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 ...
the term "rouncey" (also spelt rouncy or rounsey) referred to an ordinary, all-purpose
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...
. Rounceys were used for
riding, but could also be trained for
war. It was not unknown for them to be used as
pack horses. The horse, which was also referred to as , is believed to have been a
harrowing
In agriculture, a harrow is a farm implement used for surface tillage. It is used after ploughing for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. The purpose of harrowing is to break up clods and to provide a soil structure, calle ...
animal on account of its proportions as found in demesne stock-listings before it became an exclusively riding animal.
Use in warfare
While the
destrier is the most well-known warhorse of the Medieval era, it was the least common, and
coursers were often preferred for
battle
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 ...
. Both were expensive, highly trained horses prized 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 nobles, while a poorer knight,
squire or
man-at-arms
A man-at-arms was a soldier of the High Medieval to Renaissance periods who was typically well-versed in the use of arms and served as a fully-armoured heavy cavalryman. A man-at-arms could be a knight, or other nobleman, a member of a kni ...
would use a rouncey for fighting. A wealthy knight would provide rounceys for his
retinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers.
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', ...
.
[ Oakeshott, Ewart. ''A Knight and his Horse'', Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998][ Gravett, Christopher. ''English Medieval Knight 1300-1400'', Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002, p 59]
Sometimes the expected nature of warfare dictated the choice of horse; when a summons to war was sent out in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in 1327, it expressly requested rounceys, for swift pursuit, rather than destriers.
[ Prestwich, Michael. ''Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience'', New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996, p 318] Small sized rounceys were also preferred by mounted archers.
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 ...
*
Irish Hobby
*
Palfrey
References
{{horse-stub
Warfare of the Middle Ages
Warhorses
Types of horse