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Originally Posted by Kath
People keep saying that the Rohirrim have not had any practice and while this is true in terms of recent history if you look at their past they are a warlike race. Go back to Eorl the Young and all the old heroes of their race and then look at all the history they keep up with. Like the Golden Hall with all its tapestries and statues. Though the Rohirrim are a younger race than the Gondorians and have not had such drastic problems with the orcs it is unfair to say that they aren't as good. They are just in a different form. The Gondorians are good at hand to hand combat with other people (or orcs) at the smae level.
The Rohirrim are cavalry, their main force is in their charge which is very effective (as seen in the film) and they can fight on foot though they would prefer horses.
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While it is true that the Rohirrim are a formidable force, they have more of a Carolingian style of mounted combat rather than a medieval one; spears held over-hand or thrown, rather than couched (clamped under the arm). It can be reasonably assumed that the Dol Amroth knights, who seem to be heavy cavalry, would charge in a more solid wall, with couched lances.
At any rate, I think it all comes down to leadership on the larger scale. A Gondorian soldier would have the advantage over a Rohirrim on foot, in terms of superior height, armor and their (presumably rigorous) continous state of training for warfare. In terms of armies, leadership and tactics will determine the outcome. I've no doubt the Rohirrim could easily overwhelm any force the orcs could throw at them, or a poorly organized Gondorian force, but conversely, a well-led Gondorian force could effectively counter a Rohirrim cavalry charge very effectively with phalanxes of spearmen and massed archers.