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LOTR_Nerd wrote:Just thought to poke my head in and say the only people in Middle Earth that are among the Free Peoples to fight on Horseback are the Men of Rohan.

Really? So no elves use horses in combat, no knights in Gondor use them (Imrahil and men of Dol Amroth for instance), no others? Not too sure I believe that - from a source material point of view and especially a common sense one.

Rich H wrote:

LOTR_Nerd wrote:Just thought to poke my head in and say the only people in Middle Earth that are among the Free Peoples to fight on Horseback are the Men of Rohan.

Really? So no elves use horses in combat, no knights in Gondor use them (Imrahil and men of Dol Amroth for instance), no others? Not too sure I believe that - from a source material point of view and especially a common sense one.

Just beacuse your a knight does not mean one fights on horses Imrahil and his men are described as sallying forth thats it also just because you ride to battle ex sons of Elrond does not mean you do not then dismount and fight on foot there are real world examples of this the saxons and vikings immediately come to mind.In fact even in the real world you can do fine without cavalry an example would be the battle of Tours.

Pretty sure Imrahil and his knights rode into battle to aid Eomer at the Battle of Pelennor but I may be wrong, my understanding of the subject matter isn't as amazing as yours nor do I have the confidence to discount all but the Rohirrim as using mounts in combat.

Rich H wrote:Pretty sure Imrahil and his knights rode into battle to aid Eomer at the Battle of Pelennor but I may be wrong, my understanding of the subject matter isn't as amazing as yours nor do I have the confidence to discount all but the Rohirrim as using mounts in combat.

Considering the historical import of the word 'knight' I would think that if Tolkien used it he meant 'mounted warrior'. Imrahil's men are described as riding 'in full harness', Forlong carries a 'long heavy spear', Glorfindel rides with stirrups, a technological improvement that in the real world marked the transition between fighters riding horses to battle only to dismount before the engagement and riders actually charging into it. Black Riders ride with stirrups too, hinting at a custom common to different races of Men.

Francesco

I believe it was Farmir and those knights of Gondor that rode horses to the aid of Osgiliath at the insistence of his father.

"Under the south Walls of the city the footmen of Gondor now drove against the legions of Morgul that were still gathered there in strength. But the Horsemen rode eastward to the succour of Eomer. Hurin the Tall, Warden of the Keys and the Lord of Lossarnach, and Hirluin of the Green Hills, and Prince Imrahil the fair with his knights all about him."

It's in b&w guys. Imrahils knights were horsemen and mounted combat was not unknown in the lands of Gondor.

RotK page 827.

Halbarad wrote:It's in b&w guys. Imrahils knights were horsemen and mounted combat was not unknown in the lands of Gondor.

Cheers fella, I thought I could remember it properly!

Guess I shouldn't just assume that a guy with 'nerd' in his name is correct and have more confidence that I do know my 'Tolkien Shit'.

Okay time to defend myself

1.I did not have the books in front of me

2.My knowledge centers mostly on the Dwarves,Beornings,Dunedain and Elves of Rivendell which are all cultures that do not fight on mounts also I was pointing out the unless its the Men of Dol Amroth or the Men of Rohan we are talking about most groups dismount to fight.

3.Gondor and Rivendell only have Cavalry forces in the PJ films which is infamous for picking and chooseing what part of the books it will follow with no noticable pattern

LOTR_Nerd wrote:Okay time to defend myself

I don't think you really need to defend yourself! It's all good sportmanship...

LOTR_Nerd wrote: 2.My knowledge centers mostly on the Dwarves,Beornings,Dunedain and Elves of Rivendell which are all cultures that do not fight on mounts also I was pointing out the unless its the Men of Dol Amroth or the Men of Rohan we are talking about most groups dismount to fight.

Do you have a source for stating that Elves of Rivendell do not fight from horseback? I am genuinely interested.

Also for the Dúnedain - we know from Unfinished Tales that the Númenóreans didn't use horses in battle, but should the same apply for the Men of Arnor or Gondor? Thousands of years have passed since the time described in UT.

Francesco

LOTR_Nerd wrote:3.Gondor and Rivendell only have Cavalry forces in the PJ films ...

It is interesting to note that in LotR we have a description of the Gondorian forces coming to the North to fight against Angmar:

"Most of all, the horses were praised, for many of them came from the Vales of Anduin, and with them were riders tall and fair, and proud princes of Rhovanion."

This seems to reinforce the fact that Gondor relied especially on 'foreign' cavalry, even if the quote doesn't precisely rule out the possibility of Gondorian knights.

But then we have:

"Then the Witch-king, with all that he could gather from the wreck, fled northwards, seeking his own land of Angmar. Before he could gain the shelter of Carn Dûm the cavalry of Gondor overtook him with Eärnur riding at their head."

Now, the "cavalry of Gondor" doesn't really indicate anything, but the King of Gondor himself rides into battle at the head of his cavalry.

Francesco