Amongst the
Imperial aristocracy, some were especially renowned for their horsemanship.
[22] It was cavalry, not infantry, which proved to be decisive in the
Jinshin War of 672–673, in
Fujiwara no Hirotsugu's rebellion in 740 and in the revolt of
Fujiwara no Nakamaro in 756.
[23]
Samurai fought as cavalry for many centuries,
[24] and horses were used both as draft animals and for war.
[25] The increasingly elaborate decorations on harnesses and saddles of the samurai suggests the value accorded to these war horses.
[21]
Yabusame archers,
Edo period
The samurai were particularly skilled in the art of using archery from horseback. They used methods of training such as
yabusame, which originated in 530 AD and reached its peak under
Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199 AD) in the
Kamakura period.
[26] The conventions of warfare in Japan switched from an emphasis on
mounted bowmen to mounted spearmen during the
Sengoku period (1467–1615).
Amongst the samurai,
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) was known as an excellent horseman, which forms the foundation of an anecdote about the shōgun's character. One day he and his troops had to cross a very narrow bridge over a raging river. All were wondering how he would ride over this dangerous bridge. Ieyasu dismounted, led the horse over the bridge to the other side, and then he re-mounted his steed.
[27] At
Nikkō, the burial place of the horse ridden by Ieyasu Tokugawa in the
Battle of Sekigahara is marked with an inscribed stone.
[28]
