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89-492: A carabiner or karabiner ( / ˌ k ær ə ˈ b iː n ər / ), often shortened to biner or to crab , colloquially known as a ( climbing ) clip , is a specialized type of shackle , a metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used to quickly and reversibly connect components, most notably in safety-critical systems. The word comes from the German Karabiner , short for Karabinerhaken , meaning " carbine hook," as

178-703: A breed of large horses was bred in the Nisaean plain in Media to carry men with increasing amounts of armour (Herodotus 7,40 & 9,20), but large horses were still very exceptional at this time. By the fourth century BC the Chinese during the Warring States period (403–221 BC) began to use cavalry against rival states, and by 331 BC when Alexander the Great defeated the Persians

267-479: A chain shackle , D-shackles are narrow shackles shaped like a loop of chain, usually with a pin or threaded pin closure. D-shackles are very common and most other shackle types are a variation of the D-shackle. The small loop can take high loads primarily in line. Side and racking loads may twist or bend a D-shackle. This longer version of a D-shackle is used to attach halyards to sails , especially sails fitted with

356-503: A headboard such as on Bermuda rigged boats. Headboard shackles are often stamped from flat strap stainless steel, and feature an additional pin between the top of the loop and the bottom so the headboard does not chafe the spliced eye of the halyard. A pin shackle is closed with an anchor bolt and cotter pin, in a manner similar to a clevis . It is for this reason they are often referred to, in industrial jargon, as clevises . Pin shackles can be inconvenient to work with, at times, as

445-718: A 90° twist so the top of the loop is perpendicular to the pin. One of the uses for this shackle include attaching the jib halyard block to the mast , or the jib halyard to the sail, to reduce twist on the luff and allow the sail to set better. Modern strong fibers such as PBO ( IUPAC name: poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole), aramids ( Kevlar , Technora , Twaron ), Vectran , carbon fibers , ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, Dyneema, Spectra) and other synthetic fibers are used to make extra strong ropes which can also be tied into lockable loops called soft shackles . According to sailmagazine.com, "a soft shackle can handle just about every function performed by

534-653: A belt attachment and swivel joint, much like a modern luggage strap or handbag strap. The load bearing latch was added in the 1790s, for the British cavalry design. They were used for many other purposes during the 19th century, such as for luggage straps, mining and connecting ropes. Some common designs first appeared during that time, including S-carabiners. Oval links, which had also appeared in 1485, also reappeared as carabiners. Screw gates and internal springs were developed. Prussian fire brigades began to use carabiners for connecting themselves to ladders in 1847, and this became

623-599: A carabiner) were depicted by Nuremberg patrician Martin Löffelholz von Kolberg in about 1505 in the Codex Löffelholz, in the Holy Roman Empire. These then became the clip used to hold a cavalry carbine or arquebus , with the earliest known mention of them being in 1616 by Johann Jacob von Wallhausen, in the Holy Roman Empire. They were widely used in many European countries during the 17th century, and typically had

712-420: A cross-hole in the threaded end a cotter pin can be used. One disadvantage of wire is that mousing can introduce galvanic corrosion because of material differences; it is especially bad when used in places where the shackle is exposed to air and water. Nylon is not recommended for use where significant movement of the shackle is expected. A twist shackle is usually somewhat longer than the average, and features

801-610: A fearsome heavy cavalry force. King Gwanggaeto the Great often led expeditions into the Baekje , Gaya confederacy , Buyeo , Later Yan and against Japanese invaders with his cavalry. In the 12th century, Jurchen tribes began to violate the Goryeo–Jurchen borders, and eventually invaded Goryeo Korea. After experiencing invasion by the Jurchen, Korean general Yun Kwan realized that Goryeo lacked efficient cavalry units. He reorganized

890-403: A liberal coating of lanolin or a heavy grease is not out of place on any and all threads. A shackle key or metal marlinspike are useful tools for loosening a tight nut . For safety, it is common to mouse a threaded shackle to keep the pin from coming loose. This is done by looping mousing wire or a nylon zip tie through the hole in the pin and around the shackle body. For pins that have

979-403: A lighter weight than those used in commercial applications and rope rescue. Often referred to as carabiner-style or as mini-carabiners, carabiner keyrings and other light-use clips of similar style and design have also become popular. Most are stamped with a "not for climbing" or similar warning due to a common lack of load-testing and safety standards in manufacturing. While any metal link with

