04-04-2007, 07:11 AM
In reply to some of the suggestions & as a horse owner & Police horse training assisiatnt, even the best trained horses ie police & riot horses are not used to break down a defences but more to intimidate and hopefully repel and disrupt a line. Anadvancing line of calvary would render the most battle ready warrior a little scared..remember a horse at full speed is travelling at 60km/hr!
Anyway I would think that a horse would not run into a solid wall of shields! even horses have a sense of self preservation. All the kicking in the world will not make a horse do anything! Plus pike men woudl easily repel advancing horses.
I think as discussed the calvary was used for protecting and attacking flanks, running down broken lines and or retreating soldiers- a one on one situation where the calvaryman had height and speed on his side. A mounted calvaryman in amongst a group of soldiers attacking from all sides would be easy prey. How easy it would be for a foot soldier to slice a horses rear leg, stab it or cut its throat while the calvaryman was swinging and stabbing down one side
A scared horse prancing around and kicking in fright would surely cause some damage but I think it would be so easy for a calvary rider to be cut down.
I still dont believe as HOLLYWOOD depicts that a calvary rider gets amongst a group of soldiers cutting them down with his swords.....horses are not that quick to turn specially when amongst a battlefield of enemy trying to kill you. A single rider amongst foot soldiers, no way. This depiction would surely be suicide?
Anyway I would think that a horse would not run into a solid wall of shields! even horses have a sense of self preservation. All the kicking in the world will not make a horse do anything! Plus pike men woudl easily repel advancing horses.
I think as discussed the calvary was used for protecting and attacking flanks, running down broken lines and or retreating soldiers- a one on one situation where the calvaryman had height and speed on his side. A mounted calvaryman in amongst a group of soldiers attacking from all sides would be easy prey. How easy it would be for a foot soldier to slice a horses rear leg, stab it or cut its throat while the calvaryman was swinging and stabbing down one side
A scared horse prancing around and kicking in fright would surely cause some damage but I think it would be so easy for a calvary rider to be cut down.
I still dont believe as HOLLYWOOD depicts that a calvary rider gets amongst a group of soldiers cutting them down with his swords.....horses are not that quick to turn specially when amongst a battlefield of enemy trying to kill you. A single rider amongst foot soldiers, no way. This depiction would surely be suicide?
Rubicon
"let the die be cast "
(Stefano Rinaldo)
"let the die be cast "
(Stefano Rinaldo)
