Cataphract, Clibanarii, whatever, against Infantry

[marka]

Yes I can and in all of these battles the cavalry were triumphant over solid infantry (Nor were the infantry poor quality)




Was that what you had in mind? The idea that John Keegan touts about horses not charging home against solid infantry is nonsense.

i wasn't being confrontational merely curious-i don't have any pet theories.
I would love to see a reenactment trial of this whatever the results.
firstly horses are easily spooked.
notice the reference to repeated charges-i would suggest that the successful charge was made when the infantry were already weary,may be unsupported and may well have been running away.
horses running straight into pikes???
battles in no particular order

civitate 1053 mercenary infantry stood up to normans (after the rest of the army had fled)until they were surrounded.
hastings 1066 anglo saxon infantry stood up to repeated cavalry attacks until the death of their leader
argentorum 357? allamanni infantry and dismounted cavalry repulsed and routed roman cataphracts
tours 732 frankish infantry succesfully held off arab cavalry
mursa 351 roman infantry held off cavalry
tigris&maragha 363 roman infantry repulsed persian cataphracts
taginae 552 byzantine infantry&dismounted cavalry repulsed gothic horse
taurus 39bc
pharsalus 48bc
callinacum ? byzantine infantry held off persian cavalry
etc etc

concerning the napoleonic ones cavalry could rarely break squares and some of their sucesses seem to be against troops in line formation facing away from them as far as i know the french failed to break british squares at waterloo.