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1068-452: A long tradition of intense military exchange between Han Chinese infantry forces of the settled dynastic empires and the mounted nomads or "barbarians" of the north. The naval history of China was centered more to the south, where mountains, rivers, and large lakes necessitated the employment of a large and well-kept navy . In 307 BC, King Wuling of Zhao , the ruler of the former state of Jin , ordered his commanders and troops to adopt

1157-487: A member of a social and martial elite, able to meet the considerable expenses required by his role from grants of land and other incomes. Xiongnu , Tujue , Avars , Kipchaks , Khitans , Mongols , Don Cossacks and the various Turkic peoples are also examples of the horse-mounted groups that managed to gain substantial successes in military conflicts with settled agrarian and urban societies, due to their strategic and tactical mobility. As European states began to assume

1246-582: A metal shackle, in many cases better. Soft shackles articulate better, don’t rattle around when not under load, don’t chew up toe rails or beat up masts and decks, don’t hurt when they whack you on the head, are easier to undo and don’t have pins that fall overboard at a critical moment". A modern rope can lift as heavy loads as a steel wire 3 times as thick and much heavier. Metal shackles may be preferred because soft shackles can be cut by sharp edges, burned, or deteriorate in some environments. One disadvantage of soft shackles made of Dyneema and other modern fibers

1335-489: A rope, webbing sling, or other hardware. Rock climbers frequently connect two non-locking carabiners with a short length of webbing to create a quickdraw (an extender). Two gate types are common: Both solid and wire gate carabiners can be either "straight gate" or "bent gate". Bent-gate carabiners are easier to clip a rope into using only one hand, and so are often used for the rope-end carabiner of quickdraws and alpine draws used for lead climbing . Locking carabiners have

1424-473: A sailor's harness tether or to attach spinnaker sheets . Note: When this type of shackle is used to release a significant load, it will work rather poorly (hard to release) and is likely to have the pin assembly or the split ring fail. The pin is threaded and one leg of the shackle is tapped . The pin may be captive , which means it is mated to the shackle, usually with a wire. The threads may gall if overtightened or have been corroding in salty air, so

1513-411: A shot from distance. In the interwar period many cavalry units were converted into motorized infantry and mechanized infantry units, or reformed as tank troops. The cavalry tank or cruiser tank was one designed with a speed and purpose beyond that of infantry tanks and would subsequently develop into the main battle tank . Nonetheless, some cavalry still served during World War II (notably in

1602-449: A spring-loaded gate is technically a carabiner, the strict usage among the climbing community specifically refers only to devices manufactured and tested for load-bearing in safety-critical systems like rock and mountain climbing, typically rated to 20  kN or more. Carabiners on hot-air balloons are used to connect the envelope to the basket and are rated at 2.5, 3, or 4 tonnes. Load-bearing screw-gate carabiners are used to connect

1691-463: Is Yabusame (流鏑馬), a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special "turnip-headed" arrows successively at three wooden targets. This style of archery has its origins at the beginning of the Kamakura period. Minamoto no Yoritomo became alarmed at the lack of archery skills his samurai had. He organized yabusame as a form of practice. Currently,

1780-420: Is a fast action fastener which can be implemented single-handedly. It uses a spring-activated locking mechanism to close a hinged shackle, and can be unfastened under load. This is a potential safety hazard, but can also be extremely useful at times. The snap shackle is not as secure as any other form of shackle, but can come in handy for temporary uses or in situations which must be moved or replaced often, such as

1869-402: Is a voluntary consensus standard. This standard requires that all connectors/ carabiners support a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of 5,000 lbf (22 kN) and feature an auto-locking gate mechanism which supports a minimum breaking strength (MBS) of 3,600 lbf (16 kN). The first known hooks that had a sprung, hinged gate where the spring kept it closed (characteristics expected of

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1958-530: Is the psychological impact a mounted soldier can inflict on an opponent. The speed, mobility, and shock value of cavalry was greatly valued and exploited in warfare during the Ancient and Medieval eras. Some hosts were mostly cavalry, particularly in nomadic societies of Asia , notably the Huns of Attila and the later Mongol armies . In Europe, cavalry became increasingly armoured (heavy), and eventually evolving into

