Talk:Wyvern/@comment-74.103.21.244-20150516104122/@comment-27069434-20151013135216

Well, actually dragoons were more akin to modern combined arms/motorised infantry being well-versed in both mounted and dismounted combat, able to switch between the two on the fly, so to speak. The dismounted combat, however, soon fell out of favour, so dragoons are more remembered as a type of cavalry, not mobile infantry. Besides, dragoons was how punishment (not penal) squadrons - mounted, of course - were called, and being a fast-response hit-and-run oriented force they had to be able to strike mounted, suppress, scatter and pursue as well as dismount and flush out all who took cover in buildings, dense terrain and other emplacements where mounted warfare was impossible or unreasonable.