What difference was there between mounted infantry and light cavalry?
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot with muskets or rifles. The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mounted_infantry Light cavalry refers to lightly armed and armoured troops mounted on horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, in which the riders are heavily-armoured. Its chief purpose is scouting, reconnaissance, screening, skirmishing, and raiding.