Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
war horse, c.1300, from Old French destrier (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *dextrarius "led by the right hand," from Latin dextra, fem. of dexter (see dexterity).
Wiktionary
n. A large warhorse, especially of a medieval knight.
Wikipedia
The destrier is the best-known war horse of the medieval era. It carried knights in battles, tournaments, and jousts. It was described by contemporary sources as the Great Horse, due to its significance.
The word destrier is derived from the Vulgar Latin dextarius, meaning "right-sided" (the same root as dexterous and dexterity). This may refer to it being led by the squire at the knight's right side (or led by the right hand) or to the horse's gait, (possibly leading with the right).
While highly prized by knights and men-at-arms, the destrier was not very common. Most knights and mounted men-at-arms rode other war horses, such as coursers and rounceys. These three types of horse were often referred to generically as chargers.
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Usage examples of "destrier".
He had refused to dismount from his destrier, which had a steel chanfron to protect its face and a trapper of gleaming mail to shield its body from the English archers who were no doubt stringing their bows in the entrenchments.
As her rage mounted Wulfgar laughed and let go with one knee, sending her sprawling naked to the ground between the hooves of the destrier.
The latter was astride his black Nicaean destrier with his flame-haired sons at either side.
Crossing the open exercise areas he came to the stables, filled with the ceaseless sounds and thick smells of horses of all sorts: brave coursers and glum-faced palfreys, massive destriers, well-formed jumpers and the enormous draft annuals that pulled the war drays of the entourage from Matloo.
The destriers and troop horses were tired, true, but so too were the ponies.
Then the ladies and gentlemen to the number of thirty-odd, mounted upon heavy, but swift, destriers and lighter palfreys.
Once fully accoutered, knights mounted their high horsesbattle-trained destriers big and strong enough to bear fully armed men at a fair speed for the time it might take to make contact with the enemy aheadwhile grooms led their amblers back to the remuda.
Uryd clan, leading their destriers through the passes, down into the unknown lands.
Then it had become the turn of the horses, one or two at the time, taking the rounseys, amblers, and palfreys first, rather than the high horses and trained destriers.
Not sure just what might chance on this risky business he was undertaking, he had left his invaluable spotted destrier, Bruiser, in Armagh, in the dedicated care of two of his squires, his pages, and his servants.
At the north end of the field, squires held brightly barded destriers for the champions to mount.
Harnessed with caparisons of silver was this destrier, this noble charger.
The horses were barely broken, thick-limbed yet tall, a breed the Irregulars claimed was their ownbloodlines that included Nathi destriers, Mott carthorses and Genabarü drays, all drawn together to produce a large, sturdy, ill-tempered animal with a surprisingly wide back that made riding them a luxury.
I summoned the memory of it, as I had seen it when it killed Decuman, and tried to estimate its weight: it must have been as heavy as several men, and perhaps as heavy as a destrier.
The destrier type still hangs on, but is now seen mostly in the grand equestrian schools such as the Spanish Riding School.