Rioni Light Horse
| Rioni Light Horse | |
|---|---|
| Риони лек кон (Galanian) Rioni könnyű ló (Ruvelkan) | |
| Active | 1465 |
| Disbanded | 1811 |
| Allegiance | Rioni Union |
| Branch | Army of the Rioni Union |
| Type | Dragoons |
| Size | 2,500 (1802) |
| Garrison/HQ | Cuprasi |
| Engagements | First Chryse War Forty Years War Rioni War of Independence Shirvani Succession War Rioni Civil War |
The Rioni Light Horse was a cavalry formation (originally a regiment, later a brigade) of the Rioni Army. One of the first cavalry force raised by the unified Rioni Union, it served with distinction from its foundation in 1465 until the dissolution of the Union in 1811.
The origin of the Light Horse lay in the tactics and techniques of the Khiyzan Confederation under Damira Khan, who had pioneered early integration of firearms and cavalry for an early attempt at mobile firepower. The Light Horse were originally armed with matchlock firearms and had to dismount to employ them. By the 16th Century some squadrons had begun carrying early pistols and remained mounted while firing. The limited utility of this methodology, coupled with the complexity and training required to be effective at both riding and shooting, meant that the Light Horse consisted of only a handful of squadrons until the 18th Century, at which point they had reached regimental size. By the 19th Century the Light Horse had grown into a brigade composed of two regiments and additional auxiliary squadrons.
The Light Horse fought extensively during the Shirvani Succession War; unlike other dragoon formations at the time, the Light Horse had retained their usage of firearms in addition to carrying straight swords into combat. Heavy combat against the armies of Serikos, Lirinya, and Cacerta saw their numbers decline significantly, and by the end of the war were barely at regimental strength. The Light Horse, drawn primarily from Galanian and Kenderes populaces, remained loyal to the Baligov Dynasty during the Rioni Civil War, and afterwards were dissovled alongside the Rioni Union. Many former members of the Light Horse went on to serve the Kingdom of Galania as the 1st Galanian Dragoons Regiment, which saw action in the Galanian-Ruvelkan War before being officially disbanded after the formation of the Republic of Syara.