[Roisin]

Here's a question I've run into while writing. Do the Rohirrim ride stallions or geldings? And if they ride stallions, is it difficult to control them? Would they be constantly trying to hump the mares in the middle of battle? These are the odd questions I run into while trying to write in a fantasy universe.

Somehow it just doesn't sound as good to talk about Eomer riding a gelding.

Roisin

[Moralanqua]

Wow!! You must be psychic, poppet!

I was having this EXACT same debate with someone earlier!

I think 'stallion' sounds very grand to a writer but realistically, they would be difficult to handle in battle. From my own research, i have found that each rider probably had either/or. Depending on the breed and relationship they had with the animal.

Here be some of my findings

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/military/horsesofwar.htm

http://www.lighthorse.org.au/military/horsesin.htm

Nice comments and some 'wording' to use in fics that sounds professional.

http://www2.truman.edu/~capter/jins343/medi.htm

Some images and technical wording for horsey armour etc

http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/issue7/horsesforwriters1.htm

Your answer... Geldings sound wimpy but are realistic..


Hope this stuff helps!

[Roisin]

Ooh, that last link is especially useful.

Roisin

[Kalythianna]

As war mounts both geldings and stallions have their merits (IMHO). Stallions can be more agressive then geldings, and would be more agressive in a battle. Where geldings could be stabled together, and stallions could not be. The biggest thing about stallions is that they are VERY unpredictable. Where geldings tend to be more even tempered. Also, some geldings can be just as agressive as stallions if they were gelded at a later age then normal. IMHO both were probably used... but lets look at the facts!

Shadowfax _was_ a stallion (I can not find it said specificly, but Gandalf says in TTT "That is Shadowfax. He is chief of the Mearas, lords of horses, and not even Theoden, King of Rohan, has ever looked on a better..." It's pretty safe to assume he is a stallion, can you imagine a gelding being called chief of the lords of horses?)He is also call prince of horses by Theoden, King.

Felarof (the first Mearas) was a stallion and was ridden by Eorl into battle of the Fields of Celebrant.
"Men said of them [the Mearas] that Bema (whom the Eldar call Orome) ,ust have brought their [Mearas] sire [stallion obviously] from West over the Sea" ROTK Appendix A

hmmm, not as many facts as I thought. Or at least those stating spacificly whether they were geldings or stallions. Most (if not all) of the horses of Rohan I've gone through have male like names or are specificaly called 'he' so we can assume they did not use mares in battle.

Just a couple things to consider.
-The Rohirrim fought mostly orcs and dunlandings... Orcs don't ride horses (and I doubt as stallion would get worked up about a female warg in heat), Dunlandings aren't known for their horsemanship... did they even ride in battle? If your enemy doesn't have mares and you don't have mares, you could get along with stallions in battle fairly well.

-The Rohirrim were the finest horsemen (and women) in Middle Earth (and the Dol Amroth knights after them). If anyone could ride stallions into battle it would be them.

As I stated earlier I think they probably used both, depending on the skill of the rider.

Hope that helps.

[Irith]

I am a horse person. Yes there IS actually something I'm good at. Some war commanders used stallions as they are very much more agressive and with the right training could be taught to squash the enemy. Lippazane (can NEVER spell that right) stallions were originally for battle and were taught these tricks. To rear up so the enemy can't spear you, then kick the enemy in the head. To whirl and kick approaching enemy, and so on and so forth.

[BittenBuggy]

[Andreth]