How warhorses transformed medieval England

Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC History magazine. William the Conqueror used them to devastating effect in 1066. Robert the Bruce worked out how to neutralize them, and when Richard III was knocked from his, England would never be the same again. Here in conversation with Spencer Mizen, Robert Lydiard and Oliver H. Crichton discuss the decisive role of the war horse in key turning points of medieval history.

So Oliver and Roberts, you've written a feature for BBC History magazine on war horses. Most specifically, medieval war horses, looking at how they evolved into this kind of battle-winning technology across the Middle Ages. And where better to start than that most famous of all medieval clashes, the Battle of Hastings? In the article, you kind of argue that William the Conqueror's cavalry played an absolutely critical role in his victory over Harold II.

So how did horses make the difference in 1066? What's your take on it, Rob? Well one of the things I think that the war horses of William's army enable him to do is that they provide mobility on the battlefield in a way that Harold's forces simply haven't got. The English army is drawn up in a static formation on the top of Senlac Hill, and parts of the Norman army can move around the battlefield in a way that simply the English can't.

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