2047-440: Is their susceptibility to be weakened by heat, also heat caused by friction. It is advisable to subject it to medium level loads for a while to remove any slack that may cause friction heat when loaded to its maximum. The stopping knot of a soft shackle may be a true lover's knot , a diamond knot , a double line celtic button knot or a chinese button knot (ABOK #600, ABOK #601, ABOK #603 doubled as one tail-end reverse-trails

2136-598: The Battle of Carrhae , the Romans learned the importance of large cavalry formations from the Parthians . At the same time heavy spears and shields modelled on those favoured by the horsemen of the Greek city-states were adopted to replace the lighter weaponry of early Rome. These improvements in tactics and equipment reflected those of a thousand years earlier when the first Iranians to reach

2225-632: The Dayuan for this reason, since the Dayuan were hoarding a massive amount of tall, strong, Central Asian bred horses in the Hellenized – Greek region of Fergana (established slightly earlier by Alexander the Great ). Although experiencing some defeats early on in the campaign, Emperor Wu's war from 104 BC to 102 BC succeeded in gathering the prized tribute of horses from Fergana. Cavalry tactics in China were enhanced by

2314-617: The Hellas . Similarly, the men of the Mountain Land from north of Kabul -River equivalent to medieval Kohistan (Pakistan), figure in the army of Darius III against Alexander at Arbela , providing a cavalry force and 15 elephants. This obviously refers to Kamboja cavalry south of Hindukush. The Kambojas were famous for their horses, as well as cavalrymen ( asva-yuddha-Kushalah ). On account of their supreme position in horse (Ashva) culture, they were also popularly known as Ashvakas , i.e.

2403-450: The Ippiko (or "Horserider"), Greek "heavy" cavalry, armed with kontos (or cavalry lance), and sword. These wore leather armour or mail plus a helmet. They were medium rather than heavy cavalry, meaning that they were better suited to be scouts, skirmishers, and pursuers rather than front line fighters. The effectiveness of this combination of cavalry and infantry helped to break enemy lines and

2492-573: The Iranian Plateau forced the Assyrians to undertake similar reform. Nonetheless, the Romans would continue to rely mainly on their heavy infantry supported by auxiliary cavalry. In the army of the late Roman Empire , cavalry played an increasingly important role. The Spatha , the classical sword throughout most of the 1st millennium was adopted as the standard model for the Empire's cavalry forces. By

2581-523: The Jaina work Parishishtaparvan refer to Chandragupta 's ( c.  320 BC – c.  298 BC ) alliance with Himalayan king Parvataka . The Himalayan alliance gave Chandragupta a formidable composite army made up of the cavalry forces of the Shakas, Yavanas, Kambojas, Kiratas, Parasikas and Bahlikas as attested by Mudra-Rakashas (Mudra-Rakshasa 2). These hordes had helped Chandragupta Maurya defeat

2670-690: The Kambojas . These hardy tribes had offered stubborn resistance to Alexander ( c.  326 BC ) during latter's campaign of the Kabul, Kunar and Swat valleys and had even extracted the praise of the Alexander's historians. These highlanders, designated as "parvatiya Ayudhajivinah" in Pāṇini's Astadhyayi, were rebellious, fiercely independent and freedom-loving cavalrymen who never easily yielded to any overlord. The Sanskrit drama Mudra-rakashas by Visakha Dutta and

2759-806: The Red Army , the Mongolian People's Army , the Royal Italian Army , the Royal Hungarian Army , the Romanian Army , the Polish Land Forces , and German light reconnaissance units within the Waffen SS ). Most cavalry units that are horse-mounted in modern armies serve in purely ceremonial roles, or as mounted infantry in difficult terrain such as mountains or heavily forested areas. Modern usage of

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2848-619: The Sintashta-Petrovka culture in Central Asia and spread by nomadic or semi-nomadic Indo-Iranians . The chariot was quickly adopted by settled peoples both as a military technology and an object of ceremonial status, especially by the pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Egypt from 1550 BC as well as the Assyrian army and Babylonian royalty. The power of mobility given by mounted units

2937-434: The diver's umbilical to the surface supplied diver's harness. They are usually rated for a safe working load of 5 kN or more (equivalent to a weight in excess of approximately 500 kg). Carabiners come in four characteristic shapes: Carabiners fall into three broad locking categories: non-locking, manual locking, and auto locking. Non-locking carabiners (or snap-links ) have a sprung swinging gate that accepts

