Quote Originally Posted by rrgg View Post
Personally, I think that the cavalry were a bit hardier then they are generally given credit for and that there would have been very little a man with a one-handed spear or "short" musket and bayonet could physically do against a charging horse, but at the same time I highly doubt suicidal, head on charges would have been popular with anyone for obvious reasons.

I wonder if a knight with a long enough lance could effectively charge, strike, and wheel about without colliding with the enemy line.

see, the thing is, it's not one spearman vs one rider. its four or five spearmen vs one rider, as any horse and rider who can reach a spearman to strike him is in thrusting range of half a dozen or more spears.


you can charge into the mix, and more than likey knock the frist two guys over.... but your horse will have three mortal wounds in it's chest and your going to be getting a few in a moment.

also, do not forget that for a lot of history, cavalrymen provided their own horses. a well bred war horse was easily as expensive as Full Plate armour, and often more. You wanted to look after that large an investment,

think of it this way. your average sports car might well be able, when driven at high enough speed, to snap a small tree it two. but if it was your sports car, would you try it?