Equine Apocalypse 900 C.E

In such a scenario, kingdoms without horses (or minimal horses) would be the best off. Pace like Southeast Asia where only the richest people had horses (for leisure) would be best off as they would suffer minimal losses. But in such a world, the better offs would have a hard time keeping what they got.
 
And with food pressures comes migration... Even without their horses, steppe peoples will be cascading into the marginally more agriculturally wealthy areas, displacing each other and generally causing mayhem.

This is a messy POD.

Extremely. But the population density of Central Asia is fairly low compared to Peripheral Asia (read: India and China). The numbers of people arriving will be small, and their military strength limited by the fact that a) they don't have horses and b) they're likely starving at this point. They will also meet settled populations in economic turmoil (their trade relationship with the nomads just collapsed and their government is undergoing more or less temporary strategic rebalancing). Probability says the border farmers remember them from when they used to have horses and decide to settle old scores. Government may not be able top put a chicken in every pot, but a Mongol's head in every village square will get you a measure of gratitude, too.
 
Just reminding you that, though not as good as horses, bulls can be an effective riding animal.

Also, in the larger equine populations, 5% immunes give you a breeding hersd. Will you throw dice to find out who gets them?
 
Also, in the larger equine populations, 5% immunes give you a breeding hersd. Will you throw dice to find out who gets them?

That's actually a good point. Depending on where they are and if they can be brought into a single herd, someone in this scenario could get a lot of horses in a couple of decades.

Of course, you'd probably have to retrain a lot of horsemen by the time you have enough horses for an army, so being the only person with a cavalry is not necessarily a wank.
 
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