Why did the heavy cavalry’s couched-lance technique arise in 11th C Europe, and not earlier?

What is it about?

Why did the couched-lance charge appear in the 11th century, and not earlier? And once it was introduced, it was adopted very quickly throughout western Europe. The stirrup cannot have been the (only) reason, since the stirrup was known for several centuries. Since none of the peoples western Europeans interacted with used the couched-lance charge, it cannot have been an imported technique. Also, it was not completely unknown in Europe - it is an intuitive technique, and was used in hunting, just not in warfare. Very probably, the spread of the technique has to do with developments in weaponry, especially the all-steel arming sword, and full-body mail.

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Why is it important?

The history of mounted warfare in Europe usually starts in the High Middle Ages, with the typical "knight" - whose fighting technique is the charge with the couched lance. This is portrayed as an irresistible, "steam-roller" phenomenon. It turns out, though, that the couched-lance technique did not fundamentally change the dynamics of mounted combat. The technique was more effective than the over- and under-hand lance thrusts used by early medieval cavalry, but it did not change the tactical landscape. At the same time as the introduction of the technique, military organisation, and therefore the responsibility for equipment and training, changed as well, with interesting implications.

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