The"Wooden Horse or Spanish Donkey"

he "Wooden Horse or Spanish Donkey"

The wooden horse, or Spanish donkey, was an extremely painful and horrific medieval torture device. 

It was first used by the Holy Inquisition in France and then in Spain and Germany, and then it migrated to the Americas, gaining focus during the colonial period. 

The main design was the same wherever it was used. It was a triangular wooden box with a very sharp top end (ie, where the horse's spine would be).

The apparatus was constructed of wood, with planks nailed together to form an elongated and sharp ridge that would serve as a horse's loin. 

These were held up by four legs fixed to a stand, about 6 or 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters) high, with wheels installed on the underside of the legs so that the whole device could roll on the floor.

A head and a tail would join together to make the torture device look like a huge almost “funny” wooden horse.

The accused would have been ridden on the horse, with weights on his ankles and hands tied to his back. They were expected to hold this position for hours, sometimes days.

Variations of the Spanish donkey were used from the Middle Ages (supposedly invented by the Holy Inquisition in 12th-century France), until the American Civil War period of the 1860s. 

It was also a torture device favored by the first Jesuits. It has even been documented that one of the founding fathers of the United States used this torture device.

 The frequent use of the device by the Spanish army was documented in the 19th century.

In the Wooden Horse, with the chains on, all the weight of the victim or prisoner fell on their vulva or pelvis. Ankle weights were added on each side to cause the skin to tear.

don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.