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{{Short description, Type of warhorse
A courser is a swift and strong horse, frequently used during the
A courser is a swift and strong horse, frequently used during the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
as a warhorse. It was ridden by knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
s and men-at-arms.
Etymology
Coursers are commonly believed to be named for their runninggait
Gait is the pattern of Motion (physics), movement of the limb (anatomy), limbs of animals, including Gait (human), humans, during Animal locomotion, locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on s ...
, Oakeshott, Ewart. ''A Knight and his Horse'', Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998 (from Old French ''cours'', 'to run'''Oxford English Dictionary'', 10th Ed, 1999). However, the word possibly derived from the Italian ''corsiero'', meaning 'battle horse'. Hyland, Ann. ''The Warhorse 1250-1600'', UK: Sutton Publishing, 1998
Coursers in warfare
Coursers, occurring more commonly than destriers, Prestwich, Michael. ''Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience'', New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996, were used inbattle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force co ...
, as they were light, fast and strong. They were valuable horses, but less expensive than the highly prized destriers. Gravett, Christopher. ''English Medieval Knight 1300-1400'', Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002, p 59 Another horse commonly ridden during war was the rouncey, an all-purpose horse.
Other uses
Coursers were also used occasionally forhunting
Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...
.
See also
*Horses in the Middle Ages
Horses in the Middle Ages differed in size, build and breed from the modern horse, and were, on average, smaller. They were also more central to society than their modern counterparts, being essential for Medieval warfare, war, agriculture, and ...
Notes and references