- Home
- ACADEMIC
- History
- Medieval History
- Wild Horses and Their Relatives in the Middle Ages
Wild Horses and Their Relatives in the Middle Ages
Payment for this pre-order will be taken when the item becomes available
- Delivery and returns info
-
Free CA delivery on orders $40 or over
You must sign in to add this item to your wishlist. Please sign in or create an account
Description
Wild Horses in the Middle Ages offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of the presence, perception, and treatment of wild and feral horses across medieval Europe and adjacent regions. Drawing on archaeological evidence, genetic studies, medieval legal codes, hippiatric treatises, chronicles, and visual culture, the book interrogates the ambiguous status of wild horses in the historical record and challenges modern assumptions about equine domestication.
Anastasija Ropa traces the biological and legal distinctions between wild and domestic horses, and examines how medieval authors and artists depicted equine life. From breeding advice in hippiatric treatises to frescoes showing horse hunts, these sources reveal how horses were embedded in medieval economies, landscapes, and imaginations-not only as laborers and companions but also as symbols of status, wilderness, and power.
Table of Contents
List of Images
Introduction: Defining the Wild Animal
Chapter 1: Wild Horses in Medieval Literature
Chapter 2: Wild Horses and Asses in Encyclopaedias
Chapter 3: Wild, Feral and Free-Living Horses in the Everyday Life of Medieval Society
Chapter 4: “Unwilding” or Taming Wild Horses for Human Use
Bibliography
Product details
| Published | Aug 20 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 184 |
| ISBN | 9781666968699 |
| Imprint | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Dimensions | 229 x 152 mm |
| Series | Byzantium: A European Empire and Its Legacy |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
-
A detailed, interesting and engaging book that presents a thorough review of medieval thought on the status of horses, both wild and domestic.
Peter Mitchell, University of Oxford, UK
-
A fascinating blend of evidence includes etymological considerations blended seamlessly with genetic, literary and manuscript evidence. Eclectic sources encompass studies from multiple languages. The book's comparative content spans the globe, from medieval Iceland to Wales and Ireland, through northern Europe to Kiev and the Eurasian steppes, with a nod to North American Mustang lore.
Gloria Allaire, University of Kentucky, USA

























