How to beat horse archers in real life?

[Stone and Blood]

Horse archers avoid infantry, tire troops, have great mobility, shoot the enemies from behind, flanks, etc...

What would be the best tactic in real life, in ancient times, to deal with these warriors?
Foot archers in loose formation protected by some spearmen? Testudo? Use horse archers too, suported by heavy cavalry? Use natural defenses like mountains, rivers, to stop theyr advance and raids against cities?
How different nations fought against the heavy horse archers from the steppes?
Different tactics in different terrains, like the steppes from asia, forests from europe, mountains from greece?
Does these tactics could also be applyed in EB?
post your oppinion here.
thanks for any help or information.

[Cyclops]

I believe the Byzantine (and possibly the Baktrian) response was to hire HA mercs of their own, also to train indigenous HA's, as well as foot archers backed by regular inf.

I believe the Ottoman Empire succesfully resisted/subdued HA's from the steppe using similar tactics.

Of course the Byzantines eventually succumbed to Turkic nomad armies, notably at Manzikert, and the Bactrians were swept into India by the Saka.

[Megas Methuselah]

...Of course the Byzantines eventually succumbed to Turkic nomad armies, notably at Manzikert, and the Bactrians were swept into India by the Saka.

Hahaa. Yeah, you can't beat horse archers.

[Clovis]

Though you can go behind big stone walls and hope they bore themselves to death running around outside

[Ibrahim]

I third the opinion, and fourth it.

[Megas Methuselah]

Though you can go behind big stone walls and hope they bore themselves to death running around outside

Pfft! Horse archers can easily charge through the walls of Babylon!!!!

[AqD]

Horse archers avoid infantry, tire troops, have great mobility, shoot the enemies from behind, flanks, etc...

What would be the best tactic in real life, in ancient times, to deal with these warriors?
Foot archers in loose formation protected by some spearmen? Testudo? Use horse archers too, suported by heavy cavalry? Use natural defenses like mountains, rivers, to stop theyr advance and raids against cities?
How different nations fought against the heavy horse archers from the steppes?
Different tactics in different terrains, like the steppes from asia, forests from europe, mountains from greece?
Does these tactics could also be applyed in EB?
post your oppinion here.
thanks for any help or information.

For defensive: crossbowmen, armoured and/or with other troops to protect them. You could use foot archers - but settled people don't have access to numerous elite archers like the nomads do, and poorly-trained levy archers (like those in ancient greek) are useless against nomadic HAs. Crossbow is the only weapon you can train people to use in a very short time and still outranges the nomadic bows, and it's proved very devastating if the HAs don't/can't avoid it.

For offensive: you need your own horse archers. Nothing else would work unless you play tricks (works but not reliable).

[Jaume]

Oh no! This is another topic in which you play role without rolling a dice!