Willa Holland: We have been conned for centuries — Medieval Warhorses actually No Bigger than modern-day Ponies, study finds

Contrary to mythical depictions of the iconic steeds as towering beasts, most in England were less than 14.2 hands high
In films and literature they are usually depicted as hulking, foot-stomping, snorting beasts but a new study has claimed that the medieval warhorse was typically a much slighter, daintier animal.
A team of archaeologists and historians searching for the truth about the steeds that carried knights into battle has concluded that most were probably only the size of a modern-day pony.

Dr Katherine Kanne, of the University of Exeter, looking at a horse bone found in Goltho, Lincolnshire. 
The researchers examined the bones of about 2,000 horses dating from the fourth to 17th centuries found at castles, a medieval horse cemetery and other archaeological sites in England, as well as combing historical records and fictional stories of chivalry.
“It turns out that things are not quite as they have usually been portrayed,” said Prof Alan Outram, of the University of Exeter’s archaeology department. “In popular culture, warhorses are often depicted as the size of a shire horse. It really wasn’t like that. Most medieval horses are surprisingly small. There are very few that are the sort of size portrayed in film or even in exhibitions.”
Outram said the vast majority of medieval horses, including ones believed to have been used in war, were less than 14.2 hands (4ft 10in) high, the maximum height of a modern pony.
One of the biggest they found was a horse from the Norman period, the remains of which were discovered in the grounds of Trowbridge castle in Wiltshire, but it was only 15 hands – the size of a small modern light riding horse.
Outram said that size clearly wasn’t the be-all and end-all for medieval warriors. He said that there might well have been some particularly large warhorses but armies would also have needed smaller horses for tasks such as harrying a retreating enemy, carrying out long-range raids and transporting equipment.
The research team was keen to spell out they did not mean to imply that medieval horse breeders did not put huge amounts of time, effort and money into their work. “In the 13th and 14th century especially the royal stud was an amazing network,” said Outram. “They were spending much more money on horses than people.”
There is still much work to do. The remains of very few, if any, horses have been found on battlefields so working out which animal was a warhorse rather than, say, a farm horse, is difficult. They are also hampered by the fact that most fallen warhorses were hauled off to the knacker’s yard rather than afforded an organized burial.
The next steps include analyzing findings at a site in Westminster, more study of horse armour and examining the DNA of bones to find out more about one of history’s most iconic creatures.

Willa Holland is furious and spams a Sex Tape…

Willa Holland
Date of Birth 18 June 1991, Los Angeles, California, USA
Birth Name Willa Joanna Chance Holland
Height 5′ 5½” (1.66 m)

Thanks to Steven Spielberg, who encouraged Darnell Gregorio-De Palma to put her daughter in front of the camera, Willa Holland signed with Ford Modeling Agency at age seven. Since then, she has booked numerous national commercials, and has even launched a career in both the big screen and small screen. Though Holland made her on-screen debut in 2001 in the film Ordinary Madness, she became known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, the younger sister of Marissa Cooper on The O.C. In 2008, she landed a recurring role on Gossip Girl as Agnes Andrews, and at the same time, appeared in movies such as Garden Party, Middle of Nowhere, A Summer in Genoa and Legion. She also provided the voice of Aqua in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise. In 2012, Holland joined the cast of the CW series Arrow as Thea Queen.

Trivia

• Ex-stepdaughter of film director Brian De Palma. He took her to a talent agency when she was just seven years old and the rest is history.
• Her mother is Darnell Gregorio-De Palma and her father is Keith Holland.
• From the ages of 7 to 11 years old she was the top child model in the USA. She is with Ford Models Los Angeles.
• Has modeled for Guess, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and Ralph Lauren.
• Has an older sister, Brianna Holland, who was born in 1988.
• Has a younger half-sister, Piper De Palma, who was born in 1996.
• Steven Spielberg told Brian De Palma that she needed to be in front of the camera. With Spielberg’s advice, Brian got her an agent.
• Having never played the piano, Willa had to learn to play a very difficult Chopin piece, for the film A Summer in Genoa (2008) (aka Summer in Genova).
• Went to Kenter Canyon Elementary School and later Paul Revere Middle School. She also attended Palisades Charter High School for a brief time.
• Half English (her father is English).

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