Cavalry

Polo was first played in Persia in the 6th century BC where it was used to train cavalrymen.

The historian, Livy (59 BC-17AD), related the story of Philip V of Macedonia (238-179 BC) who gave a number of fallen cavalrymen a public funeral in the hope that this would make his army more amenable to fight.

Sweden experimented with a Moose cavalry in the 1700s.

During the exceptionally cold winter of 1795, a French Hussar regiment captured the Dutch fleet on the frozen Zuiderzee, a bay to the northwest of the Netherlands. The French seized 14 warships and 850 guns. This is one of the only times in recorded history where a cavalry has captured a fleet.

The circus developed from the riding school in European cities of the late 18th century, often under the guidance of former cavalry officers.

The Battle of Brandy Station fought on June 9, 1863, around Brandy Station, Virginia was the largest predominantly cavalry engagement of the American Civil War, as well as the largest ever to take place on American soil. During this pivotal event, the Union and Confederate armies faced off in a display of military might and strategic maneuvering. The battlefield at Brandy Station became the backdrop for intense combat, as cavalry units from both sides clashed with determination and bravery.

The significance of the Battle of Brandy Station extends beyond its sheer scale. It represented a turning point in the Civil War, highlighting the evolving tactics and capabilities of cavalry forces. 

"Cavalry Charge Near Brandy Station, Virginia", a drawing by Edwin Forbes of the Battle of Brandy Station

The first book of rules for 'Sphairistike or Lawn Tennis' was published by retired British cavalryman Major Walter Clopton Wingfield in 1873.

Before Edgar Rice Burroughs  (1875-1950)  wrote his Tarzan books, he attended the Michigan Military Academy. Burroughs was a mediocre student and flunked his examination for West Point. He ended up as an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory.

Giovanni Agnelli studied at a military academy, and became a cavalry officer before founding Fiat in 1899.

On 22 August 1914, a British cavalryman in the Great War fired in anger during combat, the first time that had happened on mainland Europe since the Battle of Waterloo 99 years earlier.

The October 31, 1917 World War I Battle of Beersheba featured the last successful cavalry charge in history. The Australian Mounted Division's 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments conducted a mounted infantry charge with bayonets in their hands, capturing Beersheba and part of the Yildirim Army Group garrison as it was withdrawing.

The charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba painted by George Lambert 

The 26th Cavalry Regiment (Philippine Scouts) was part of U.S. Army Forces Far East's Philippine Department, during World War II. The last US Cavalry regiment to engage in horse mounted warfare they once repulsed a Japanese Tank Assault at Binalonan, Pangasinan.

The last major cavalry charge in military history took place on August 24, 1942. 600 Italian cavalrymen charged a position of 2,000 Soviet soldiers at Izbushensky near the Don River, slashing with sabers and throwing hand grenades. Despite heavy losses, the Italians managed to dislodge the Soviets.