During the ancient feudal period in various Asian countries, there were thousands of battles. These battles were incredibly fierce, led by skilled generals. In films, the scenes of warfare between dynasties constantly erupt, depicting how a nation’s court strives to consolidate its power with remarkable authenticity. The image of valiant cavalry fighting for their country and dynasty to demonstrate loyalty to the emperor is vividly illustrated.
One of the aspects that intrigues many is why generals or soldiers rarely kill the enemy’s horses on the battlefield. Even the famous Tang dynasty poet Du Fu mentioned this issue in his work “Qian Chu Ci”, saying: “To shoot a man, one must first shoot the horse; to capture the bandit, one must first capture the king.” This couplet implies that in order to capture the enemy, one must first capture the general.
The art of war states: “If the commander dies, the soldiers will be in chaos, and without fighting, they will defeat themselves,” meaning that the general is the ultimate target of attack between both sides. The safety of the general is a decisive factor in the strategic game. “As long as the general is alive, the struggle continues.” The ultimate goal for all is to kill the general. If the general dies, the game is over!
Horses hold a crucial position in the cavalry. (Illustration: Internet).
However, the enemy’s horses were never the target for generals and soldiers on the battlefield. According to Sohu, in ancient times, the most commonly used weapons on the battlefield were spears, swords, and bows, as gunpowder had not yet been invented. Among these, the bow and arrow were the most important long-range attack weapons.
Moreover, during that period, horses played an incredibly important role in the cavalry. In fact, many countries even selected and bred the best horse breeds solely for combat on the battlefield against the enemy. Chariots of that era were likened to modern tanks in the 20th-century battles.
Logically speaking, to achieve victory with minimal losses, one would simply need to attack the enemy’s horses. This way, the enemy’s cavalry would collapse, and their military strength would be severely diminished. However, in reality, after a battle ends, the survival rate of horses is the highest.
There are three crucial reasons behind this phenomenon that few people know.
After a battle ends, the survival rate of horses is the highest. (Illustration: Internet).
First, on the battlefield, horses are not easy to shoot at all. For the war horses of the feudal era, they were protected by a special type of armor. This armor was also worn by the generals on the battlefield. The purpose of this armor is to protect the horse’s body from arrows and spears. Furthermore, archers find it challenging to hit the enemy’s horse due to the long distances involved. Particularly, a horse equipped with armor is even more difficult to hit.
The second reason is that horses do not easily die from a single arrow. This does not mean that horses cannot die; it means that war horses are generally very strong, making it difficult to kill them with just one arrow. Moreover, the horses were rigorously trained, and the damage caused by a single arrow is not significant. Instead of shooting arrows at horses, soldiers on the battlefield typically aimed at the enemy.
War horses of the army are a rare asset and also a valuable trophy. (Illustration: Internet).
The third reason is that war horses at that time were extremely valuable. In ancient times, there were two types of livestock that were not to be eaten: cattle and war horses. The army’s war horses were rare assets and also the most valuable trophies in war; the value of war horses is an undeniable fact.
However, this does not mean that horses would not be attacked in war; it is just that archers rarely targeted horses. Most soldiers in close combat would directly cut off the horses’ legs, as this was an area unprotected by armor.
