Horseback Riding and Cavalry Training

Cavalry recruits needed extensive training just to feel comfortable on horseback. Many heavy cavalry regiments wore helmets and even body armor, all of which were expensive to manufacture. It wouldn't be uncommon for a cavalry trooper to carry a sword, pistol, carbine and bayonet compared to just a bayonet and a musket for the average infantryman. The horses themselves needed extensive training as well. You couldn't just take any horse off the farm and press it into service.