동물갑옷

Full-body armor for the war horse

Horse barding was full-body armor for the medieval war horse, comprising the chanfron (head), crinet (neck), peytral (chest), flanchards (sides), and crupper (hindquarters). At its peak in the 15th century, a full set of plate barding weighed 30-40kg — combined with the knight's own armor, the horse bore over 100kg of additional weight. This immense burden meant barding was donned only immediately before battle and removed for any distance travel. Its cost rivaled or exceeded the knight's own armor, restricting it to the wealthiest aristocratic knights.

Protective equipment for war camels

Camel armor was specialized protective equipment for war camels used in Middle Eastern and North African desert warfare, combining leather and iron plates to shield the animal's chest, neck, and flanks. Camel cavalry (hagin) filled a role horses could not in desert environments — camels could travel far longer without water and moved more effectively on sand. A potent tactical advantage was the camel's scent, which terrified horses and threw enemy cavalry into disarray. Cyrus the Great famously exploited this effect to defeat the Lydian cavalry of Croesus, one of history's most celebrated uses of animal-based psychological warfare.