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Originally Posted by balzacq
I draw your attention to the hobilar, a medieval mounted infantryman, who according to wikipedia literally rode hobby horses (light, agile mounts) and were used by Robert the Bruce as guerrilla raiders.
If you don't have heavy warhorses plus armored knights (and the infrastructure to maintain both) on the one hand, and aren't steppe nomads on the other hand, but have plenty of light riding horses and live in poor cavalry-charge terrain, then mounted infantry makes a great deal of sense. |
I was speaking on general terms, and left room for exception in earlier posts, but the fact is that on the medieval battlefield the cavalry charge was usually the determinant factor...In other words, if cavalry was fielded (terrain permitting and so on) they generally did not dismount for any tactical purpose (despite some exceptions, notably Charles Martel ordering his men to dismount and form a shield wall because the speed of the muslim forces' horses made his own inneffective).