Knights wore armor in battle to protect them. In single combat, knights were protected from injury, but could easily be taken prisoner because their armor was so heavy that it limited their movement. When their was a group of knights together, they could easily break through the ranks of the enemy line.
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The shield is one of the most ancient and most common military implements. Besides being used for protection, shields with iron spikes on them were also used to attack. Shields were painted with the arms of their noble owners.
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Gloves were originally made of leather, but when mail armour came into fashion, the gloves were then covered with armour. The throwing down of the gauntlet was the same as issuing a challenge. If the enemy picked up the gauntlet, he was accepting the challenge.
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The first modification made to the original helmet, which was nothing more than a leather cap, was a projection that descended to the nose. Visors were used by heavy-armed cavalries in battle to protect their faces. Plates of iron were fixed to the helmet with screws to protect the neck and throat.
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Like the knights that rode on them, horses were covered with armour for protection in battle. At first, horses were covered with chain-mail, but gradually that gave way to plate armour that had moveable joints.
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