討論：為何騎兵這麼有用？_風聞

【來源龍騰網】

正文原創翻譯：

Directing this question mostly to antiquity but not only: Why was cavalry units so effective during battles? Dont get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of history and I know that it WAS effective but I can’t really imagine why.

這個問題主要是針對古代，但也不完全是針對古代，為什麼騎兵部隊在戰鬥中這麼有用？別誤會，我是歷史愛好者，我當然知道騎兵很有用，但我真的想不出原因。

Horses are (in my eyes) quite easily startled/scared. It’s harder to fight on a horseback, you are a bigger target and it was hard and expensive to armour up a horse. Shields are not easy to carry on a horse. Most armies was composed of spears and in my eyes that is a good anti-horse weapon. Elephants were quite easily countered with whistles and lines by Scipios armies during second punic war, why was it tougher to face the Numidian cavalry? Horses are not smarter nor braver than elephants.

在我看來，馬匹很容易受到驚嚇，騎在馬背上更難以作戰，容易成為目標，給馬裝上防具又非常貴，在馬上也不好帶盾牌。大多數軍隊都是由長矛組成的，在我看來，長矛這種武器能很好的防禦馬匹。在第二次布匿戰爭中，大象很容易就被大西庇阿的軍隊用哨子和隊列弄得反戈了，為什麼騎兵就更困難呢？馬匹並不比大象聰明勇敢。

But even after this, we know for a fact that cavalry was one of the most important factors and many times the reason why you won/lost. Please try to explain detailed but simple to me so I can picture it in my head.

但即使有如此疑問，我們也知道騎兵是戰爭中最重要的因素之一，很多時候也是導致你勝敗的原因。請大家簡潔明瞭的解釋一下，以便我能在腦海裏想象出來。

評論翻譯

Dagonus

In theory, it is easy to counter cavalry by holding formation. Horses do not want to run into you and often will resist charging straight into someone.This is especially useful if you have spears, pikes, or fixed bayonets. If you give the horse space to run past you, it will just alter course slightly into that gap. Unfortunately for you, it will also bump into you, knock you over and the next horse will trample you. In one of my military history class I had years ago in my undergrad, a student asked “so why don’t people just hold formation?” The professor climbed on top of the table the student was sitting at and shouts “You’re the front line! I’m this much taller than you! I weigh half a ton more than you and I’m charging at you at a run! If you hold formation, the horse will probably fall on you. Do you think you’re holding formation?” “Maybe?” “Only if you are really, really disciplined and not overly stressed from the earlier actions.” In short, a cavalry charge is terrifying, especially for undisciplined or green infantry.

理論上，保持住隊形是很容易對抗騎兵的。馬匹不想撞到你，通常不會向人衝撞，如果你有長矛、長槍或固定刺刀的時候會更有效。如果你旁邊的空間足夠馬匹繞過去，它就會稍微改變路線進入這個間隙。然而不幸的是，它還是會碰到你，把你撞倒，然後下一匹馬會把你踩死。幾年前，在我本科的一堂軍事歷史課上，一個學生問“既然如此，那人們為什麼不保持住隊型？” 教授爬到學生坐的桌子上，大聲説“你是前線！我比你高這麼多！ 我比你重半噸，而且我正在向你衝鋒！如果你保持隊形，馬很可能會撞在你身上。你確認你要保持隊型？”“可能…吧？” “除非你真的真的很有紀律，並且沒有因為之前的行動而過於害怕才有可能。” 簡言之，騎兵衝鋒很可怕，特別是對於那些沒有紀律的軍隊或新兵。

Not_A_Sholva

It’s worth noting that the further back you go in time, the less the difference in size between a horse and a man is though. Sure, people were smaller too, but horses have been deliberately bred to be bigger for thousands of years. Especially if you go back some 5000 years, a rider would have to think about keeping their feet off the ground.

值得注意的是，時間越早，馬匹和人的個子差距越小，當然，人的個子也更小，但馬匹一直被有意的往大個子的方向培養。特別是在5000年前，騎手必須考慮要把腳提起來才能不接觸地面。

ppitm

Virtually all medi war horses would be classed as ponies today. 14 hands and under.

There is only a single archaeological find of a 15 hand horse in the medi period.

實際上，中世紀的所有戰馬都會被歸類為如今的小型馬。高度在14掌以一下。

只有一列中世紀考古發現的馬匹是15掌。

MattSR30

I could be misremembering, but I thought their size (and the lack of saddles/stirrups) were the reason chariots were used in the ancient world. They were too small to ride, but they could pull a chariot.

不知道我有沒有記錯，但我認為它們的尺寸(以及沒有馬鞍和馬鐙) 是古代使用戰車的原因。因為它們太小了，不能騎，但它們可以拉戰車。

_Mechaloth_

You’re not going to ride a regular horse into battle; you’re going to ride a war horse, meaning it was trained to counter some of its survival instincts (against its own, probably better, judgment). Also, horse bodies are a great way to break a spear line. Expensive, sure, but if sacrificing a horse against polearms means some capable men get inside enemy lines, you can be sure as hell they’ll take that opportunity.

Also, carrying a shield may not be easy on a horse, but it’s sure easier than walking with it through mud and gore. Same with weighty armors. Put a pointy stick in a guy’s hand with the momentum of a charging horse and put that against a regular infantryman; advantage to the cavalry (nearly) every time.

A horse itself can be a weapon. A kick can be fatal, getting stepped on can be fatal. Even if someone just gets knocked over, they become an easy target.

I think you are severely underestimating the utility and “bravery” of horses. The latter is a result of training, even in huge animals like elephants.

騎去打仗的馬不是普通的馬，是戰馬，這意味着它被訓練過對抗它的一些生存本能。此外，馬匹的身體也是打破長矛陣的主要方式。當然，代價很高，但如果犧牲一匹馬來對抗長柄武器意味着可以讓強力部隊突入到敵人的陣線裏，那麼可以肯定他們會抓住這個機會。

另外，在馬上攜帶盾牌可能不那麼容易，但肯定比帶着盾牌在泥濘中行走容易。重甲也是這樣。騎手拿着狼牙棒騎在馬上衝鋒對付普通步兵，結果幾乎每次都對騎兵有利。

馬匹本身就是武器。踢是致命的，被踩也是致命的。某人即使只是被撞倒，也很容易成為目標。我認為你嚴重低估了馬匹的用途和“勇敢”。勇敢是訓練的結果，即使是大象這樣的大型動物也是要訓練的。