IMC 2021: Sessions
Session 1916: Horse Breeding in the Middle Ages: A Round Table Discussion
Thursday 8 July 2021, 19.00-20.30
| Sponsor: | Trivent Medieval |
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| Organisers: | Timothy Dawson, Independent Scholar, Leeds Anastasija Ropa, Department of Management & Communication Science, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, Riga |
| Moderator/Chair: | Emma Herbert-Davies, School of History, University of Leeds |
| Abstract | Many areas of premodern life depended on the steady supply of equines. In the city and the countryside, in the castle and on the battlefield, equines, whether these were prized destriers and palfreys, or the more humble sumpters (pack horses), or the draft horses pulling the plough, were indispensable. Although transportation could be accomplished in other ways than using horsepower - by water, using oxen, or on foot - horses provided the swiftest way of traveling, and also the most prestigious one. However, to ensure a steady supply of equines, their breeding and training had to be organised first. This round table discussion re-examines various practices in horse breeding that co-existed in the course of the Middle Ages in various parts of the world, from Europe to the Arabian peninsula and parts of the Indian sub-continent. Participants include Miriam Bibby (University of Glasgow), Jennifer Jobst (Independent Scholar, Sunset Valley, Texas), and Anastasija Ropa (Latvian Academy of Sport Education, Riga). |