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horse archer]] A horse archer (or '''horsed archer''', '''mounted archer''') is a Cavalry man armed with a Bow . Because using a bow requires a horseman to let go of the reins with both hands, horse archers need superb Equestrian skills. Horse archery is typically associated with Equestrian Nomads of the Eurasia n Steppe . Peoples known to have employed horse archers include the Scythians , Sarmatians , Parthians , Huns , Mongols , Turks , Armenians and Bulgars . In Japan mounted archery is called Yabusame . Horse archery is the earliest form of cavalry altogether. The Iron Age horse was not strong enough to bear an armoured rider, little larger than modern Ponies . Horse archers replace the Bronze Age Chariot which allowed mobile attacks even with horses too small to bear a man. Other Light Cavalry saw only limited use in Classical Antiquity (the Roman Equites ), and Heavy Cavalry was introduced only in Sassanid times (3rd or 4th century). A famous tactic was the Parthian shot, turning away from an enemy while continuing to shoot (for this reason, the term ''parthian arrow'' can also apply to a particularly nasty parting remark). The weapon of choice for horse archers was the Recurve Bow , because it was compact enough to shoot from a horse and retained sufficient range and penetrating power. The only threat to horse archers were arrows and they could wheel away out of bowshot after every attack. A drawback of horse archers was that the movements of a running horse disturbed the accuracy of the shot. The horse archer needs to time his shots between the strides of the horse. After the invention of the Stirrup , horse archers would stand up in their stirrups to absorb the motion of the horse. Horse archers played a pivotal role in the Battle Of Carrhae , and again in the medieval Battle Of Legnica . In both cases horse archers won the day because their opponents depended on direct contact. Horse archers were eventually rendered obsolete by the development of modern Firearms . The 16th century Cuirassier s were heavly cavalry equipped with firearms. SEE ALSO |
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