Jordanus Rufus's training method

Woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1506)
Public domain image

Around 1250, Jordanus Rufus (Giordano Ruffo) of Calabria wrote the De Medicina Equorum, a veterinary treaty that gives many interesting insights into the way horses were cared for in the 13th century. Though the bulk of the treaty focusses on equine illnesses and their remedies, the first chapters describe how to tame, break-in and train a young horse. 

Here is a summary of those chapters, drawn from the Latin edition of De Medicina Equorum made in 1818 by Hieronymus Molin.[1]

The first chapter of the treaty focusses on the birth of the horse. It details how the stallion must be kept especially for breeding, in the sense that he must not be ridden or worked. He must cover the mare in the spring, so that the foal is born in the following spring, and can be appropriately fed by his mother, who must be neither too fat nor too thin. Rufus recommends that the horse should be born in a stony, mountainous place: that will allow him to develop stronger hooves and legs. The foal must be weaned when he is two years old, when he will try to mate with his mother. Then, he must remain feral until he is three, without being near any mare. 

The second chapter describes how the (feral) horse must be captured, with a strong, woollen rope. That must be done in cool weather, for to do it when it is too warm could be harmful for the foal. He must be haltered and led to the stable in the company of another horse. Then, he must be tied to the manger and hobbled, in order to allow the handler to touch him all over his body. Rufus insists on the fact that he must remain in the company of that other, tame horse, and also that the handler must never be angry or aggressive towards him. His feet must be regularly touched and lifted to prepare him to be shod. This taming must not be done before the horse has passed two years old. 

The third chapter is centred on the way the horse must be kept and broken-in. There is a long description on the type of food the horse must be given, the quality of the water, how he must eat (with his head down), the rugs he must wear in winter, summer and spring, how he must be shod, how he must be bled four times in the year… Then comes the breaking-in. The first stage is to make the horse accept the bit. To achieve that, the bit itself must be gentle (a snaffle probably), and covered in honey. Once the horse accepts the bit without difficulty, he must be led in hand for some time, until he follows his handler very well. Then, he is ridden bareback, for one month, still being led by a man on foot, on flat ground. The saddle is only put on when the rider can control the horse without the need for someone on foot leading him. The next stage is to make the horse trot in fallow fields to make him more sure-footed, and to make him turn left and right. When the trot is mastered, the canter is introduced. 

Rufus gives details on the way the rider must hold the reins and on the bearing of the horse – promoting what would nowadays be called rollkür. He describes different types of bits, condemning some of them for being too harsh and cruel. He writes about the desensitisation of the horse who must be ridden through cities and near smithies – to become accustomed to the sound of metal, in preparation for warfare. Again, Rufus warns that the rider must not become angry against the horse and beat him should he refuse to pass a place that scares, but quietly urge him on, using a crop. He goes on to describe which teeth must be extracted when the horse has reached the age of five and is considered to be fully grown. The extraction of those teeth marks a change in the training of the now adult horse. The horse must be accustomed to be ridden in a group of other horses and to be separated from them – again, in preparation for battle. He must also be galloped once a week, first for a quarter of a mile, and then for a mile or more. The passage on horse-training ends with a warning: the rider must not make the horse gallop too much. Yet he has to work him regularly, so the horse does not forget what he has learnt. 

After those chapters, comes one about what makes a good, beautiful horse. It is followed by the veterinary ones, that have been the subject of several studies by different historians. My own research will focus on the training method I have just summarised above. I look forward to sharing more about it on this blog! 

[1] Jordani Ruffi Calabriensis Hippiatria, ed. Hieronymus Molin, Patavii, Typis Seminarii Patavini, 1818