3026-431: The samurai aristocracy led to the development of armoured horse archers, themselves to develop into charging lancer cavalry as gunpowder weapons rendered bows obsolete. Japanese cavalry was largely made up of landowners who would be upon a horse to better survey the troops they were called upon to bring to an engagement, rather than traditional mounted warfare seen in other cultures with massed cavalry units. An example

3115-566: The trousers of the nomads as well as practice the nomads' form of mounted archery to hone their new cavalry skills. The adoption of massed cavalry in China also broke the tradition of the chariot -riding Chinese aristocracy in battle, which had been in use since the ancient Shang dynasty ( c.  1600 –1050 BC). By this time large Chinese infantry-based armies of 100,000 to 200,000 troops were now buttressed with several hundred thousand mounted cavalry in support or as an effective striking force. The handheld pistol-and-trigger crossbow

3204-656: The "horsemen" and their land was known as "Home of Horses". They are the Assakenoi and Aspasioi of the Classical writings, and the Ashvakayanas and Ashvayanas in Pāṇini 's Ashtadhyayi . The Assakenoi had faced Alexander with 30,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry and 30 war elephants. Scholars have identified the Assakenoi and Aspasioi clans of Kunar and Swat valleys as a section of

3293-449: The 1910s has no basis in fact. He used them for some challenging climbs and some new techniques at a time when such "artificial aids" were still controversial in mountain climbing, but he did not invent them or develop any designs, and he was born long after other climbers were already using carabiners. During the 1920s many designs were used by mountain climbers, such as gourd-shaped, oval or elliptical, mostly sold for general hardware. By

3382-458: The 6th century these had evolved into lengthy straight weapons influenced by Persian and other eastern patterns. Other specialist weapons during this period included javelins, long reaching lancers, axes and maces. The most widespread employment of heavy cavalry at this time was found in the forces of the Iranian empires, the Parthians and their Persian Sasanian successors. Both, but especially

3471-520: The Goryeo military into a professional army that would contain decent and well-trained cavalry units. In 1107, the Jurchen were ultimately defeated, and surrendered to Yun Kwan. To mark the victory, General Yun built nine fortresses to the northeast of the Goryeo–Jurchen borders (동북 9성, 東北 九城). The ancient Japanese of the Kofun period also adopted cavalry and equine culture by the 5th century AD. The emergence of

3560-605: The Kamboja cavalry frequently played role in ancient wars. V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar writes: "Both the Puranas and the epics agree that the horses of the Sindhu and Kamboja regions were of the finest breed, and that the services of the Kambojas as cavalry troopers were utilised in ancient wars". J.A.O.S. writes: "Most famous horses are said to come either from Sindhu or Kamboja; of the latter (i.e.

3649-680: The Kamboja cavalry had also formed part of the Gurjara-Pratihara armed forces from the eighth to the 10th centuries AD. They had come to Bengal with the Pratiharas when the latter conquered part of the province. Ancient Kambojas organised military sanghas and shrenis (corporations) to manage their political and military affairs, as Arthashastra of Kautiliya as well as the Mahabharata record. They are described as Ayuddha-jivi or Shastr-opajivis (nations-in-arms), which also means that

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3738-661: The Kamboja), the Indian epic Mahabharata speaks among the finest horsemen". The Mahabharata speaks of the esteemed cavalry of the Kambojas, Sakas, Yavanas and Tusharas , all of whom had participated in the Kurukshetra war under the supreme command of Kamboja ruler Sudakshin Kamboj . Mahabharata and Vishnudharmottara Purana pay especial attention to the Kambojas, Yavansa, Gandharas etc. being ashva.yuddha.kushalah (expert cavalrymen). In

3827-706: The Mahabharata war, the Kamboja cavalry along with that of the Sakas, Yavanas is reported to have been enlisted by the Kuru king Duryodhana of Hastinapura . Herodotus ( c.  484 – c.  425 BC ) attests that the Gandarian mercenaries (i.e. Gandharans/Kambojans of Gandari Strapy of Achaemenids ) from the 20th strapy of the Achaemenids were recruited in the army of emperor Xerxes I (486–465 BC), which he led against

