Warhorse (heavy armored riding horse)

Timeline

1. c. 1100–1150France and England · FranceFrom the late 11th to the first half of the 12th century, feudal lords and monastery stables began systematically breeding taller, heavy-boned horses to carry mail-clad knights with shields on long marches and short charges.
2. c. 1190–1200The Levant and Western European supply lines · LevantAt the height of the Crusades in the 1190s, armored knights relied on large warhorses for lance charges; heavy horse losses drove the institutionalization of horse markets, tariffs, and warhorse import records in Western Europe.
3. c. 1200–1250Burgundy and the Low Countries · Western EuropeIn the early 13th century, heavy warhorses diverged in terminology and use from lighter hunting and pack horses; noble stables began recording pedigrees and breeding, and riding manuals emphasized posture matched to the center of gravity of armor.