with little more than a pad on the back of a horse and a rudimentary bridle.

In some cultures, these pads were filled with soft materials with the aim of achieving a better distribution of the rider’s weight as well as protecting the horse’s back.  Both the Scythians and the Assyrians used pillows with a strap or straps added to increase the safety and comfort of the rider.

The first precursor of the modern Western saddle is believed to be the invention of the  ‘chair’ known as the Arzon proprocionaba.  This was a solid bearing surface that protected the animal from the weight of the rider. Despite the advantages it had, its use was not widely distributed until the second century, some two hundred years after its introduction among the Assyrian warriors.

With this strong fixed seat for the rider, the horse could carry more weight than without it.  The ‘chair’ increased the size of the rider’s seat, giving him greater clamping surface to maintain balance and making for a safer ride.  Traditionally the evolution of the Western saddle has been credited to the invention of the ‘chair’ as a seat for the rider.