3916-585: The ability to close in on their opponents; and finally those whose equipment allowed them to fight either on horseback or foot. The role of horsemen did however remain secondary to that of the hoplites or heavy infantry who comprised the main strength of the citizen levies of the various city states. Cavalry played a relatively minor role in ancient Greek city-states , with conflicts decided by massed armored infantry. However, Thebes produced Pelopidas , their first great cavalry commander, whose tactics and skills were absorbed by Philip II of Macedon when Philip

4005-621: The appearance of new, larger breeds of horses. The replacement of the Roman saddle by variants on the Scythian model, with pommel and cantle, was also a significant factor as was the adoption of stirrups and the concomitant increase in stability of the rider's seat. Armored cataphracts began to be deployed in Eastern Europe and the Near East, following the precedents established by Persian forces, as

4094-474: The back of a horse was much more difficult than mere riding. The cavalry acted in pairs; the reins of the mounted archer were controlled by his neighbour's hand. Even at this early time, cavalry used swords, shields, spears, and bows. The sculpture implies two types of cavalry, but this might be a simplification by the artist. Later images of Assyrian cavalry show saddle cloths as primitive saddles, allowing each archer to control his own horse. As early as 490 BC

4183-593: The best places to see yabusame performed are at the Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura and Shimogamo Shrine in Kyoto (during Aoi Matsuri in early May). It is also performed in Samukawa and on the beach at Zushi, as well as other locations. Kasagake or Kasakake (笠懸, かさがけ lit. "hat shooting") is a type of Japanese mounted archery. In contrast to yabusame, the types of targets are various and the archer shoots without stopping

4272-407: The bolt will need to be secured to the shackle body to avoid its loss, usually with a split pin or seizing wire. A more secure version used in crane rigging features the combination of a securing nut (hardware) located alongside the cotter pin. Pin shackles are practical in many rigging applications where the anchor bolt is expected to experience some rotation. As the name implies, a snap shackle

4361-505: The cavalry is known by a number of designations depending on era and tactics, such as a cavalryman , horseman , trooper , cataphract , knight , drabant , hussar , uhlan , mamluk , cuirassier , lancer , dragoon , samurai or horse archer . The designation of cavalry was not usually given to any military forces that used other animals or platforms for mounts, such as chariots , camels or elephants . Infantry who moved on horseback, but dismounted to fight on foot, were known in

4450-551: The character of bureaucratic nation-states supporting professional standing armies, recruitment of these mounted warriors was undertaken in order to fill the strategic roles of scouts and raiders. The best known instance of the continued employment of mounted tribal auxiliaries were the Cossack cavalry regiments of the Russian Empire . In Eastern Europe , and out onto the steppes , cavalry remained important much longer and dominated

4539-446: The device was used by carabiniers to attach their carbines to their belts. Carabiners are widely used in rope-intensive activities such as climbing , fall arrest systems , arboriculture , caving , sailing , hot-air ballooning , rope rescue , construction , industrial rope work , window cleaning , whitewater rescue , and acrobatics . They are predominantly made from both steel and aluminium. Those used in sports tend to be of

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4628-413: The early 17th to the early 18th century as dragoons , a class of mounted infantry which in most armies later evolved into standard cavalry while retaining their historic designation. Cavalry had the advantage of improved mobility, and a soldier fighting from horseback also had the advantages of greater height, speed, and inertial mass over an opponent on foot. Another element of horse mounted warfare

4717-402: The early 1930s, carabiners were being sold for climbing, oval designs being the most popular. During this decade, hardened steel carabiners appeared and the first aluminium carabiner prototypes were made by Pierre Allain, although they were never sold. These were the first carabiners designed specifically for climbing and the first offset D-shaped carabiners. Aluminium carabiners were first sold to

4806-557: The eye around the neck of the button. Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word cavalerie , itself derived from cheval meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback . Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms , operating as light cavalry in the roles of reconnaissance , screening , and skirmishing , or as heavy cavalry for decisive economy of force and shock attacks . An individual soldier in

4895-626: The former, were famed for the cataphract (fully armored cavalry armed with lances) even though the majority of their forces consisted of lighter horse archers . The West first encountered this eastern heavy cavalry during the Hellenistic period with further intensive contacts during the eight centuries of the Roman–Persian Wars . At first the Parthians' mobility greatly confounded the Romans, whose armoured close-order infantry proved unable to match

