Thanks for all of that information kingscarbine. To what extent did those formations survive post 1580?
The Portuguese cavalry could make 1/4 of an army or garrison but the best part was lost in the ill fated 1578 Morocco expedition.
In 1549 people of “status” should have: high saddle, corselet with gorge, thigh and arm protections, sword and 20 palm lance; they could also have cuirasse and gineta (light cavalry/Moorish style) saddle instead; if they didn’t have corselet they should have arm protections or an adarga shield instead, plus full head protection.
In 1639 all the cavalry in the Kingdom of Algarve (Southern Portugal) was equipped with lance and adarga shield as in emergency situations they would support the North African garrisons, as in the 1562 siege of Mazagan.
There aren't any records of mounted arquebusiers prior to 1580. Neither the "Rules for horses and weapons" of D. João III (1549) nor the "Weapons Law" of D. Sebastião (1569) stipulated the use of firearms by the cavalry, although that practice was widespread in the Spanish army (the herreruelos and the harquebusiers made up to 1/5 of the Spanish cavalry in 1580). In 1613 the garrison of Mazagan had 60 mounted arquebusiers, as well as 60 ginetes so it's clear that by this date they were standard.
As to heavy cavalry the use continued well into the 17th century. There are records of their use in North Africa up until 1677 in Mazagan. The Acobertados could be up to 1/3 of the cavalry and the rest Ginetes.
During the 1580 Spanish invasion of continental Portugal and subsequent struggle for the Azores until 1583 the main cavalry available was provided mostly by towns and lesser nobility so the heavy cavalry was mounted on unbarded horses backed by light cavalry. The higher nobility was either pro Philip, bought or neutral. At the battle of Alcântara in 1580 even the Lisbon Moors volunteered a squadron.
Pikes level!
KC