[Lafayette C Curtis]

[Gary Teuscher]

M. Eversberg II wrote:

[M. Eversberg II]

I admit I know little of horses. I've had limited contact with them throughout my years, only having ridden a really old saddle horse. I figured the charger would be the only horse of a poorer knight, unless a riding horse is "not" expensive.

M.

[Zac Evans]

The Knights involved in the Agincourt campaign were required at least three horses for personal use. Knights were rich, much richer than our middle classes, and if we class horses as equivalents of cars its perfectly reasonable to think that knights would have stables full of them. After all archers quite often had their own horses too.

[Bill Tsafa]

Good topic. I don't think we do nearly enough discussion about mounted charges. This is odd because Mounted charges with lance were the primary method of fighting for knights. Fighting from horseback with swords, maces and axes were a backup. Fighting on foot was not preferred.

Today we tend to focus more on the foot combat because we can best relate to it, but this is a very two dimensional view of medieval combat. Mounted horse charges added a third dimension. Missile weapons added yet a fourth dimension.

[Sean Manning]

[James R.Fox]

Sirs-The Roman army grouped it's legonaries by 8 man mess groups. These units were provided with a tent and at least enough mules to carry the tent and the bulk of the unit ratons. (The Legionary had to carry a 3-day emergency ration on his person at all times on campaign). The 8 man units often clubbed together and bought a slave too. Given the Roman Army's conservatism and penchant for standardization, I would bet the Ala ( horse and foot auxillaries) were organized the same way, espically after Augustus abolished Legionary calvary. The basic Auxillary horse and foot formations were then commanded by centurians gaining experience to become primi pilani and hopfully equestrian prefects. All Primi Pilani ( first centurian first cohort of a Legion )became equestrian nobles on retirement, and the majority went into military commands, Prefect of legonary castra,(headquarters fort) Tribune of auxillaries,etc, where they would have to handle auxillaries. as well as legionaries I would imagine a hardnosed centurian would arrainge his unit of Ala the way he was used to seeing his men, 8 per tent, pack animal(s), and slaves or servants to assist the men. An extra servant to help with care of horses and armour would hardly be out of line in his experience.I wouldn't think.

[James R.Fox]

Sirs I forgot to add that Thucididies in his PEloponesian War discusses the military conracts o number of states made with each other. If calvary was involved there were always specific payments discussed,one for the calvary man, one for his batman and often one for his horse. This is because Mainland greece was never self sudffcient in grain, They bought most fron the Russian Crimea, where the Scythuans had unslaved the inhabitanrs and forced them to traade grain,hides,wax,slaves and gold for pottery,metalwork.fabtics, wine and olive oil(The scyrhians got almost all their metalwork, uaually made with greek themes from the greeksThe greeks seem to have distributed the food in a market sysrem That is the men were expectrd to buy their food from thr market their ally providedwith the funds they had been provider woth at the beginning campaign

[Lafayette C Curtis]

[Lafayette C Curtis]

[M. Eversberg II]

Good point, and well taken.

M.