The term rouncey (also spelt rouncy or rounsey) was used during the Middle Ages to refer to an ordinary, all-purpose horse. They were used for riding, but could also be trained for war. It was not unknown for them to be used as

pack horse Pack or packs may refer to: Places * Pack, Austria, a municipality in Styria, Austria * Pack, Missouri * Chefornak Airport, Alaska, by ICAO airport code Groups of animals or people * Pack (canine), family structure of wild animals of the b ...

s. The horse, which was also referred to as ''runcinus,'' is believed to be a harrowing animal on account of its proportions found in the demesne stock listing 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 The coursers are a group of birds which together with the pratincoles make up the family Glareolidae. They have long legs, short wings and long pointed bills which curve downwards. Their most unusual feature for birds classed as waders is that ...

were often preferred for battle. Both were expensive, highly trained horses prized by knights 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'', it ...

Oakeshott, Ewart Ronald Ewart Oakeshott (25 May 1916 – 30 September 2002) was a British illustrator, collector, and amateur historian who wrote prodigiously on medieval arms and armour. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, a Founder Member of the Ar ...

. ''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 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.

References

{{Equine Warfare of the Middle Ages Warhorses Types of horse

Use in warfare

See also

References