Horses: Makeshift Centaur

What happens when one of humanity’s most beloved animals becomes a weapon of punishment, torture, and execution,?

Season 3 of Torture: A Dark History kicks off with Kevin Young and Dan Hourigan exploring the surprisingly brutal history of horses and the many ways humans have used them to hurt, kill, and punish other humans.

We’ll travel from 18th century Chile and the alleged dragging of a Franciscan friar to the infamous punishment of being hanged, drawn, and quartered. Along the way, we’ll meet William de Marisco, David ap Gruffydd, William Wallace, François Ravaillac, and Robert François Damiens, whose executions showed just how horrific the practice could become.

Then we’ll leave Europe behind and look at the Mongol Empire, including the execution of Caliph Al Musta'sim by Hulegu, before getting into the less obvious ways horses have been involved in torture and execution, including one particularly disturbing practice involving a dead horse.

We’ll also look at why horses are measured in hands, just how strong they actually are, and how an animal that has carried armies, pulled carriages, and helped build civilizations became such an effective tool for punishment.

And because this is the Season 3 premiere of Torture: A Dark History, Kevin and Dan bring their usual dark and twisted humor to an episode that may permanently change the way you look at these beautiful animals.

If you’re interested in horses, historical torture, executions, medieval punishment, and the darker side of history, Season 3 starts with one hell of a ride.

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