The Sotho people, or Basotho of Lesotho made considerable use of cavalry.
Horses don’t seem to have been introduced to southern Africa in any noteworthy number until the 17th century through the Europeans. Once in the region though, horses were quickly adopted by the Sotho through war and trade.
The Sotho developed the Basuto Pony from the Cape Horse. These Basuto horses are small and stocky, but sure-footed and well adapted to the hilly landscapes of Basutoland.
They were used in the Free State-Basotho Wars (1858-1868) and the Basuto Gun War (1880-1881), in which the Sotho employed guerrilla tactics with mixed success.
Although they lost much of their territory, the Sotho wore down the Cape Colony forces to the point that Basutoland was separated from the Cape Colony, becoming a Crown Colony with a relatively high degree of internal autonomy instead. The Sotho kingdom today is known as the Kingdom of Lesotho.
