Intro
The Armenian Highlands are known for breeding great horses and some of the oldest known traces of horse domestication have been found there. They are considered a status symbol and an essential element for any warrior.
Origins
The horses of Armenia have been prized for centuries and their cavalry, called Ayrudzi, were both respected and feared in the ancient world. The highlands are considered the cradle of livestock domestication and could be the place horses were first tamed by human hand.
Interestingly the worlds oldest known horse manual can be dated to 1345 BC, written by a horse master from Armenian kingdom of Mitanni. The image above features a horse laying down waiting for his rider to mount, as their elaborate tack did not include stirrups for mounting.
Physique
Thought to have been of forest type with a thicker head than the Arabian
Traditional Colors
The Nisean horse was said[by whom?] to have come in several colors, including common colors such as dark bay, chestnut and seal brown, but also rarer colors such as black, roan, palomino, and various spotted patterns.
The Nisean, according to one source,[who?] was “tall and swift, and color adorned his sides. The Chinese called the breed the tien ma – heavenly horse or Soulon-vegetarian dragon. The Nisean was the most valuable horse in the ancient world. Some were spotted, like a leopard or, as golden as a newly minted coin. Others were red and blue roan with darker color.
Temperament
High energy and fast
Use
Calvary
Riding