For three thousand years, cavalry was the main striking force on the battlefields. However, after 1917, not a single book on the history of cavalry was published in Russian. The proposed work is intended to fill this gap. Having analyzed many sources, as well as research by military historians of the 19th century, the author made an important conclusion: the tactics of combat use of cavalry have always and everywhere been determined by its organization, weapons and the nature of training. The book contains 100 drawings recreating the features of weapons, equipment and uniforms of cavalrymen of past eras. It is of significant interest to readers interested in issues of war hysteria.