European War Horse Breeding System

Timeline

1. 1451–1453Kingdom of France · FranceAs the Hundred Years' War drew to a close, the French crown reorganized its regular cavalry companies (compagnies d'ordonnance), setting new standards for war horse size and training; royal stud farms (haras royaux) began systematically recording stallion pedigrees, institutionalizing European war horse breed management.
2. 1453–1455Iberian Peninsula · IberiaAfter the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople, trade routes for Arabian and Anatolian light horse breeds were cut off; Iberian breeders instead relied on local Andalusian stock, establishing the later fame of the Andalusian horse and supplying quality breeding stock to Portuguese and Castilian cavalry.
3. 1456–1460Italian Peninsula · Italian statesThe Sforza family of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, and the Papal States each maintained exclusive stud farms, using war horse quality to display political power; the demand of mercenary captains (condottieri) for war horses combining speed and maneuverability spurred crossbreeding experiments, driving diversification in the size and use of European war horses.