Reply To: What’s the difference between British heavy and light cavalry

[Paul Goldstone]

Ian Fletcher’s Galloping at Everything is a very good source.
British ‘light cavalry’ rode horses as big as their so-called ‘heavy cavalry’ counterparts. 10th Hussars in 1813, for example, rode horses averaging 15 hands high.

Feed/forage is also very important – and British were feeding their horses oats etc shipped from North America. Horses quickly lost condition if they relied on locally requisitioned hay/straw. One reason why British cavalry may have charged at the gallop and pursued so far, is because, quite simply, their horses could do so.

It should be noted that size/condition of horses is very important in combat – a smaller/weaker horse will naturally shy away from the larger, and the rider will be at a major disadvantage.