In the middle ages, new breeds of horses were developed for the knighthood. For general riding, the palfrey was preferred, for its easy gait and temperment. Coursers were used for battle and warfare. If you were serious about mounted cavalry, and had the money (and the guts!) for it, you got the top-of-the-line: the destrier.

There seems to be contention over the particular definitions of the medieval horse types. Some people say, for example, that the courser was the premier warhorse, while the destrier was a generic term used for all cavalry horses. Other references say the opposite. Some say that the courser is a light warhorse, while others say it was principally used for messages. I have chosen definitions herein that I believe comply with current scholarly research: I would love to hear about any differences of opinion, if well-researched.

The following sections detail various aspects of the medieval horse types: they are described (both physically and mentally), and some notes on getting and keeping each type of horse are shared.

The destrier is the ultimate knight's horse. Sleek and muscular, fast and intelligent, the highly-trained destrier sometimes kills as many foes as his rider. Destriers are not as large as farm horses (they need agility as well as raw strength and sheer force) but they are still large enough to be classed as a heavy horse. The destrier is specially bred and trained to be a formidable foe, worthy of the most skilled rider.

Expected to carry heavy knights, armor, and equipment, the destrier is a very powerful animal. Twice as heavy as normal riding horse, the horse's bulk and power gives its rider an enormous advantage when wielding a lance.

Destriers are usually armored and are sometimes given special equipment to make them more effective on the battlefield. Spikes are sometimes mounted to the horse's armor to slash foes foolish enough to draw near, and sharp nailheads are mounted to the horse's shoes to aid in trampling enemies underfoot.

The destrier is a powerful animal, with a gleaming coat, intense eyes, and rippling muscles. Their manes and tails are sometimes kept clipped short to provide fewer distractions on the battlefield. While not as large as a plow horse, it still looms over most riding horses.

Destriers owned by particularly rich or well-connected noblemen are sometimes imbued with mystic energies to make them even more effective on the background. Shimmering auras, blurred outlines, or orbiting spheres of energy are among the strange effects that can be seen around these eerie horses.

When bedecked in armor, with a skilled rider in the heat of battle, the destrier is an awesome sight. Rider and horse move as one, lashing out at enemies on all sides. The horses armor gleams beneath streams of enemy blood as it screams defiance. The enemy who would take on a destrier and rider in their prime is either very brave, or very foolish.

The destrier is agressive and fearless. Where a normal horse might stop or bolt, the destrier has no qualms about placing itself in the thick of things.

Destriers are very intelligent animals, and often develop extremely intense bonds with their chosen riders. If they do not respect their rider, however, they can be mean, surly, and uncooperative. These creatures are willful in every sense of the word.

- untying knots, unfastening latches, etc

- some destriers can go berserk in battle, striking until no foes remain or its own death

Destriers are very expensive and rare animals. Prices upwards of 400gp not being uncommon. Good bloodlines and well-known trainers can increase this price by up to 150%.

Destriers are not usually available every place one buys horses. These specialist mounts are typically found only from specialist breeders (usually near major cities). The exception to this is the nobleman who breeds their own mounts.

Some noblemen breed and train their own destriers. This helps manage the cost of ownership, as well as being a particularly manly hobby. Such noblemen can even afford sometimes to give these horses as gifts, or in payment for particularly valuable services (such as adventurers).

Training is vital: a destrier's training can be more important than its bloodlines. Finding a good trainer can be as difficult as finding a good horse. Often breeders will also train horses, and even those who don't will know of some trainers. On the other hand, good training of a destrier is so important, it often pays to seek out and find specialist trainers yourself.

Pleasantly, the level of deception and snake-oil involved at this level of horse dealership is lower than at other levels, as repeat business by rich noblepersons is very valuable. Noblemen are often powerful enough to inflict serious harm on horse dealers who try to pass off inferior destriers, and get favorite sons or nieces killed on the battlefield.

Skilled rider needed to handle these tempermental beasts. This is no tame riding horse for the weak or aged: this is a beast trained to kill, and it needs to be handled as such. Injuries abound when inexperienced riders dare to mount a destrier.

- schools for horsemen: train for years to handle and understand horses -- prized cavalrymen.

How much grain does a destrier need? Lots, I imagine: high energy horse.

