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A 'horse archer' (or 'horsed archer', 'mounted archer') is a cavalryman armed with a bow. The horse archer was the archetypical warrior of the Eurasian steppe and of the American prairies.
Since using a bow requires a horseman to let go of the reins with both hands, horse archers need superb equestrian skills if they are to shoot on the move. Horse archery is typically associated with Eurasian nomads of the Eurasian steppe. Such were the Scythians and Sarmatians and later the Parthians, Magyars, and Turks. Scythians were well known for their tactic of the Parthian shot, but evidently it was the Parthians who give it its name. In this tactical manoeuvre the horsemen would make a feigned retreat and progress away from the pursuing enemy while turning his upper body and shooting backwards at the pursuer, steering his horse with only the pressure implemented by his legs.
Horse archery was most widespread among Eurasian steppe people like the Scythians, Huns, Magyars, Mongols, Turks and so on, but was also adopted by other peoples and armies, notably Chinese and Romans who both suffered serious conflict with peoples practising horse archery. It developed separately among peoples of the North American prairies and the South American pampas. Horse archery was also practiced in Japan, where mounted archery is called Yabusame.
Horse archery is the earliest form of cavalry weaponry. The Iron Age horse was not strong enough to bear an armoured rider, being little larger than modern ponies. Horse archers replaced 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).
Early horse archery, depicted on the Assyrian carvings, involved two riders, one controlling both horses while the second shot. This technique did not replace the well-established chariotry as an effective tactic.
The typical employment of horse archers in battle was in the manner of skirmishers; lightly-armed missile troops capable of moving swiftly to avoid close combat or to deliver a rapid blow to the flanks or rear of the foe. Due to the superior speed of mounted archers, troops under attack from horse archers were unable to respond to the threat without ranged weapons of their own, resulting in casualties, morale drop and disruption of the formation. When able to retreat to avoid return shots or charges, horse archers were generally proven to be effective against heavily equipped infantry or cavalry, especially in hot, flat, treeless regions. In fact, the only tactical threats to horse archers were arrows and other fast cavalry forces. Alexander the Great may be the only general in history who defeated a large army of horse archers on his first encounter, and unfortunately he left no detailed records about how exactly he did it. A famous tactic was the Parthian shot, turning away from an enemy while continuing to shoot (for this reason, the term ''Parthian shot'' can also apply to a particularly nasty parting remark).
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 for tactical effectiveness. Due to the heavy armour worn by mediaeval European troops, they had difficulty facing the more mobile, missile-armed cavalry of Eastern nations, as shown by numerous examples during the Crusades and the Mongol invasion of Europe. The medieval Battle of Hattin, for instance, is an example of horse archers contributing to the defeat of armoured troops, via demoralization and continued harassment.
The weapon of choice for horse archers was the composite bow, because it was compact enough to shoot from a horse while retaining sufficient range and penetrating power. A drawback of horse archery was that the movements of a running horse disturbed the accuracy of the shot. The horse archer needed 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. The actual aiming and shooting is done at the gallop, in the phase where the horse has all four feet off the ground. The skill required to shoot effectively while performing maneuvers took extensive practice. The Turks and the Mongols were known for the value they placed on this. Turkic and Mongol youths took part in frequent training in horsemanship and archery, for this very purpose. To this day, advanced horsemanship and associated skills are practiced in central Asia and are displayed at festivals. Horseback archery has also been revived by modern Hungarians.
Horse archers were eventually rendered obsolete by the development of modern firearms. In the 16th and subsequent centuries, various cavalry forces armed with firearms gradually started appearing. Considering that the conventional arquebus and musket were too awkward for a cavalryman to use, lighter weapons such as the carbine had to be developed, that could be effectively fired from horseback, much in the same manner as the recurve bow was a development over earlier bows. The 16th century Dragoons and Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry equipped with firearms.
The basic strategy used by most civilizations was the 'shoot and run', where the horse archers would come in range of the enemy lines, shoot and retreat if they were chased or came too close to the enemy infantry or heavy cavalry. This was brutally effective against heavy infantry or heavy cavalry that were well-armed but couldn't reach the mounted archers. The best way to counter horse archers was to use light, fast cavalry that could reach the archers, or longer range missiles where retreating didn't stop casualties. Horse archers were also used to hit supply lines and harry retreating troops.
