"Their history began in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, when the heavy cavalry forces of the French Compagnies d´Ordonnance were undergoing a massive structural ...
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reorganization. Initially, the companies combined the gendarmes (fully armoured men-at-arms) along with lighter coutiliers and "archers" in the same mounted formation, with the better armoured men forming the foremost ranks. However, as time passed the lighter horsemen were increasingly separated into independent formations of "medium" cavalry, bearing lighter armour and much shorter lances than the gendarmes. These lighter formations eventually gained the name of chevau légers. A similar development also happened in the organization of the Austrian and Spanish cavalry with the growth of caballería ligera formations." - (en.wikipedia.org 19.11.2019)
