Palfrey

Zelter called in the Middle Ages a light riding horse or mule, which the particularly quiet and comfortable for the rider tent gear ( special gaits and gait pass ) dominated. The pace of gait is the trot by no means. The modern term is gaited horse.

It is often assumed that in the Middle Ages, most mounts Zelter were because during long journeys the Tolt and ambling for all riders was more convenient. However, particularly Travel Horses and for women and clergy were drawn to this comfortable gait and trained. For aristocratic women Seitsättel were usual at that time, on which the rider sat across the horse. This sitting swinging gaits such as trotting and galloping was impossible. However Tölt could even be sitting cross- legged, as he has no moment of suspension. It was also possible to let two campers carry a litter, while the trotting between two horses would be impossible. Elegant Zelter served as parade horses for princes and clergy. Zelter did not serve to fight in the battle; this larger, heavier warhorses were used, the need to control only three gaits.

The predisposition to the special gaits is heritable in horses. Even today, some horses still show a more or less pronounced preference for which is, however, desirable only in certain breeds. This includes the Iceland Horse and the Paso Peruano, a descendant of the Spanish Berber horses that were like trained and deployed in the Middle Ages as Zelter.

In the romances of the Middle Ages and early modern times precious and decorated Zelter are often described as a ladies' horses. Literary history famous is the refined description ( ekphrasis ) of the white- black palfrey of Enite Hartmann von Aue in Erec - Roman ( 1180 /90).