Type of Mount: Land
Mount Speed: Average travel speed of 45km/hour, with a top of 60km/hour.
Rarity: Common, bred and exported from Oakleigh and Rynmere, ridden throughout Idalos.
Typical Size: Min shoulder height of 15h (156cm), max shoulder height of 17h (172cm). Average weight of 550kg.
Diet: Requires a minimum of 2% of body weight in forage per day. Suitable foods include hay, grains, and fresh grasses.
Trainable: Yes. Intelligent and docile temperament makes this horse easy to train.
Pack Mount: Can carry 20% of body weight (Ave 110kg), and pull up to 1.5x of its weight (Ave 825kg).
Native to: The Eastern Settlements, specifically the Oakleigh foothills.
Locations: Specifically Rynmere and the Eastern Settlements, but used as war horses throughout Idalos.
Appearance: The Oakleigh Destrier is a powerfully built warhorse and working horse, compact but elegant. The head is of a medium length and straight in profile, the nose broad and proud. The neck is long and thick, running to defined withers and a massive chest. The back is short and broad, leading to strong hindquarters and a well rounded croup. The mane and tails grow thick and long, and must either be trimmed or braided back. The breed is commonly found to carry grey and black coats, often with a dapple patterning over the haunch and back. However most colourations can be found and none are discouraged or selectively bred out. Bluer toned coast are prized and encouraged, as they often fetch a higher price.
Habitat: The Destriers are a hardy horse that thrive well in all weathers found throughout Rynmere and the Eastern Settlements. However, extreme temperatures that are not usually experienced in these regions can stress the horse and potentially harm the horses health.
Lifespan and Development: A Destrier, if cared for well, can live a natural life of 25-30 years. They reach sexual and physical maturity at five years, and begin training under harness and saddle at two years of age. Typical pregnancies last for 5.5 seasons, with the foal being able to stand and run within hours of birth. They are generally weaned around 2.5 to 3 seasons of age.
- Foal: Either gender, less than a year old. Suckling: A nursing foal. Weanling: A foal that has been weaned.
Yearling: A horse of either sex that is between one and two years old.
- Colt: A male horse under the age of four.
- Filly: A female horse under the age of four.
- Gelding: A castrated male horse.
- Mare: A female horse four years old and older.
- Stallion: A non-castrated male horse four years old and older.
Uses: It is well known throughout the Eastern Settlements and Rynmere that Oakleigh Destriers are one of the best breeds of warhorses available. These horses are so perfectly suited to battle that they have been steadily gaining a reputation abroad over the last century. They are the preferred mounts to knights and sellswords alike, and are even well loved by farmers, as their hardy nature and calm disposition lends them well to hard work of all types.
Temperament: The Destrier is an intelligent horse, with a sensitive and docile personality. When treated with respect they are quick to learn, are responsive and cooperative. They do particularly well as battle horses due to their calm and resolute nature. They are difficult to spook and are extremely loyal to their rider.
Information: Historically a wild horse native to the Eastern Settlements, the Oakleigh Destrier was domesticated and used for labour and as a battle steed for many generations. They have been selectively bred with various other species of horse in order to obtain the now recognised standard of horse, and are well know for their robust health and incredible strength.
Credit: Murphy Clyde