A destrier requires lots of exercise. It is a high-energy horse, trained and bred for battle. It does not want to be a pasture ornament, or kept in a stall.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Requirements: No hard requirements, although high strength and intelligence are valued in these mounts.

Class Skills: The destrier class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Intuit Direction (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A destrier is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and all armor and shields. The weapons a destrier can use are, of course, limited to those that a horse could reasonably use.

Bite attack: At first level, the destrier gains the ability to kick and bite an opponent in the same round (normal horses can do one or the other).

Bonus Feats: At every even level, the destrier gets a bonus feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to humans. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack), Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave), Quick Draw, Two- Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*, Weapon Specialization*.

Some of the bonus feats available to a destrier cannot be acquired until the destrier has gained one or more prerequisite feats; these feats are listed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. A destrier can select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than once, but it must be for a different weapon each time. A destrier must still meet all prerequisites for a feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Talents: At every odd level, the destrier selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the hero qualifies, he or she can select freely from any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.

With more levels, new feats like Trample or Improved Evasion can be taken by the horse, which makes it even more effective.

this is roughly similar in power to the listed heavy warhorse in the SRD. However, feats haven't been applied, yet, etc.

General cavalry horse. Steady, long-winded, good for messages. Less expensive, and lower quality, than a destrier. fast horse used for messages. Probably had Arabian, Barb, or Turkish blood in them. Source: Naples, bred African stock to European stock, very popular source of horses. 150gp

- sleek and muscular

- fit, athletic

- look at racehorses

- steady + calm, spirited but obedient

- horse breeder

- nobles

150gp

competent rider - powerful horse.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Requirements: No hard requirements, although high dexterity and intelligence are valued in these mounts.

Class Skills: The courser class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Intuit Direction (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Sense Motive (Wis), and Swim (Str). -- XXX same as courser's.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A courser is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and all armor and shields. The weapons a courser can use are, of course, limited to those that a horse could reasonably use.

Bite attack: At first level, the courser gains the ability to kick and bite an opponent in the same round (normal horses can do one or the other).

Bonus Feats: At every even level, the courser gets a bonus feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to humans. These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Exotic Weapon Proficiency*, Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack), Improved Critical*, Improved Initiative, Improved Unarmed Strike (Deflect Arrows, Stunning Fist), Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave), Quick Draw, Two- Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, Weapon Focus*, Weapon Specialization*.

Some of the bonus feats available to a courser cannot be acquired until the courser has gained one or more prerequisite feats; these feats are listed parenthetically after the prerequisite feat. A courser can select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than once, but it must be for a different weapon each time. A courser must still meet all prerequisites for a feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums.

Talents: At every odd level, the courser selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some trees have a set order that must be followed, while others provide a list to choose from. As long as the hero qualifies, he or she can select freely from any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than once unless expressly indicated.

this variant is a little tougher than the listed light warhorse in the SRD. This is probably ok, though.

Bred and trained for the chase. Larger than the palfrey, but smaller than most warhorses.

The ultimate riding horse. Also known as Jennet. smooth gait, travel horse, good for knights when not in battle, and for the wounded, aged, and female. Most people of money had a palfrey to ride. 75gp

- beauty, image, smooth gait, desterity

- ambling gait

- calm

- bloodlines, appearances, hucksters

- expensive, mostly nobility ride palfreys. Most commoners ride rouncys.

- trained to have a smooth gait?

- grooming, maintenance

Ability to turn undead at high levels?

Also known as hackneys: general purpose horse, used for riding as well as being a pack animal. Common-grade horses of no particular bloodlines. 50gp

- dregs of horse world

- everyday horses, no particular bloodlines

- wide variety of types

- cheap, careful of hucksters

Sumpter: pony, pack animal (donkeys + mules fit here) 30gp

- short, stocky, strong

- highly intelligent

- willful: when brought into dangerous situations, may balk rather than place themselves into danger.

- mining + logging towns

- sumpter in combat?

Draft horse: 200gp

- massive: bred for strengh, power, endurance, size, slow

- kindly, quiet, calm, obedient

- farming communities

- large purchase for independent farmer

- vs. oxen

- drafts in combat.

WEBSITE: http://www.alveus.com/tab/harn/Horses.htm -- Horse Guidelines -- developed for the roleplaying game world Harn, this document provides roleplaying statistics (and gives some interesting historical background) for medieval horses.