Wild Horses and Their Relatives in the Middle Ages by Anastasija Ropa

Wild Horses and Their Relatives in the Middle Ages by Anastasija Ropa

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.

Anastasija Ropa, PhD, is a scholar of history, literature and language, whose first book, Historical Horsemanship in Medieval Arthurian Romance, brought together her fascination with history, Arthurian legend and horses. Formerly lead researcher at the Latvian Academy of Sport Education, she is also a horse owner and trainer, who implements historical methods of horsemanship in her daily routines. She is also co-editor of the pioneering Cheiron: The International Journal of Equine and Equestrian History and of Rewriting Equestrian History book series.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781666968699
ISBN 10	1666968692
Title	Wild Horses and Their Relatives in the Middle Ages
Author	Anastasija Ropa
Series	Byzantium: A European Empire And Its Legacy
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Year published	2026-08-20
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.