Horse Names and History

During the fifth century A.D., the Huns toppled Roman supremacy. The secret to their success was their invention - the saddle. It kept the weight firmly off the horse's backbone by resting it on its sides. Another important thing were the stirrups, which allowed the rider to have better movement and better use of weapons while riding.

During the Middle Ages, the horses had to carry the weight of a knight's armor, which could weigh up to 420 pounds.

Until the 15th century, horses in Britain were small compared to today's standards. Horses in other locations of the world were larger. Henry VIII made an effort to increase the size of horses in Britain by requiring that stallions on common land must be over 15hh. Landowners were required to have at least two mares over 13hh. This change may have helped Britain in their victory against Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The French had lightweight horses in comparison to the British.

Aristocracy did a lot with breeding horses, and monasteries also contributed. A Benedictine monastery of Einsiedler, Switzerland worked on breeding horses in the 10th century. They bred a useful horse responsible for a variety of chores including agricultural, draft and riding.

Their work continued into the Middle Ages and their quality horse became known as the Cavalli della Madonna. The horse breed was later called the Einsiedler and most recently is known as the Swiss Warmblood.