The Bretonnian WarHorses

Bretonnian Knights have earned a rightful reputation for invincibility, and few other mounted troops can stand against them. It is even said that a charging Bretonnian knight at full gallop could smash his way through the walls of Karaz-a-Karak! The Bretonnians owe this renown to their own knightly ardour and valour, but also and not least, they owe it to the magnificence of their mounts, the Bretonnian Warhorses.

The Bretonnian Warhorse is the finest breed of warhorse in the Old World. This is because the Bretonnian Warhorse is in part descended from the Elven steeds of the former Elven colonies which flourished centuries ago in the land that is now Bretonnia.

When the Elven colonists abandoned the Old World and sailed back to Ulthuan, some remained behind. These Elves were the ancestors of the Wood Elves of the Forest of Loren. One of the Elven kindreds that stayed took their Elven steeds with them into the safety of the forest glades. Elsewhere, herds of Elven steeds roamed freely in the meadows and plains around the abandoned Elven ruins, interbreeding with wild forest ponies. This mingling of blood eventually resulted in the creation of a new breed, the Bretonnian Warhorse.

This new breed of horse was far superior in size and spirit than any other in the Old World. The horses of the Empire are descended from the wild ponies of the Kislevite steppes and have no blood of the Elven steeds in their veins. The warhorses of the Empire and Kislev are passable, but lack the power and spirit of the Bretonnian steed, although they are perhaps better suited to a harsher climate, while the Bretonnian breed need the lush meadows of the west. Similarly the Arab stallions and the Cathayan horses are also descended ultimately from the wild ponies of the Kislevite steppes and lack any blood from Elven stock.

When the Bretonnian warriors began riding into battle on the native horses of Bretonnia, they found that the horses could bear the weight of a fully armoured man and still gallop and charge over and over again without tiring. The horses were big, powerful and not lacking in stamina. The Bretonnian Knights therefore made every effort to maintain and improve their special breed. A very important factor in this was the peace pact with the Wood Elves of Athel Loren. By the terms of this pact, from time to time the Elves allow the Bretonnians to have some of their precious steeds. In this way the Bretonnian horses are replenished with fresh blood from pure Elven stock.

This is agreement is unique and unheard of anywhere else in the world. The High Elves of Ulthuan would not let any of their horses out of the country, although they cannot stop Dark Elf raiders stealing them. The Wood Elves, however, know that their realm is surrounded on two sides by Bretonnians, who protect Loren as a bulwark. No-one gets into Loren from north or west without first having to fight through the Bretonnian Knights. From the Wood Elf point of view, this security is well worth a bit of horse trading. In return, the Elves acquire swords and other weapons of good Bretonnian iron and steel, which they do not make to any great extent in their own realm.

Bretonnian Warhorses are highly valued and are always reserved for Bretonnian Knights. Squires must make do with forest ponies and lesser breeds lacking the blood of the Elven Steeds. The King of Bretonnia has banned anyone from taking Bretonnian Warhorses out of the realm. Anyone who does, be they subject or foreigner, can expect an army of angry Bretonnian Knights to come after him to bring them back. The Bretonnian Knights naturally do not want anyone else to be as well mounted as they are. Even so, you would have to have the stature and nobility of a true Bretonnian Knight to ride a Bretonnian Warhorse, they do not put up with lesser warriors on their backs!

It is said that the most magnificent warhorse that ever lived was Oriel, favourite mount of King Guillaume. Long is the Chanson of Guillaume, for in his youth he burned with an insatiable lust for adventure, and spent years exploring the lands he would inherit, riding from the white cliffs of Lyonesse right across to the Grey Mountains. The 332nd verse of the chanson tells how Guillaume chanced upon a band of Ores attacking some Wood Elves in the hilly lands of the Massif Orcal. Without a thought for his own safety, the fearless young prince charged straight into the fray, skewering five Ores on his lance with his first attack. In the bloody struggle that followed, Guillaume and the Elves eventually drove off the greenskins. The Elves were grateful to their rescuer, for one of their party was Eoth, a prince of their kind. In thanks for his help, the Elves gifted Guillaume with a white colt to replace his horse, which had been fatally wounded in the fighting.

Within a year, the white colt had grown into a magnificent stallion, bigger and more beautiful than any other horse in Bretonnia. In his stable, Oriel was so gentle that a child could sit on his back, but in battle he was like a raging wind, so proud and furious that the king's enemies would run in terror at the mere sight of the massive horse and his mailed rider.

Oriel lived to a great age, and sired many fine foals. The white stallions that are traditionally ridden by Bretonnian kings can all be traced back to him. Indeed, one of the many duties of the College of Heralds is to record the lineage of the warhorses bred by the royal stud. Horse breeding is taken very seriously by the nobility, who constantly vye with each other to breed bigger and fiercer horses to carry the Bretonnian Knights into battle.