Horse

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For the Night's Watch member, see Hareth (Mole's Town).

Horses are four-legged mammals, employed in Westeros for much the same purposes as in the real world - transportation, combat, and as a patrimonial resource and symbol of status.

A classification employed by the A Game of Thrones tabletop RPG divides horses in nine types: Coursers, Destriers, Garrons, Palfreys, Rounseys, Stots, Ponys, Mules, and Sand Steeds. Available evidence suggests that for the most part those types correspond exactly to their real-world counterparts, with the exception of Dornish Sand Steeds, which are an original creation.

Horses are highly valued by most cultures in both Westeros and Essos. Dothraki measure wealth largely by the possession of horses, and spend most of their lives riding them. In Westeros, a Knight is expected to have at least one horse and to keep it battle-ready at all times. Even in the North, were strictly speaking Knights are rare, horses are valued and employed in much the same way as in the rest of Westeros. That is even true of the lands beyond the Wall, although there Garrons are the only kind of horse that may be used effectivelly in those lands.

Types of Horse

  • Destrier - destriers are tall, strong, splendid animals and are often high spirited. Destriers give knights a majestic air at tournaments. They are normally the most valuable type of horse, being well bred and highly trained. Some even consider them too valuable to risk in war thus the courser is the preferred mount for fighting.
  • Courser - lighter than destriers and less costly, coursers are still beautiful animals. Coursers are also strong and fast, fit for war and for hunting. Warhorses are usually coursers, although they may in rare occasions be destriers.[1] The expected mount of knights and nobility when they find themselves in combat or jousting situations.
  • Palfrey - the distinguising characteristic of a palfrey is its ambling capability that makes it a more comfortable mount for long riding journeys. A well-bred palfrey may be as expensive as a destrier. Even royalty and high nobility will often be seen riding palfreys, although they are not meant for combat or jousting. Sweetfoot, one of Dunk's horses, was a palfrey.[2]
  • Garron - North of the Wall, Garrons are the only reasonable choice of horse (although other, rarer horselike animals might perhaps exist). Both the Night Watch and its enemies use them in considerable numbers, both for riding and carrying cargo. Among horses, garrons are notable for their capability to deal with irregular terrain and cold temperatures. Under extreme cold, they fare better than palfreys and far better than destriers, who have considerably higher eating demands and are not particularly capable of dealing with snow.[3][4][5]
  • Rounsey - least distinguished of all is the rounsey, a strong and capable steed of no particular breeding. Although rounseys are perfectly capable war horses, they are relegated to hedge knights, squires, and non-knightly men-at-arms. Rounsey are common riding horses and may also be used as pack animals.[6]
  • Sand Steed - common in Dorne, it is smaller than normal warhorses and cannot bear the weight of the armor a warhorse usually wears. They are able to run for a day and a half before tiring.
  • Stot - "stotting" is a jumping gait, so presumably stots are particularly agile, acrobatic horses. Chestnut, one of Dunk's horses, was a stot. [7] Podrick Payne rides a stot in A Feast for Crows, and so does Reek in A Dance with Dragons.
*Zorse -a striped black-and-white horse from the eastern continent.[8] 
  • Pony - a horse that is noticeably small even when fully grown. Useful as children's mount, for driving charts and for carrying cargo and even riding (for riders of compatible size, of course). Ponys are not inherently less athletic or less capable than ordinary horses.
  • Mule - the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Usually infertile, although it is possible for female mules to breed. Valued for their endurance and versatility for non-combat tasks. Mules are excellent working animals and may even be ridden, although they are not meant for combat.[9]
  • Dray - dray horses, also called plow horses, are strong horses meant for heavy tasks. They are not necessarily unfit for riding, although they will not be the best choice for combat situations.[10]
  • Gelding - a gelding is a castrated horse, of any breed or purpose. Castration is useful for making the horse less hormonal and supposedly easier to deal with.
  • Mare - a mare is a female horse, of any breed or purpose.
  • Stallion - a stallion is a non-castrated horse, of any breed or purpose. The presence of testosterone may make stallions more physically impressive than otherwise comparable mares or geldings, but it also makes their behavior more aggressive.

See also

References and Notes

  1. In A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39 Lord Beric Dondarrion mentions that his group needs gold because too many of them ride "rounseys, drays and mules" against foes with "coursers and destriers"
  2. The Hedge Knight
  3. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 41, The Turncloak.
  4. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 42, The King's Prize.
  5. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 62, The Sacrifice.
  6. In A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39 Lord Beric Dondarrion mentions that his group needs gold because too many of them ride "rounseys, drays and mules" against foes with "coursers and destriers"
  7. The Hedge Knight
  8. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 30, Arya
  9. In A Storm of Swords, Chapter 39 Lord Beric Dondarrion mentions that his group needs gold because too many of them ride "rounseys, drays and mules" against foes with "coursers and destriers"
  10. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 11, Jaime II.