IT COULD COST A FORTUNE FOR A GOOD WAR HORSE AND ITS TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT. SOME WERE TAUGHT TO RIDE, CHARGE AND MANEUVER AS A GROUP. SOME WERE TAUGHT TO ACTUALLY FIGHT BY KICKING TRAMPLING AND BITING AND MIGHT EVEN CONTINUE THE FIGHT AFTER THEY LOST A RIDER. SOME WORE NO ARMOR SOME VERY LITTLE AND SOME HEAVY ARMOR. THIS REQUIRED A LOT MORE TRAINING AND I SUSPECT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SPECIALIZED IN ALL FORMS OF TRAINING AND WERE WELL PAID. MAKING THE TACK AND ARMOR WAS ALSO A PROFITABLE BUSINESS SO THE WAR HORSE WAS GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY.
SOME HORSE ARMOR HAD A SPIKE OR HORN ON THE FOREHEAD IT WAS LIKELY THERE TO INSPIRE FEAR. A WILD HORSE IS SCARY ENOUGH BUT ARMOR CAN HEIGHTEN THE ASPECT. IT'S POSSIBLE THEY COULD HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO USE THE HORN BUT IT IS UNLIKELY UNLESS THEY WERE A UNICORN. "GRIN" HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES.
#1. THE WARWICK SHAFFRON THE OLDEST SURVIVING MEDIEVAL HORSE HEAD ARMOR SURVIVING.
#2. & #3. 1550 KING SIGISMUND THE SECOND'S ARMOR POLAND, ROYAL ARMORY STOCKHOLM
#4. 1545 HORSE ARMOR
#5. & #6. TWO EXAMPLES OF HORSE ARMOR
#7. OLD DRAWING OF THE BATTLE OF ASKALON IN 1099
#8. & #9. TWO MORE EXAMPLES
#10. HENRY OF FRANCE ARMOR
#11. HORSE ARMOR HEAD PIECE WITH SPIKE
#12. ITALIAN CHAMFRON