Editing Spear (section)

=====Cavalry=====
Cavalry spears were originally the same as infantry spears and were often used with two hands or held with one hand overhead. In the 12th century, after the adoption of [[stirrup]]s and a high-cantled saddle, the spear became a decidedly more powerful weapon. A mounted knight would secure the [[lance]] by holding it with one hand and tucking it under the armpit (the ''couched lance'' technique)<ref>{{cite book |title=Medieval Warfare |last= Nicholson|first=Helen |year= 2004|publisher=Palgrave MacMillan |location=Basingstoke |isbn=978-0-333-76331-5|pages=102–3}}</ref> In combination with a [[lance rest]], this allowed all the momentum of the horse and knight to be focused on the weapon's tip, whilst still retaining accuracy and control. This use of the spear spurred the development of the [[lance]] as a distinct weapon that was perfected in the medieval sport of [[jousting]].<ref>* Sébastien Nadot, ''Rompez les lances ! Chevaliers et tournois au Moyen Age'', Paris, ed. Autrement, 2010. (''Couch your lances ! Knights and tournaments in the Middle Ages''...)</ref>

In the 14th century, tactical developments meant that knights and men-at-arms often fought on foot. This led to the practice of shortening the lance to about {{convert|5|ft|cm|abbr=on|order=flip|sigfig=2}} to make it more manageable.<ref>Nicholson (2004), p. 102</ref> As dismounting became commonplace, specialist polearms such as the [[pollaxe]] were adopted by knights and this practice ceased.<ref>Nicholson (2004), p101</ref>