Camel Armor

Protective equipment for war camels

Camel armor was specialized protective equipment for war camels used in Middle Eastern and North African desert warfare, combining leather and iron plates to shield the animal's chest, neck, and flanks. Camel cavalry (hagin) filled a role horses could not in desert environments — camels could travel far longer without water and moved more effectively on sand. A potent tactical advantage was the camel's scent, which terrified horses and threw enemy cavalry into disarray. Cyrus the Great famously exploited this effect to defeat the Lydian cavalry of Croesus, one of history's most celebrated uses of animal-based psychological warfare.