Types of horses in medieval Europe

Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, detail from "October" (15th century)
Musée Condé, Chantilly
Public domain image

I have already written several posts giving information on medieval horses. However, and though I have mentioned them, I have not really detailed what were the different types of horses the people used and rode then. So I will give you a quick overview. 

In medieval Europe, and especially in the 11th to 15th century, which was the period I studied, horses were differentiated depending on their origins and functions. There was a hierarchy between them, from the lowly draught-horse to the magnificent warhorse, a hierarchy which was reflected in the difference of prices: you would pay very little for a draught-horse (or rather pony), more for a riding horse (the prices varying according to its age, breeding, beauty, ability to amble…), even more for a hunting horse, and a little fortune for a warhorse. There are many traces of these variations in sources. 

Moreover, several authors have described the different types of horses in their works. It is the case of Albertus Magnus (1200-1280) who wrote the encyclopaedia De Animalibus, which contains a chapter on horses: 

“We have, among domestic horses, four types of horses: warhorses, which are called destriers, and palefreys and racehorses [curriles equi],[1] and those called rounceys. 

The warhorses must not be castrated, because castration makes them timid (…). 

The use for palefreys is transportation, what is called equitation; and they must not be castrated, so that they do not become soft. 

The use for racehorses is especially for running away [from the battle field] or pursuing [enemies from the battlefield]. And to avoid that their nerves should be hardened by the heat of the race, they are castrated (…). 

The rounceys are used to carry burdens, or to draw carriages and carts; other horses also do this sort work.”[2]

In his Livre du Tresor, 13th century encyclopaedist Brunetti Latini only mentions three types of horses: 

“There are several types of horses: some are tall destriers to fight, some are palefreys to ride comfortably. Others are rounceys to carry burdens, or mules which are a mix between horses and donkeys.”[3]

The destrier, at the top of the hierarchy is the most expensive. He is the knight’s faithful companion. He is at the centre of the horse breeding institutions which are put in place by kings and princes at the time and is often imported, either from Spain or from Lombardy. He is also the subject of many expectations: he must be as brave as he is beautiful, intelligent and loyal to his master. 

The palefrey is also a very valuable horse. He is used for the transportation of members of the financial and social elite. However, unlike the destrier which can only be ridden by a knight, palefreys are often associated with women and members of the Church. When knights are not fighting, they will ride a palfrey too. 

The “racehorse” is difficult to really differentiate from the palefrey, in terms of price and breeding. Some historians believe the two are interchangeable, though Albertus Magnus points out that they are gelded and have a different use from that of the palefrey. It is probable that it was also the type of horse used for hunting.

And finally, the rouncey. This is the vaguest medieval horse type, and also the most numerous. A rouncey can be a draught-horse, as it can be a riding horse. They can be very expensive, as they can be dirt cheap. To put it simply, a rouncey is almost any horse that doesn’t correspond to the other types mentioned above. In some sources, there are mentions of a type of horse (or rather pony) below the rouncey, used by peasants as a beast of burden. 

And what about mares? You will have noticed that the destriers, palefreys and racehorses are exclusively male. That does not mean that mares where not ridden. However, it does seem that their main function was breeding, and that when they were used, it was by women and the Church. A knight should not ride a mare, but a stallion who reflected his masculinity. 

Further reading

DAVIS R.H.C., The Medieval Warhorse. Origin, Development and Redevelopment, London, Thames and Hudson, 1989

GLADITZ Charles, Horse Breeding in the Medieval World, Four Courts Press, 1997

HYLAND Ann, The Medieval Warhorse from Byzantium to the Crusades, London, Sutton Publishing, 1994




[1] These are not race horses as we understand it nowadays. The expression used could be translated as “horses for running.”


[2] Albertus Magnus, De Animalibus libri XXVI nach Cölner Urshrift, éd. Herman Stadler, Munster, 1920 (translation ML. Vo Van Qui)


[3] Brunet Latin, Livre du Trésor, BnF Fr. 568 (translation ML. Vo Van Qui)