The warhorse through the ages

A heritage-equestrian event “EQUUS – the warhorse through the ages”  is being held at Fort Rinella in Kalkara this weekend Actors, performers and historical re-enactors in historic costumes, weaponry and instruments covering some 3,000 years of history will entertain the crowds as they reconstruct the evolution of the warhorse from antiquity to the First World War. The event will feature talks, subject related films, displays, live-re-enactments and equestrian displays including daring acrobatics. The event will include the participation of 10 British professional horse riders and performers who regularly perform in events organised by English Heritage and the Royal Armouries in the UK. Some are veterans of several equestrian based movies including the award-winning 2011 “War Horse” war drama by Steven Spielberg. The periods to be covered by this event are: Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome; the Norman, Medieval and Renaissance Periods; and the Napoleonic, Victorian and First World. World War One was the time when traditional cavalry and the use of the horse as a fighting machine came to an end with the introduction of the tank, aircraft and machineguns.