The clothing and weapons used by cavalry soldiers (2024)
These teacher notes provide information on the clothing and weapons used by the cavalry soldiers during the time of Emperor Hadrian. You can download a copy of these teacher notes below.
The cavalry soldiers wore similar items to the infantry soldiers. They were paid more moneythan infantry soldiers, so they often spent money on buying highly decorated helmets andother items of kit, including the harness used by their horses.
Soft kit
They wore a soft kit under their armour whichconsisted of a tunic, trousers (which reachedto just below the knee and were worn toavoid chafing when sitting on the horse), ascarf, a belt, socks and boots.
Full armour
They also wore armour consisting of apadded top, ring mail (which often had ashort slit on either side to make it easier to siton a horse) and a helmet.
Cavalry helmets were often elaborate and had highly decorated cheek pieces. They could alsowear helmets with a face plate over their own face. These helmets were worn when the cavalrycarried out their displays (hippika gymnasia), but it is also likely that they were worn in battle.Although they impaired vision and hearing, the impersonal expression on the face would helpfrighten the enemy.
Some cavalrymen also wore greaves (lower leg protection). These could also be highly decorated.
Weapons
In terms of weapons, cavalry soldiers spent many long hours practising how to throw javelinsaccurately when riding at speed, while some skilled units also used bow and arrows. Theyshowed off these skills in the training displays called hippika gymnasia.
When the soldiers got closer to the enemy, they used long spears, like the infantry – not an easyweapon to manoeuvre when on horseback – using their height above the enemy infantrymen tofull advantage.
At some point, they dropped their spear and drew their sword (taking care not to hit their horse’shead). The sword was the long slashing sword called a spatha.
They also carried an oval-shaped shield like the auxiliary infantry soldier.
What did a cavalry horse wear?
The equipment of the Roman cavalry horse was both functional and decorative. The saddle,bridles and straps were used to aid the rider, but they also provided the opportunity to addfancy decoration, such as shiny metal mounts and pendants, which sometimes had religioussymbolism. The Romans believed such symbols would protect the horse and rider.
A wooden frame with leather cover was the basic construction for the Roman saddle. Four hornsat each corner were stiffened by metal plates to help give a solid base. This allowed the horse to beridden without stirrups. A saddle cloth, usually with a decorative fringe, was placed under the saddle.
Both breast and haunch straps as well as thegirth were used to hold the saddle in place.
The bridle was the part of the horse harnessworn on the head. It connected the reins heldby the rider to the iron bit in the mouth of thehorse, which was used to control the horse.Some of the bits used by the Romans werequite cruel, as it was more important to acavalry soldier to make sure his horse obeyedhim in battle than it was to be kind to it.
Horses also wore chamfrons (a mask andheadpiece) to protect the horse’s head duringbattle and the practice manoeuvres knownas the Hippika Gymnasia. There were metalcages over the eyes to protect them.
They also wore armour consisting of a padded top, ring mail (which often had a short slit on either side to make it easier to sit on a horse) and a helmet. Cavalry helmets were often elaborate and had highly decorated cheek pieces. They could also wear helmets with a face plate over their own face.
Although their equipment differed greatly depending on the region and historical period, heavy cavalry were generally mounted on large powerful warhorses, wore body armor, and armed with either lances, swords, maces, flails (disputed), battle axes, or war hammers; their mounts may also have been protected by barding.
For mounted, or shock action, the cavalryman has his horse, and is also provided with sabre and lance, or pistol. For dismounted action the cavalry soldier is arm ed with carbine or rifle, and in some instances with · the bayonet . . The horse in battle.
While they may have been armed with a sword or lance in 1914, cavalry troopers carried the Short Magazine Lee Enfield Rifle, too. Cavalry units were also armed with Hotchkiss and Maxim machine guns, which provided additional mobile firepower.
Roman Auxilia cavalry were usually heavily armored in mail and armed with a short lance, javelins, spatha long swords and sometimes bows for specialist horse archer units.
The cavalries wear heavy armors with full face helmets while holding long swords and defensive shields. Their preferred weapons also include lances, partisans, and maces.
They wore a soft kit under their armour which consisted of a tunic, trousers (which reached to just below the knee and were worn to avoid chafing when sitting on the horse), a scarf, a belt, socks and boots.
The long spears (pikes) of the Scots and Swiss were an excellent defensive weapon against cavalry. The warriors stood in tight formations like an ancient phalanx, the end of their pikes embedded in the ground, presenting a massive spiked wall.
An individual soldier in the cavalry is known by a number of designations depending on era and tactics, such as a cavalryman, horseman, trooper, cataphract, knight, drabant, hussar, uhlan, mamluk, cuirassier, lancer, dragoon or horse archer.
With the Army's finest Soldiers and best equipment, the hard-riding spirit of the United States Cavalry is alive and well in the 1st Cavalry Division. Our more than 24,000 Soldiers combine the spirit of the Cav's heritage with challenges facing an alert, combat-ready division.
In Western Europe, the decision to adopt the sabre as a cavalry weapon stemmed from the decision to emphasise the cut above the thrust even though cuts tend to be less fatal than thrusts.
Over 90,000 Spencer carbines were built, mostly for Federal cavalry units. The Spencer was a repeating rifle that held seven, . 52 caliber rimfire cartridges in a magazine in the buttstock. Length: 39 inches (rifled barrel 22 in.)
During the English Civil War, the Roundhead Ironside cavalry were issued with a pair of flintlock pistols. Cavaliers used similar weapons, often ornately decorated, including an early breechloader with a barrel that could be unscrewed.
Mounted cavalry would use a thinner spear or long lance called a "xyston". Hoplites serving under Philip II of Macedon (Alexander the Great's father) were given very long spears called “sarrisae”. These were over 6 metres long and could easily reach opponents with shorter weapons.
Besides the usage of the firearms, heavy cavalry typically wielded straight sabres with a 38-inch blade (970 mm) while light cavalry wielded curved sabres with a 33-inch blade (840 mm). Throughout the Napoleonic Wars, rifles were also introduced into the battlefield.
how the 7th cavalry was armed. During the battle, the 7th Cavalry troopers were armed with the Springfield carbine Model 1873 and the Colt Single Action Army revolver Model 1873. Selection of the weapons was the result of much trial and error.
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