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One positive thing about the Dark Ages was that horseback ‘barbarians’ invaded, pillaged, and burned using a new development that today we call stirrups–an innovation that revolutionized cavalry and greatly eased saddle-soreness.
Stirrups increased cavalry’s effectiveness against infantry and allowed for the creation of new heavy cavalry with lances. Horses could be ridden faster and for longer distances: the gallop is easier for the animal if its rider stands in stirrups, and stirrups make trotting much more pleasant.
People had ridden in saddles for over a thousand years without stirrups, and the intellectual tone of the era makes it likely people would have gone another thousand without the bracing illustration of an arrow-spewing nomad bearing down at a fast gallop. The device was quickly copied and by 600 AD were spreading throughout Europe.
Challenge #2 using terms from Eclipsed by Shadow.
A little bit harder … Challenge #2 using terms from Eclipsed by Shadow. The starting screen shows words and their definitions … which disappear if you drag them on top of each other. The goal is to clear the screen as quickly as possible. (‘Piled up’ words can be moved to an empty space)
If any sight creates instinctive excitement it is surely the horse. Children are naturally attracted to horses; people speak of ‘natural’ horsemen. Horses have been with mankind since our prehistoric ancestors enshrined equines in cave paintings.