Study Reveals Tudor Elite's International Horse Trading for Status Symbols

Wealthy Tudors imported elite horses from across Europe, akin to modern supercars, to showcase their wealth and power, a University of Exeter study finds.

Wealthy Tudors, including the Royal family, imported bigger, stronger, and faster horses from Europe to showcase power and wealth, a study by the University of Exeter reveals.
The horses, likened to modern-day supercars, came from as far afield as Italy, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe, showcasing an international scale of horse trading by the elites of late medieval and Tudor England.
Excavations in London unearthed an equine cemetery with animal bones dating from the 14th to the 16th century, located near the royal palace complex at Westminster, where jousting tournaments were common.
Chemical analysis of isotopic levels in the horse remains indicated more than half of the horses came from abroad, with some possibly ridden by King Henry VIII or used in tournaments he competed in.
The study, published in Science Advances, provides unprecedented evidence of medieval horse movement and trading practices, emphasizing the international scale of the trade.