Description
The lack of strong, fast mounts in northern Europe restricted the Germans’ ability to build cavalry forces. Horses were expensive to keep and, given the size and strength of the typical German tribesman, he was more suited to life as an infantryman. Even so, there were a number of tribes that became renowned for their expertise as horsemen; the Usipi and, in particular, the Tencteri tribes, who dwelt on the east of the river Rhine, possessed much-admired cavalrymen. The Tencteri had a strong tradition: their children were raised playing with horses, which were well-respected and treasured possessions. The horse was always inherited by the strongest, most warlike man within a family, helping to create a strong cavalry presence within the tribe. German light cavalry often attacked in a circular motion, throwing javelins before stabbing at close quarters with spears and wheeling to the right. By attacking in a circle, no single man ever led or brought up the rear and, as the attack rotated, each man in turn came into contact with the enemy.
