Hi! Question: I see that in their description you say they are about the size of a small horse. How small might that be? Smaller as in smaller than average (like ponies) but still capable of supporting a human rider or too small even for that?
And if they are large enough to support a rider, is that something one might tolerate/permit under certain circumstances? Or are palfreys more intolerant of that?
Ooh, fun question :)
How big are Palfreys?
OK, so a little explanation for anyone who's not very familiar with horses.
Horses are measured from the ground up to the highest point of their shoulders (called the withers). This is because this point doesn't fluctuate (whereas they can put their head up and down).
Picture from Horse & Country.
Palfreys are about the size of a large deer like elk when fully grown.
At the shoulders, this is about 142cm, though some can be taller or shorter than that. Stags are typically taller than does.
This makes them roughly the same kind of height as a lot of the taller pony breeds, such as the Highland Pony
Photo from Pony Magazine
Can Palfreys be ridden?
Short answer: yes. They have the strength to carry an average sized adult human.
Long answer: Palfreys are not domesticated like horses and ponies, so they aren't as easily trained.
In order to train a Palfrey to be ridden, their trainer must establish a very close bond with their animal. This takes a long time (months, if not years).
Palfreys will only permit someone they completely trust to ride them.
They also cannot be trained by force. Any attempts to do so will break the palfrey's trust completely, and they will return to the forest at the first opportunity, never to be seen by people again.
Palfreys are so elusive that few have ever seen one up close, let alone formed a close enough bond to ride one.
