^I tend to agree.
The problem is not the power and strength of a horse in warband and never has been. In cRPG they are weaker than ever.
The problem is how simple they are to control while fighting. They don't bolt, buck, kick or panic. Shield skill should be pretty important for cav as well increasing the build penalty to cav builds. So maybe if lances couldn't manual block or a penalized blocking system using block stun (on horseback) and riders could be thrown from their horse without the horse being killed. Than horses could be much stronger and be used in a sensible way.
The fact that i can roll 21/15 polearm cav and pay no real melee penalty is unbelievable. 1H shield cav is a much more compromised build losing IF and WM/ath. Pressuring cav into sacrificing some melee capability is a fair trade of for stronger horses.
also see...
http://forum.meleegaming.com/suggestions-corner/1-5-slot-items/