heavy cavalry engaging heavy cavalry

[Urselius]

Horses can be aggressive. Many of the moves such as the capriole practiced by the classical equestrian schools, like the Spanish Riding School, were developed for combat. As well as biting and kicking stallions sometimes head-butt, which is why some late Medieval chanfrons are equipped with spikes.

The Leonardo combat shows rather fantastically dressed stradiotti - they were light cavalry mercenaries recruited in the Balkans and used extensively by many Renaissance Italian states, especially Venice. They were armed with light lances or bows, and often (as shown) sabres/falchions. Contemporary Italian heavy cavalry would have been completely armoured with plate.