heavy cavalry engaging heavy cavalry

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... They are at this time riding badly, retaining the Egyptian "donkey seat" and so unsteady are the Assyrians on their horses that they are being led by aides who hold the reins while the warriors use their bows. Pictures off Times Life series "The Emergence of Man" The First Horsemen covering nomadic riders of the Steppe.


[attachment=7851]assyrianearly.jpg[/attachment]


The image below is from a relief in Nineveh from 7th Century BC where the Assyrian riders control their mounts easily & ride well forward displaying good horsemanship which they probably learned off the Scythians or Cimmerians


[attachment=7852]laterassyrian-Copy-Copy.jpg[/attachment]

So something changed in the Assyrian cavalry between the 2 reliefs & that fits in roughly with your timeframe.

Regards
Michael Kerr

I would like to suggest that there is potential for the difference you're looking for in the mount itself.

In the first image - interpreted as a "donkey seat", being led etc - the depiction of the animal is quite different to that of the second image. Allowing for artistic license I would suggest to you that the first animal is either an ass or a mule (look at the head) which may well account for the seat. Also, being notoriously wayward and frequently oblivious of the rider's requests, asses/mules can just do their own thing. Perhaps they are being led to a starting point so that when the first animal picks up speed, the rest just go with the flow.

The second image is undoubtedly a horse.

Mules and horses are very similar and can be ridden the same. An ass is a slightly different variation on a theme and although I have not ridden one, perhaps the more backward seat is due to the animal's preference for where it's "go" button is ie where best to kick to get it to move; and yes, mules can have very long legs.