The carbine was originally developed for cavalry. The start of early modern warfare about the 16th century had infantry armed with firearms, prompting cavalry to do the same, even though reloading muzzle loading firearms while moving mounted was highly impractical.Black, Jeremy, Cambridge Illustrated Atlas, Warfare: Renaissance to Revolution, 1492–1792, (Cambridge University Press|page=1996) Some cavalry, such as the German Reiters, added one or more pistols, while other cavalry, such as harquebusiers, tried various shorter, lightened versions of the infantry arquebus weapons – the first carbines. But these weapons were still difficult to reload while mounted, and the saber often remained main weapon of such cavalry. Dragoons and other mounted infantry that dismounted for battles usually adopted standard infantry firearms, though some favored versions that were less encumbering when riding – something that could be arranged to hang clear of the rider's elbows and horse's legs.
The carbine was originally developed for cavalry The start of early modern warfare about the 16th century had infantry armed with firearms prompting cavalry to do the same even though reloading muzzle loading firearms while moving mounted was highly impracticalBlack Jeremy Cambridge Illustrated Atlas Warfare Renaissance to Revolution 1492–1792 (Cambridge University Press|page=1996) Some cavalry such as the German Reiters added one or more pistols while other cavalry such as harquebusiers tried various shorter lightened versions of the infantry arquebus weapons – the first carbines But these weapons were still difficult to reload while mounted and the saber often remained main weapon of such cavalry Dragoons and other mounted infantry that dismounted for battles usually adopted standard infantry firearms though some favored versions that were less encumbering when riding – something that could be arranged to hang clear of the rider's elbows and horse's legs