4984-468: The horse. While yabusame has been played as a part of formal ceremonies, kasagake has developed as a game or practice of martial arts, focusing on technical elements of horse archery. In the Indian subcontinent, cavalry played a major role from the Gupta dynasty (320–600) period onwards. India has also the oldest evidence for the introduction of toe- stirrups . Indian literature contains numerous references to

5073-436: The invention of the saddle-attached stirrup by at least the 4th century, as the oldest reliable depiction of a rider with paired stirrups was found in a Jin dynasty tomb of the year 322 AD. The Chinese invention of the horse collar by the 5th century was also a great improvement from the breast harness, allowing the horse to haul greater weight without heavy burden on its skeletal structure. The horse warfare of Korea

5162-491: The main striking force of the armies in contrast to the earlier roles of cavalry as scouts, raiders, and outflankers. The late-Roman cavalry tradition of organized units in a standing army differed fundamentally from the nobility of the Germanic invaders—individual warriors who could afford to provide their own horses and equipment. While there was no direct linkage with these predecessors the early medieval knight also developed as

5251-569: The military in 1941, which were the first commercial carabiners designed specifically for climbing. Slightly offset D-shaped carabiners were sold in the late 1940s, which became the standard offset D-shape (which is now the most common) in the 1950s. Chouinard Equipment introduced the 22 kN aluminium carabiner in 1968, though this strength had already been far surpassed by steel carabiners. Wiregate carabiners were first patented in 1969, and were sold for maritime use. They were first sold for climbing in 1996. The popular keylock, which avoids snagging,

5340-513: The modern gourd-shaped design by 1868. German and Austrian mountaineers started using them during the late 19th century, with a mention of their use from 1879, and their continued use for climbing by climbers in Saxon Switzerland. The majority used gourd shaped carabiners which were created for mining or other utility purposes. The common myth suggesting that mountaineering carabiners were invented or made by German climber Otto "Rambo" Herzog in

5429-520: The mount and rider . Heavy cavalry, such as Byzantine cataphracts and knights of the Early Middle Ages in Europe, were used as shock troops, charging the main body of the enemy at the height of a battle; in many cases their actions decided the outcome of the battle, hence the later term battle cavalry . Light cavalry, such as horse archers , hussars , and Cossack cavalry, were assigned all

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5518-433: The mounted knights of the medieval period. During the 17th century, cavalry in Europe discarded most of its armor, which was ineffective against the muskets and cannons that were coming into common use, and by the mid-18th century armor had mainly fallen into obsolescence, although some regiments retained a small thickened cuirass that offered protection against lances, sabres, and bayonets; including some protection against

5607-600: The mounted warriors of the Central Asian horse nomads, notably the Sakas , Kambojas , Yavanas , Pahlavas and Paradas . Numerous Puranic texts refer to a conflict in ancient India (16th century BC) in which the horsemen of five nations, called the "Five Hordes" ( pañca.ganan ) or Kṣatriya hordes ( Kṣatriya ganah ), attacked and captured the state of Ayudhya by dethroning its Vedic King Bahu The Mahabharata , Ramayana , numerous Puranas and some foreign sources attest that

5696-506: The north, on the other hand, developed a strong cavalry force that culminated in the hetairoi ( Companion cavalry ) of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great . In addition to these heavy cavalry, the Macedonian army also employed lighter horsemen called prodromoi for scouting and screening, as well as the Macedonian pike phalanx and various kinds of light infantry . There were also

5785-425: The numerous roles that were ill-suited to more narrowly-focused heavy forces. This includes scouting , deterring enemy scouts, foraging , raiding , skirmishing , pursuit of retreating enemy forces, screening of retreating friendly forces, linking separated friendly forces, and countering enemy light forces in all these same roles. Light and heavy cavalry roles continued through early modern warfare , but armor

5874-401: The other, emerging tail-ends preferably buried in the opposing main part as it emerges together from the knot for Chinese finger trap attachment). Another preferred stopping knot is a two rope combined wall+crown+wall+crown knot (a two string rose knot ). The latter ones with the added thickness of the returning tail ends have the advantage of less of a sharp curvature at their weakest spot,

