Petyhorcy
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Petyhorcy (singular: Petyhorzec, Latin: pientho-horcensis,[1] Lithuanian: Petihorai[2]) was a type of regular medium-armoured light cavalry exclusively in the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army during the 17th and 18th centuries.[2] The petyhorcy are viewed as the Lithuanian equivalent of the Polish Armoured Companion,[3] or as a cavalry type that was between the Winged Hussars and the Armoured Companion.[4] They were organised in Banners.[2] Originally, the Petyhorcy were spear-armed cavalry from Circassia.[5]
The Petyhorcy were supposed to finish off and defeat the enemy line that was breached by the Winged Hussars.[2] While the Winged Hussars were more prestigious, the Petyhorcy enjoyed high reputation, hence their banner's rotmistras were frequently high-ranking officials.[2] In fact, the Petyhorcy developed in the late 16th-century from the mounted shooters who protected the hussars.[6]