Or we could do as I suggested and burf horses. Nerf maneuver and speed, buff HP. Fuck around with the prices, particularly with the over priced metal horses (except charger, which is a god among horses).
Slower horses with less maneuver will remain somewhat vulnerable to archers and infantry in general, no? I didn't say buff ARMOR for the mid-low tier horses, I said buff HP. High armor is what makes the tank-horses immune to arrows, not high HP. Normal horses would still fear ranged weapons, but wouldn't go down in like three fucking shots. Polearm users could still stop incoming horsies. It will not be as if every single horse is a tank, because a majority of horses would retain their SQUISHINESS and lack of armor.
That's where the high-tier horses come in--the ones with armor. They would be more survivable, and, of course, more expensive (and slightyl slower) than the other horses. Alas, I feel that the current prices make using the metal horses rather painful. And yes, I know that you shouldn't be able to ride around on a mamluk and not have to pay for it, anybody who points this out is a fucking idiot. Everybody knows this, it's blaringly obvious. It's too expensive right now, though, especially when you can do much better with a jet-propelled horse.