★ Eurasian nomads
★ Horse archer civilizations
★ Horse archer empires
★ Parthian shot
★ Archery
★ Composite bow
★ Recurve bow
★ Hungarian bow
★ Turkish bow
★ Mongol bow
★ Yabusame
★ Sagittarii
| Contents |
| Basic features |
| Appearance in history |
| Technology |
| Basic Strategies |
| References |
| See also |
Basic features
Since using a bow requires a horseman to let go of the reins with both hands, horse archers need superb equestrian skills if they are to shoot on the move. Horse archery is typically associated with Eurasian nomads of the Eurasian steppe. Such were the Scythians and Sarmatians and later the Parthians, Magyars, and Turks. Scythians were well known for their tactic of the Parthian shot, but evidently it was the Parthians who give it its name. In this tactical manoeuvre the horsemen would make a feigned retreat and progress away from the pursuing enemy while turning his upper body and shooting backwards at the pursuer, steering his horse with only the pressure implemented by his legs.
Horse archery was most widespread among Eurasian steppe people like the Scythians, Huns, Magyars, Mongols, Turks and so on, but was also adopted by other peoples and armies, notably Chinese and Romans who both suffered serious conflict with peoples practising horse archery. It developed separately among peoples of the North American prairies and the South American pampas. Horse archery was also practiced in Japan, where mounted archery is called Yabusame.
Horse archery is the earliest form of cavalry weaponry. The Iron Age horse was not strong enough to bear an armoured rider, being little larger than modern ponies. Horse archers replaced 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).
Appearance in history
Ottoman Horse Archer
Early horse archery, depicted on the Assyrian carvings, involved two riders, one controlling both horses while the second shot. This technique did not replace the well-established chariotry as an effective tactic.
The typical employment of horse archers in battle was in the manner of skirmishers; lightly-armed missile troops capable of moving swiftly to avoid close combat or to deliver a rapid blow to the flanks or rear of the foe. Due to the superior speed of mounted archers, troops under attack from horse archers were unable to respond to the threat without ranged weapons of their own, resulting in casualties, morale drop and disruption of the formation. When able to retreat to avoid return shots or charges, horse archers were generally proven to be effective against heavily equipped infantry or cavalry, especially in hot, flat, treeless regions. In fact, the only tactical threats to horse archers were arrows and other fast cavalry forces. Alexander the Great may be the only general in history who defeated a large army of horse archers on his first encounter, and unfortunately he left no detailed records about how exactly he did it. A famous tactic was the Parthian shot, turning away from an enemy while continuing to shoot (for this reason, the term ''Parthian shot'' can also apply to a particularly nasty parting remark).
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 for tactical effectiveness. Due to the heavy armour worn by mediaeval European troops, they had difficulty facing the more mobile, missile-armed cavalry of Eastern nations, as shown by numerous examples during the Crusades and the Mongol invasion of Europe. The medieval Battle of Hattin, for instance, is an example of horse archers contributing to the defeat of armoured troops, via demoralization and continued harassment.
Technology
The weapon of choice for horse archers was the composite bow, because it was compact enough to shoot from a horse while retaining sufficient range and penetrating power. A drawback of horse archery was that the movements of a running horse disturbed the accuracy of the shot. The horse archer needed 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. The actual aiming and shooting is done at the gallop, in the phase where the horse has all four feet off the ground. The skill required to shoot effectively while performing maneuvers took extensive practice. The Turks and the Mongols were known for the value they placed on this. Turkic and Mongol youths took part in frequent training in horsemanship and archery, for this very purpose. To this day, advanced horsemanship and associated skills are practiced in central Asia and are displayed at festivals. Horseback archery has also been revived by modern Hungarians.
Horse archers were eventually rendered obsolete by the development of modern firearms. In the 16th and subsequent centuries, various cavalry forces armed with firearms gradually started appearing. Considering that the conventional arquebus and musket were too awkward for a cavalryman to use, lighter weapons such as the carbine had to be developed, that could be effectively fired from horseback, much in the same manner as the recurve bow was a development over earlier bows. The 16th century Dragoons and Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry equipped with firearms.
Basic Strategies
The basic strategy used by most civilizations was the 'shoot and run', where the horse archers would come in range of the enemy lines, shoot and retreat if they were chased or came too close to the enemy infantry or heavy cavalry. This was brutally effective against heavy infantry or heavy cavalry that were well-armed but couldn't reach the mounted archers. The best way to counter horse archers was to use light, fast cavalry that could reach the archers, or longer range missiles where retreating didn't stop casualties. Horse archers were also used to hit supply lines and harry retreating troops.
References
See also
★ Eurasian nomads
★ Horse archer civilizations
★ Horse archer empires
★ Parthian shot
★ Archery
★ Composite bow
★ Recurve bow
★ Hungarian bow
★ Turkish bow
★ Mongol bow
★ Yabusame
★ Sagittarii
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