Spearing men on the ground

From: Greg_at_...
Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2004 17:26:28 -0700


People,

Roderick says:

> Warhorses were trained to trample (as well as kick, and bite, and body-slam,
> and generally just be nasty).

At a British museum one time the curator told me that the Norman war horses NEVER got their bridle removed, just so that they would be sore and irritable. I actually find this hard to believe, but it is another sign of how nasty those critters were.

> And after the first time some group "plays dead", the cavalry will be
> careful to *ensure* that the bodies are dead.

I recall reading someplace that a study done on the dead on a Napoleonic (I think) battlefield revealed that the corpses generally had a half dozen or more lance stabs, made as the lancers rode over them who would stab the corpse just to be sure.

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