5963-633: The rise of true cavalry, were an innovation of equestrian nomads of the Eurasian Steppe and pastoralist tribes such as the Iranic Parthians and Sarmatians . Together with a core of armoured lancers, these were predominantly horse archers using the Parthian shot tactic. The photograph straight above shows Assyrian cavalry from reliefs of 865–860 BC. At this time, the men had no spurs , saddles , saddle cloths , or stirrups . Fighting from

6052-515: The ruler of Magadha and placed Chandragupta on the throne, thus laying the foundations of Mauryan dynasty in Northern India. The cavalry of Hunas and the Kambojas is also attested in the Raghu Vamsa epic poem of Sanskrit poet Kalidasa . Raghu of Kalidasa is believed to be Chandragupta II ( Vikaramaditya ) (375–413/15 AD), of the well-known Gupta dynasty . As late as the mediaeval era,

6141-606: The same general shape as non-locking carabiners, but have an additional mechanism securing the gate to prevent unintentional opening during use. These mechanisms may be either threaded sleeves ("screw-lock"), spring-loaded sleeves ("twist-lock"), magnetic levers ("Magnetron"), other spring loaded unlocking levers or opposing double spring loaded gates ("twin-gate"). American National Standards Institute / American Society of Safety Engineers standard ANSI Z359.1-2007 Safety Requirement for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems and Components , section 3.2.1.4 (for snap hooks and carabiners)

6230-402: The scene of warfare until the early 17th century and even beyond, as the strategic mobility of cavalry was crucial for the semi-nomadic pastoralist lives that many steppe cultures led. Tibetans also had a tradition of cavalry warfare, in several military engagements with the Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). Further east, the military history of China , specifically northern China , held

6319-577: The southern Britons met Julius Caesar with chariots in 55 and 54 BC , but by the time of the Roman conquest of Britain a century later chariots were obsolete, even in Britannia. The last mention of chariot use in Britain was by the Caledonians at the Mons Graupius , in 84 AD. During the classical Greek period cavalry were usually limited to those citizens who could afford expensive war-horses. Three types of cavalry became common: light cavalry, whose riders, armed with javelins , could harass and skirmish; heavy cavalry, whose troopers, using lances , had

6408-464: The speed of the Parthians. However, later the Romans would successfully adapt such heavy armor and cavalry tactics by creating their own units of cataphracts and clibanarii . The decline of the Roman infrastructure made it more difficult to field large infantry forces, and during the 4th and 5th centuries cavalry began to take a more dominant role on the European battlefield, also in part made possible by

6497-472: The status of being a cavalryman. As the class grew to be more of a social elite instead of a functional property-based military grouping, the Romans began to employ Italian socii for filling the ranks of their cavalry. The weakness of Roman cavalry was demonstrated by Hannibal Barca during the Second Punic War where he used his superior mounted forces to win several battles. The most notable of these

6586-455: The term cavalry is still used, referring in modern times to units continuing to fulfill the traditional light cavalry roles, employing fast armored cars , light tanks , and infantry fighting vehicles instead of horses, while air cavalry employs helicopters . Before the Iron Age , the role of cavalry on the battlefield was largely performed by light chariots . The chariot originated with

6675-400: The term generally refers to units performing the role of reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (analogous to historical light cavalry) or main battle tank units (analogous to historical heavy cavalry). Historically, cavalry was divided into light cavalry and heavy cavalry . The differences were their roles in combat, the size of their mounts, and how much armor was worn by

6764-630: The tribal horsemen wholesale into their armies; and in yet other cases nomadic empires proved eager to enlist Chinese infantry and engineering, as in the case of the Mongol Empire and its sinicized part, the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368). The Chinese recognized early on during the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) that they were at a disadvantage in lacking the number of horses the northern nomadic peoples mustered in their armies. Emperor Wu of Han (r 141–87 BC) went to war with

6853-504: The unit was dismissed by Galba after the Batavian Rebellion . For the most part, Roman cavalry during the early Republic functioned as an adjunct to the legionary infantry and formed only one-fifth of the standing force comprising a consular army. Except in times of major mobilisation about 1,800 horsemen were maintained, with three hundred attached to each legion. The relatively low ratio of horsemen to infantry does not mean that

6942-409: The use of chariots in battle was obsolete in most nations; despite a few ineffective attempts to revive scythed chariots . The last recorded use of chariots as a shock force in continental Europe was during the Battle of Telamon in 225 BC. However, chariots remained in use for ceremonial purposes such as carrying the victorious general in a Roman triumph , or for racing. Outside of mainland Europe,

