A question about a cavalry charge

[VikingPower]

There are things I am wondering about...

Should not cavalry charge always be as equally powerful, when the soldier does carry a spear/lance?

It is depended upon the speed of the horse, when it does run, regardless of that whether it is light cavalry or heavy cavalry?
(the armor does not affect the cavalry charge).

It must of course be used a spear, or a lance, rather than a short weapon like sword.

The length of the lance does determine the reach of the weapon, so that a two-handed lance will hit the enemy sooner,
but is the blow more powerful?

Could not any light cavalry have charged the enemy infantry, then retreated, and repeated it again?
(If the enemy infantry had already depleted all its javelins and would be unable to shoot down the light cavalry).

[kdrakak]

It is simple physics, but also common experience. Your conclusions as implied by your questions are all wrong. Except that light cavalry can repeat its charges. Speed, mass, equipment, horse breed, military training, even morale, all determine the impact.

[VikingPower]

Well, I do not know the difference between the impact of a racing horse or a normal horse... km per hour.
Like if it would matter if somebody got blown up by a cannon-fire or a missile? the extra explosion superfluous, death still guaranteed.
This is why I was wondering whether any non-encumbered horse could be just as lethal...

What about one-handed lance vs two-handed lance? Was it only for the extra reach, or could it also make the charge more powerful?
(like by going through the first target, and then to the person next from behind).

[Bodeni]

Mass x Speed= Force. bigger horses, bigger weapons make bigger crush. The question of morale and training of cavalry is also vital. A regular horse will, understandably, shy away from a large group of men, let alone armed and violent ones. Larger horses are also scarier for the infantry they face. As a reenactor myself, and having been at the receiving end of a charging horse (scripted mind you), I can tell you it's bloody terrifying. As for light cavalry, being without armour and with breeds designed for speed and stamina, will not want to engage in melee. Neither will their riders, if they have any sense.
To use your cannon vs missile analogy, the damage of the cannon is a simple high-speed impact, whereas the missile's explosives will affect a wide area. Bear in mind that "racing" horses are not bred for combat, there are few breeds today that are.
The two handed lance is not for extra reach, but extra power, it puts more momentum of horse and rider into the tip than a one handed lance. Late Medieval lances were one handed, but a world away in terms of design. As for going through multiple targets, unlikely but possible, probably more for piercing thick shields and armour. The impact of a charging horse and rider will be deadly to an open or disorganised formation, as people will be thrown to the floor and trampled. A strong, tight formation, even without pikes or spears, will fare much better. With a long lance and a big mount, you can turn that formation into a terrified and open one but, again, few horses will charge in this case. After a successful charge reorganising your cavalry, calming the horses and stopping your men from running down fleeing enemies is not easy so even a well trained unit couldn't do that repeatedly.
Light cavalry, being without armour and with breeds designed for speed and stamina, will not want to engage in melee. Neither will their riders, if they have any sense.
In the end it's so hard to figure out how battles were actually fought. We are forced to infer things from the designs of equipment/contemporary artwork/knowledge of physics.

[moonburn]

armour counts alot as it as been said massXspeed

the impact probably counted more on killing people then the spear itself an heavy set horse+armour could do 10 times more damage then a nimble horse at half the speed

[kdrakak]

Mass x Speed= Force.

That is actually wrong... but the rest is good.

[Ibrahim]

@Bodeni: when considering a horse charge, you do not need the mass of the horse itself when figuring out the strength of a blow from a lance (couched or not). you need only the velocity of the horse, plus the mass of the soldier and what he wears. the reason is because the trooper and lance act as one unit: the horse is another: the horseman is not glued to the horse, and is thus like a passenger in a car, or a kleenex box that just sits on the dash: he's going at the same speed as the horse, but he isn't actually part of the horse.

thus at impact, only the horseman (and his lance) is affected, not the horse (in fact, you can see any example of a guy jousting at the tilts to see what I'm talking about: the man recoils, but the horse isn't slowed down). It's like the kleenex box that flies forward and smacks your head when you slam the breaks: if the mass of the car mattered, you'd be dead. And in case you're wondering: saddles don't make much of a difference here: the same result occurs with or without it (the best thing I can compare its function to here is like a seat-belt, but even then it isn't all that accurate, since it isn't really necessary--it just makes it easier).

that is why people didn't use drought horses for cavalry: they didn't need the mass, but the velocity. Drought horses just aren't fast enough. Heavy warhorses were heavy (not as much as Droughts though), mostly to carry the guy on top, plus all the equipment he wears. it also looks quite formidable. the only time the horse's mass matters is when it stops before a line, and is used to go through it "by its breast", but even then, it's at most at the trot (yes, you can train a horse to do that: no, it isn't easy, and it really just works with Stallions: there's a documentary by Mike Loades about shield-walls (weapons that made Britain Episode 4,) that shows him doing that). however horses will (usually--there are exceptions) not just gallop or canter into a line of soldiers.