D&D Basic Monsters: Hippogriff

The hippogriff - possibly the lovechild of a griffon and a pegasus - is another of those hybrid monsters common in myth. The hippogriff has the head and front legs (and wings) of a bird (presumably and eagle) and the hind quarters from a horse.

In the Reneissance poems "Orlando Innamorato" and "Orlando Furioso" hippogriffs are used as mounts by the paladins Roland (Orlando) and Ruggiero, so their use as knightly mounts are firmly rooted in classical litterature.

In D&D terms, the hippogriff has been with the game from the start, where they were described as "fierce fighters, attacking with claws and beak", and not being overly fond of pegasi.