7031-442: The utility of cavalry should be underestimated, as its strategic role in scouting, skirmishing, and outpost duties was crucial to the Romans' capability to conduct operations over long distances in hostile or unfamiliar territory. On some occasions Roman cavalry also proved its ability to strike a decisive tactical blow against a weakened or unprepared enemy, such as the final charge at the Battle of Aquilonia . After defeats such as

7120-612: Was a guest-hostage in Thebes. Thessaly was widely known for producing competent cavalrymen, and later experiences in wars both with and against the Persians taught the Greeks the value of cavalry in skirmishing and pursuit. The Athenian author and soldier Xenophon in particular advocated the creation of a small but well-trained cavalry force; to that end, he wrote several manuals on horsemanship and cavalry operations. The Macedonian kingdom in

7209-470: Was developed around 1984–1987. Shackle A shackle is also the similarly shaped piece of metal used with a locking mechanism in padlocks . A carabiner is a type of shackle used in mountaineering . With a larger "O" shape to the loop, this shackle can take loads from many directions without developing as much side load . However, the larger shape to the loop does reduce its overall strength. Also referred to as an anchor shackle. Also known as

7298-460: Was first started during the ancient Korean kingdom Gojoseon . Since at least the 3rd century BC, there was influence of northern nomadic peoples and Yemaek peoples on Korean warfare. By roughly the first century BC, the ancient kingdom of Buyeo also had mounted warriors. The cavalry of Goguryeo , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea , were called Gaemamusa (개마무사, 鎧馬武士), and were renowned as

7387-438: Was however strong in most continental cavalry during peacetime and in these dismounted action continued to be regarded as a secondary function until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. With the development of armored warfare , the heavy cavalry role of decisive shock troops had been taken over by armored units employing medium and heavy tanks , and later main battle tanks . Despite horse-borne cavalry becoming obsolete,

7476-497: Was invented in China in the fourth century BC; it was written by the Song dynasty scholars Zeng Gongliang, Ding Du, and Yang Weide in their book Wujing Zongyao (1044 AD) that massed missile fire by crossbowmen was the most effective defense against enemy cavalry charges. On many occasions the Chinese studied nomadic cavalry tactics and applied the lessons in creating their own potent cavalry forces, while in others they simply recruited

7565-509: Was most dramatically demonstrated in Alexander's conquests of Persia , Bactria , and northwestern India. The cavalry in the early Roman Republic remained the preserve of the wealthy landed class known as the equites —men who could afford the expense of maintaining a horse in addition to arms and armor heavier than those of the common legions . Horses were provided by the Republic and could be withdrawn if neglected or misused, together with

7654-556: Was recognized early on, but was offset by the difficulty of raising large forces and by the inability of horses (then mostly small) to carry heavy armor . Nonetheless, there are indications that, from the 15th century BC onwards, horseback riding was practiced amongst the military elites of the great states of the ancient Near East, most notably those in Egypt , Assyria , the Hittite Empire , and Mycenaean Greece . Cavalry techniques, and

7743-408: Was reduced, with light cavalry mostly unarmored. Yet many cavalry units still retained cuirasses and helmets for their protective value against sword and bayonet strikes, and the morale boost these provide to the wearers, despite the actual armour giving little protection from firearms . By this time the main difference between light and heavy cavalry was in their training and weight; the former

7832-431: Was regarded as best suited for harassment and reconnaissance, while the latter was considered best for close-order charges. By the start of the 20th century, as total battlefield firepower increased, cavalry increasingly tended to become dragoons in practice, riding mounted between battles, but dismounting to fight as infantry, even though retaining unit names that reflected their older cavalry roles. Military conservatism

7921-570: Was the Battle of Cannae , where he inflicted a catastrophic defeat on the Romans. At about the same time the Romans began to recruit foreign auxiliary cavalry from among Gauls , Iberians , and Numidians , the last being highly valued as mounted skirmishers and scouts (see Numidian cavalry ). Julius Caesar had a high opinion of his escort of Germanic mixed cavalry, giving rise to the Cohortes Equitatae . Early emperors maintained an ala of Batavian cavalry as their personal bodyguards until

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