Merchant cogs carried horses and supplies

The Bayeux Tapestry's longships capture only part of the fleet needed for an invasion built around cavalry and supplies. Broader clinker-built merchant hulls offered the internal volume required for Norman horses, which were closer in size to Dartmoor ponies than to later heavy warhorses. Many of these early cogs were probably hired from commercial service rather than built solely for the campaign. Merchants expected endurance and continued utility from cargo ships, while purpose-built warships could be treated as disposable seasonal assets.