The History of the Byzantine Cavalry

The Byzantine cavalry were trained to fire their bows while riding and imitate the tactics of their most fearsome enemy. They added body armour for both man and horse and a short lance to allow for the more traditional line of attack. The skills of a mounted archer were perishable, though, especially for those who hadn't been excellent riders since childhood. Professional Byzantine soldiers could be trained in multiple techniques, depending on who or where they were fighting. This flexible skill set gave the empire a huge advantage over foes who had to rely on tribal levees, free-booters, or impressed peasants to fight.