Republican cavalry was not automatically ineffective. The reputation becomes more complicated as Rome relies increasingly on other peoples to supply mounted formations. The battle then shows why circumstances matter: cavalry surrounded by infantry in a confined space loses its mobility and may endanger the general riding with it. Any assessment has to distinguish the Republican period from later practice and account for the ground on which cavalry fought.
Notable Point · 1:11:01-1:13:04
Roman Republican cavalry was not simply ineffective
Republican cavalry was not inherently poor, and even capable horsemen become vulnerable when infantry confines them in a tight space.