THE CONQUEROR'S CAVALRY 109 



ing their shafts high into the air so that in their 

 descent these shafts might pierce the heads of the 

 enemy, but the old narrative is still believed by 

 the great body of modern students. 



King William's warriors were, of course, almost 

 all mounted of that there cannot be a doubt. 

 Had they not been the Saxons would most likely 

 have won the day, even though the enemy was 

 clad in mail. Also it should be remembered that 

 the cavalry brought over by King William was 

 practically of the stamp that some three centuries 

 earlier had resisted very firmly the Moslem attack 

 at Poictiers. The chargers were of the same 

 stock, and therefore it may with truth be said that 

 the famous Norman Conquest and the great and 

 important events that followed it in the history 

 of this country were directly due to the simple 

 fact that the Normans possessed war horses and 

 knew thoroughly how to manage them. 



Of precisely what stamp the Normans' chargers 

 were that were imported at this time cannot be 

 said for certain. Without doubt, however, they 

 were tall and heavily built animals, for the armed 

 men they had to carry were all of very great 

 weight. 



For ten, or possibly twelve centuries a breed 

 of great horses had been multiplying largely in 

 the northern and western regions of Europe, so 

 the inference is that the cavalry of the Normans 

 must have been of that breed. 



