Faction 8: Egypt

[ReluctantSamurai]

It remains to be tested, however, if they could outrun a single horse

If you have any experience at riding horses, you would know the answer to that question

[Brennus]

You have to remember though that Northern European Iron Age horse breeds were much smaller than modern breeds.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Has nothing to do with the breed of horse.

While I am not a "Horse Whisperer", I did have the opportunity, when I was younger, to work with a horse trainer whose specialty was training teams of Belgians. Even match-paired from birth, there are big obstacles to overcome in getting a pair of horses to pull in perfect synchronization. One horse might be stronger than the other, one may respond to commands better or quicker than the other, and so on.

In a warfare situation you can add injury and battlefield stresses to the mix. Terrain will also play a factor, as even minor obstructions or hazards will slow a chariot. Net result is that you will likely never get a team to pull in perfect unison, whereas a single rider has only injury or battlefield stress to deal with.

IMHO, no team pulling a chariot could ever outrun a single rider.

[Vuk]

All this bickering over something so unimportant. The real question is, will there be cake?

[Moros]

All this bickering over something so unimportant. The real question is, will there be cake?

There will only be pie. Thank god.

[johnhughthom]

There will only be pie. Thank god.

They aren't glossing over what happens when you select exterminate this time around then?

[Myth]

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Has nothing to do with the breed of horse.

While I am not a "Horse Whisperer", I did have the opportunity, when I was younger, to work with a horse trainer whose specialty was training teams of Belgians. Even match-paired from birth, there are big obstacles to overcome in getting a pair of horses to pull in perfect synchronization. One horse might be stronger than the other, one may respond to commands better or quicker than the other, and so on.

In a warfare situation you can add injury and battlefield stresses to the mix. Terrain will also play a factor, as even minor obstructions or hazards will slow a chariot. Net result is that you will likely never get a team to pull in perfect unison, whereas a single rider has only injury or battlefield stress to deal with.

IMHO, no team pulling a chariot could ever outrun a single rider.

Good points. This leant itself to the chariot being the war-tool of the wealthy, as only a person who had others to feed, clothe, etc. could afford the constant training etc. necessary to run an egyptian style chariot. Though the degree of wealth was smaller, the situation in Bronze Age Britain was analogous. Only the professionals who worked for a local lord could afford the time etc. Celtic warfare involved a lot of dismounting from the chariot as well, probably for precisely the reasons you note.

That said, Brittanic horseflesh tended toward the small side -- they were often labeled ponies by the Romans -- and would have been poor choices in combat as a ridden mount. Bigger and stronger breeds from the Med spelled the end of the British chariot as, with proper sized animals, the advantages of cavalry over chariotry that you note above quickly ended the old ways.

[ReluctantSamurai]

Bigger and stronger breeds from the Med spelled the end of the British chariot as, with proper sized animals, the advantages of cavalry over chariotry that you note above quickly ended the old ways.

So maybe it's related to the breed, after all....