Happy Year of the Horse!

17th February 2026 is the start of the new lunar year and this year is the year of the fire horse. In Chinese astrology an animal is paired with a natural element and the last time the year of the fire horse occurred was 60 years ago. In Chinese culture the horse can represent freedom, power, vitality and perseverance and when combined with fire it can also emphasise passion, leadership and breaking free from past constraints.

Horses of all types have been important in many different eras and in different ways at Middleton Hall and therefore we had a lot of options on what to illuminate for this topic. Given that it is the year of the fire horse, we decided that this post shall focus on the connection that Middleton has to the breeding of war horses in the Norman era.

After the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the two manors of Middleton were granted to the Norman magnate Hugh de Grandmesnil and his wife Adeliza (each received one). The traditional trade of the de Grandmesnil family in Normandy was the breeding of war horses, which they are said to have excelled at. The family had developed a number of stud farms on the L’Oudon plains and the breeding and sale of the horses had substantially increased the family’s fortunes and societal position.

During the medieval era, in Europe, knights were expected to own at least one war horse. Collectively, war horses were known as chargers and there were three types which had different roles. The first type was the destrier. These were the rarest type of horse and the most valuable. They were the largest, most muscular and strongest type of war horse and were used for carrying knights in full armour into battle or in jousts. The second type of horse was the courser, which was a swift and strong horse. It was the preferred type of horse to use in protracted battles and the most common type of horse to be used by knights and men-at-arms. The third type of horse was the rouncey, which was an all-purpose horse. It was normally used by poorer knights, men-at-arms or squires. However, the rouncey was the preferred choice for a swift pursuit.

Hugh’s familial background with war horses meant that, when he went to fight in the Norman Invasion of Sicily in 1061, he was vitally important for transporting the horses to the battles, which involved the logistical challenge of moving them across water. This knowledge became even more important and elevated Hugh’s position on William the Conqueror’s Council during the preparation for the Invasion of England. Hugh was made a commander of the cavalry but, due to his experience, he also had significant involvement in the planning and arrangement for the transport of the 2,000-3,000 Norman cavalry horses across the English Channel for the Invasion. This required the construction of purpose-built ships or the adaptation of vessels specifically for the task.

Part of the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Norman cavalry horses being shipped to England. Nortonius, PD-Art photographs, via Wikimedia Commons.

Author - Debbie Jordan, Middleton Hall Volunteer.

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