A courser is a swift and strong horse, frequently used during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

as a

warhorse The first evidence of horses in warfare dates from Eurasia between 4000 and 3000 BC. A Sumerian illustration of warfare from 2500 BC depicts some type of equine pulling wagons. By 1600 BC, improved harness and chariot designs ...

. It was ridden by

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of 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. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

s and

men-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 knig ...

Etymology

Coursers are commonly believed to be named for their running

gait Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency. Di ...

, Oakeshott, Ewart. ''A Knight and his Horse'', Rev. 2nd Ed. USA:Dufour Editions, 1998 (from Old French ''cours'', 'to run'''Oxford English Dictionary'', 10th Ed, 1999). However, the word possibly derived from the Italian ''corsiero'', meaning 'battle horse'. Hyland, Ann. ''The Warhorse 1250-1600'', UK: Sutton Publishing, 1998

Coursers in warfare

The courser was more common than the

destrier Mounted on a destrier, Richard Marshal unseats an opponent during a skirmish. The destrier is the best-known war horse of the Middle Ages. It carried knights in battles, tournaments, and jousts. It was described by contemporary sources as the ...

, Prestwich, Michael. ''Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience'', New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996, and 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 ...

as they were light, fast and strong. They were valuable horses, but less expensive than the highly prized destrier. Gravett, Christopher. ''English Medieval Knight 1300-1400'', Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2002, p 59 Another horse commonly ridden during war was the

rouncey 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 horses. The h ...

, an all-purpose horse.

Other uses

Coursers were also used occasionally for

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

Notes and references

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

Etymology

Coursers in warfare

Other uses

See also

Notes and references