Equus Germanicus

The Equus Germanicus, or Germanenpony in German, was a narrow small Horse. Its modern Decendands are equal: the Dülmener Wildpferde, Norwegian Fjordhorses and Icelanders. Due to their size those Races are classified as Ponys, but they are hardnosed enough to carry heavy or armored Persons.

http://www.koelnerpferdeakademie.de/...Schoenheit.jpg

http://www.ig-duelmener.de/024-65.jpg

http://www.smaland-check-in.se/image...slandflera.jpg

The Dülmeners are, like the Equus Germanicus, Wildpferde. They were not breeded at farms, they lived wild in so called Wildbahnen. That means the Horses live at certain plains as wild familybands, without any domestic influence.

But how did the Germanics get the Horses?

The familyband near the germanic settlement is watched, they feed them in Winter for helping them to survive. Hunting the wild Horses was forbidden and the plains were the Horses lived had been kept free from farming, that resulted in a huge population of wild Horses. The Germanics capture some Horses if they need them, aka if the old Generation died they got the new one.

Equus Germanicus was very hardnosed and needed little food, due to it was still very small. But yet they got another advantage, the roman Horses couldn't have: Tölt and flying Pass.

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Pass ist eine Gangart, die man nicht alltäglich benutzt, da sie sehr schnell ist und weswegen sie auch ”fliegender Pass” genannt wird.
Tölt ist die Gangart, für die das Islandspferd am meisten bekannt ist. Tölt kann man mit einem laufenden Schritt vergleichen, der viertaktig ist. Diese Gangart ist sehr bequem für den Reiter, da man absolut still im Sattel sitzt, während das Pferd bildlich gesehen über den Untergrund ”fließt”.

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Translation -> Pass is a pace, which one does not use daily, through it is very fast and the reason why it is also called flying pass. Toelt is the pace, for which the Iceland horse is admired most. One can compare Toelt with a current step, which is viertaktig. This pace is very comfortable for the rider, since one sits absolutely quietly in the saddle, while the horse "floats" figurativy seen over the ground.

German Sources on the Web (not the higest quality but atleast some public proove for my claims) :

Dülmeners

Flying Pass

As a Rider I was also told by my teacher how the "alte Germanen" (old Germanics) have ridden Horses: Without a Saddle and without Zuegel! I couldn't believe at first, but when I tried it definatly worked. Germanics have ridden without saddles and gave the commands just with their Feet, to keep on Horseback they used their Knees and held the Horse's Hair. Pulling on the Horses Hair doens't hurt them, the Maehne is above flesh fully composed of fatty tissue.

This kind of native-wild riding makes fun, but its hard. Anyway I don't do it all the time, I prefer my confident saddle. ~:) :charge: :charge:

BUT such kind of Riding, as like the Steppe people also did, scares people like the romans A LOT. :fainting: Through riding without Trense and Saddle is impossible to their minds, and Horses were just dumb Animals instead of Creatures with a Soul!

Yeah, I know how hardy the Steppe ponies were. They actaully look a lot like those German ponies you showed, and I can see how they were such good horsemen, with the similar looking blood stocks. And I assume by a Zuegel you mean a bit and rein? Because I can't imagine to too many horsemen other than the horse skittish Romans actually needing their reins, espically the Steppe horse archers and the lancers who needed their two hands

Did the germans ever use Kontos like lances? Or what was their mounted soldiers main weapon other than the sword?

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Did the germans ever use Kontos like lances? Or what was their mounted soldiers main weapon other than the sword?

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Light Cavalary: The main arnament of light german Cavallary was the Framea, a small Spear for throwing and melee. Tacically they filled the same role as mounted Peltasts, useing an cantabic-circle to throw their Framea-Javelins into the enemy rows. This was clearing the way for the Spearmen useing their Shieldwall (RTW's Spearband is correct), and Unit which had been turned to havoc by the light Cavallary was then easy bait for the strong Infantry. Incase of Need, the small Frameas were used as close-combat weapons but then the light Cav was knocked out to fast.

Noble Cavallary: Similar to the displayed "gothic" Cavallary the nobles were armored and used Lances primary and swords secondary. Realism diffrences between RTW and my Research isn't so strong.

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Yeah, I know how hardy the Steppe ponies were. They actaully look a lot like those German ponies you showed, and I can see how they were such good horsemen, with the similar looking blood stocks. And I assume by a Zuegel you mean a bit and rein? Because I can't imagine to too many horsemen other than the horse skittish Romans actually needing their reins, espically the Steppe horse archers and the lancers who needed their two hands

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The Germanics were originally composed of two diffrent peoples, the Indo-Germanen or "Aryans" (how the Nazis called them :furious3: ) and the Megalith. Those "Aryans" lived in Caucasus and nowdays Iran, some tribes went of to Germany and others invaded India, the fate about the rest is unknown. Their Horses are the anchestors of Equus Germanicus, Scientists are sure their Horses were Equus przewalskii the mongol Horse.

Those Normadic Influence in their Ethnogenisis is the explaination why the germanics had such Horses and even went so far to have holy Horses for Oracles. The same Way the Magyars still kept their wild horses in the Puszta when they came to Europe. But with Time those traditions to breed Horses in the Wildbahnen died out in Germany and Hungary, the final strike against those Horses used for War were the arrogant Aristocraths in the Renaissance who claimed "they were too small".

I suppose that explains the ease of the Norsemen adapting to heavy horse roles in Russia and Normandy.

That's some really interesting stuff you have. Now, I know the Gauls also had pony like horses. Do you know if they are similar to the German ponies, or is it too far from the Steppe? Does anyone know about the Gallic horses?

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Originally Posted by Steppe Merc

I suppose that explains the ease of the Norsemen adapting to heavy horse roles in Russia and Normandy.

That's some really interesting stuff you have. Now, I know the Gauls also had pony like horses. Do you know if they are similar to the German ponies, or is it too far from the Steppe? Does anyone know about the Gallic horses?

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"More presently, the Exmoor has been found in representations from the Bronze Age as a chariot pony.
The European wild horse, sometimes referred to as the European forest type, lived in the forests of what is now known as Germany and Scandinavia until historic times. He was the wild black horse of Flanders.
Small, shaggy animals were native to northern Europe. They were strong and hardy and required less feed than other types of horses. These animals are thought to be the progenitors of the Shetland pony, and perhaps the Connemara in Ireland. The Connamara pony, seen below, can certainly be traced to ancient times as a member of that group of equids known as mountain and moorland ponies. It originated in Connaught in western Ireland, and later was used to influence the fine Irish hunter.
We can see that the Celts were certainly no strangers to horses. Indeed, the chroniclers of the Roman Empire wrote with grudging admiration concerning the equestrian skills of the Celtic people they encountered in war.
ASTURIAN; Centuries ago the existence of a small horse breed originating in the northwest of Spain was recorded. The Romans referred to these horses as asturcons and thought well of them - and they were popular with the French during the Middle Ages. Pliny (23-79 A.D.) described them as a small breed that did not trot, but moved in an easy gait by alternately moving both legs on one side. It is thought by some that the Astrurian developed as a cross between the Garrano pony of northern Portugal and Spain - a direct descendant of the Celtic pony - and the Sorraia, the original saddle horse of Iberia, which gave the breed its calm temperament. Some other blood must have been present in the Astrurian's lineage, however, because the ambling gait is not present in either the Sorraia or Garrano. Suspected by the author is a strong and more direct link to the ancient Celtic pony, of which some strains at least must have been amblers."