A horse with a docked or shortened tail, or a type of short medieval horse bred for carrying heavy loads.
From Old French courtal, from Latin curtus meaning 'short.' The term originally described any horse with a cropped tail, a practice done for practical reasons in medieval times, and later became associated with a specific sturdy breed.
Medieval knights actually preferred curtals for certain tasks because the short tail was less likely to get tangled in armor or caught by enemies—a ruthlessly practical modification that became a breed characteristic.
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