"War horse" redirects here. For other uses, see War horse (disambiguation).
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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 made chariot warfare common throughout the Ancient Near East, and the earliest written training manual for war horses was a guide for training chariot horses written about 1350 BC. As formal cavalry tactics replaced the chariot, so did new training methods, and by 360 BC, the Greek cavalry officer Xenophon had written an extensive treatise on horsemanship. The effectiveness of horses in battle was also revolutionized by improvements in technology, such as the invention of the saddle, the stirrup, and the horse collar.
Many different types and sizes of horses were used in war, depending on the form of warfare. The type used varied with whether the horse was being ridden or driven, and whether they were being used for reconnaissance, cavalry charges, raiding, communication, or supply. Throughout history, mules and donkeys, as well as horses played a crucial role in providing support to armies in the field.
Horses were well suited to the warfare tactics of the nomadic cultures from the steppes of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Several cultures in East Asia made extensive use of cavalry and chariots. Muslim warriors relied upon light cavalry in their campaigns throughout Northern Africa, Asia, and Europe beginning in the 7th and 8th centuries AD. Europeans used several types of war horses in the Middle Ages, and the best-known heavy cavalry warrior of the period was the armoured knight. With the decline of the knight and rise of gunpowder in warfare, light cavalry again rose to prominence, used in both European warfare and in the conquest of the Americas. Battle cavalry developed to take on a multitude of roles in the late 18th century and early 19th century and was often crucial for victory in the Napoleonic Wars. In the Americas, the use of horses and development of mounted warfare tactics were learned by several tribes of indigenous people and in turn, highly mobile horse regiments were critical in the American Civil War.
Horse cavalry began to be phased out after World War I in favour of tank warfare, though a few horse cavalry units were still used into World War II, especially as scouts. By the end of World War II, horses were seldom seen in battle, but were still used extensively for the transport of troops and supplies. Today, formal battle-ready horse cavalry units have almost disappeared, though the United States Army Special Forces used horses in battle during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan. Horses are still seen in use by organized armed fighters in the Global South. Many nations still maintain small units of mounted riders for patrol and reconnaissance, and military horse units are also used for ceremonial and educational purposes. Horses are also used for historical reenactment of battles, law enforcement, and in equestrian competitions derived from the riding and training skills once used by the military.
chariot warfare common throughout the Ancient Near East, and the earliest written training manual for war horses was a guide for training chariot horses written...
Horsesin East Asian warfare are inextricably linked with the strategic and tactical evolution of armed conflict throughout the course of East Asian military...
(war horses), "palfreys" (riding horses), cart horses or packhorses. Reference is also given to their place of origin, such as "Spanish horses," but...
Domestication of the horseHorsesin Chinese culture Horsein Chinese mythology Horsesin East Asian warfare History of the horsein the Indian subcontinent...
with the movie, released on December 25, 2011, in the United States. Australian Light HorseHorsesinwarfare The action of Ayun Kara on 14 November 1917...
inwarfare Dogs inwarfareHorsesinwarfare and Horsesin the Middle Ages War elephant War pigs Endemic warfare Great Stirrup Controversy Horsesin warfare...
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfarein which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or...
Environmental Modification Convention signed in Geneva in 1977, the United States used weather warfarein the Vietnam War. Operation Popeye saw the use...
Attrition warfare is a military strategy consisting of belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous...
Land warfare or ground warfare is the process of military operations eventuating in combat that takes place predominantly on the battlespace land surface...
Ritual warfare (sometimes called endemic warfare) is a state of continual or frequent warfare, such as is found in (but not limited to) some tribal societies...
weapons are weapons of mass destruction; in contrast to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can produce destruction in a much shorter time and can have a...
Drone warfare is a form of aerial warfare or marine warfare using unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) or weaponized commercial unmanned aerial vehicles...
Corps List of aircraft List of armoured fighting vehicles List of chemical warfare agents List of handgun cartridges List of rifle cartridges Weapon This...
Electromagnetic warfare or electronic warfare (EW) is warfare involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control...
Conventional warfare is a form of warfare conducted by using conventional weapons and battlefield tactics between two or more states in open confrontation...
Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare" and may use covert forces or...
Irregular warfare (IW) is defined in United States joint doctrine as "a violent struggle among state and non-state actors for legitimacy and influence...
Hybrid warfare is a theory of military strategy, first proposed by Frank Hoffman, which employs political warfare and blends conventional warfare, irregular...
unlawful combatants against a standing army. Asymmetrical warfare can also describe a conflict in which belligerents' resources are uneven, and consequently...
scouts, substituting for horsesinwarfare. Bicycle units or detachments were in existence by the end of the 19th century in most armies. The United Kingdom...
proxy warfare was motivated by fears that an armed conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union by conventional warfare would result in nuclear...
Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's...
Radiological warfare is any form of warfare involving deliberate radiation poisoning or contamination of an area with radiological sources. Radiological...
Mountain warfare or alpine warfare is warfarein mountains or similarly rough terrain. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain...
(insect) warfare is a subtype of biological warfare. Biological warfare is subject to a forceful normative prohibition. Offensive biological warfarein international...
warfare and/or disrupting vital computer systems. Some intended outcomes could be espionage, sabotage, propaganda, manipulation or economic warfare....
of horsesinwarfare was widespread by the end of the Bronze Age. Although mechanization has largely replaced the horse as a weapon of war, horses are...