Category Archives: Blogging

CFP: Breaking Myths around the Medieval Warhorse

Posted on August 22, 2025 by thegrailquest

Special Issue of Cheiron: The International Journal of Equine and Equestrian HistoryHave you ever felt exasperated at hearing, yet again, that medieval warhorses resembled Shires, could plough their way through infantry like tanks while executing Grand Prix dressage movements and … Continue reading →

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Prince Vladimir as a Recruit in the War Between Russia and Ukraine

Posted on July 27, 2024 by thegrailquest

it’s very fitting – and entirely coincidental – that this post comes out this week, exactly when the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches celebrate the memory of Princess Olg/ha, an equal to apostles Princess of Rus-Ukraine. With deep gratitude to … Continue reading →

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AI and medieval studies

Posted on May 13, 2024 by thegrailquest

The AI-Generated Middle Ages: The Pitfalls and the Potentials More and more students – and people in all walks of life – use AI to find answers to all sorts of questions. Whereas Wiki used to be the first port … Continue reading →

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An informal review of “Leading the Rebellion” by Jason Kingsley, OBE

Posted on July 28, 2023 by thegrailquest

By the time I received Jason Kingsley’s Leading the Rebellion, which had to go through the customs office because the UK is now the “abroad,” I was pretty sure I was not going to make any pretentious photos for social … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, creative writing, equestrian history | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Open Access Resources for Horse History

Posted on April 9, 2020 by thegrailquest

Unexpectedly, I find that Covid-19 has been good for scholarship. Although many people complain that libraries, archives and museums are closed, and conferences cancelled, still others have noted a rise in their productivity. Being locked up in their residence, without … Continue reading →

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The Best Breed of the North

Posted on March 9, 2020 by thegrailquest

Speculating on the origins of the Galloway horse is a process that is fraught with the issues besetting any contemporary breed enthusiast, since the whole concept of a “breed” is a very modern one and it probably did not cause … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, Arthurian Literature, equestrian history, Medieval animals, Medieval horses, Medieval Literature, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Cutting the Stallion’s Tail: A Very Strange Crime that Might Have Occurred in Medieval Wales

Posted on February 20, 2020 by thegrailquest

Inspired by Edgar Rops, “The Horse in Welsh and Anglo-Saxon Law,” from The Horse in Premodern European Culture, ed. by Anastasija Ropa and Timothy Dawson Owain was neither thief nor coward, and he certainly did not want to appear like one. … Continue reading →

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Some thoughts on medieval urban equines

Posted on February 7, 2020 by thegrailquest

in the late Middle Ages, the horse became more widely popular as a means of transportation than ever before in history… (Fabienne Meiers, “Equestrian Cities: The Use of Riding Horses and Characteristics of Horse Husbandry in Late Medieval Urban Agglomerations,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic life, academic writing, equestrian history, Historical Sites and Monuments, Medieval animals, Medieval horses, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Less Glamorous Equines

Posted on February 2, 2020 by thegrailquest

“Horses have the speed and spirit, but for strength, endurance, and steadiness, they are often the inferior of other species and varieties. That so much depended upon four-legged freight makes it something of a surprise how neglected it is in … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic life, academic writing, equestrian history, Medieval horses, Practical Equestrianism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Hardest Part of Producing the Horse History Volume was the Introduction…

Posted on January 29, 2020 by thegrailquest

“…It is necessary for any scholar working on the pre-modern period, irrespectively of his or her discipline, to have some understanding of the horse in the [pre-modern] society…” (“Introduction,” The Horse in Premodern European Culture, ed. A. Ropa and T. Dawson) Writing … Continue reading →

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