Prussian cuirassiers were the followers of the great Reiters. They took over many duties from the Duke Mauritz van Oranje's cuirassiers.
Cuirassiers suffered a fall into decay along with the entire Prussian cavalry. The spirit of Friedrich II's great cavalry was still alive in them, but it had a bare semblance of its former might on the battlefield. Thus, before the beginning of the war with France, cuirasses were abolished in cuirassier units, outfitting soldiers with a quilted jacket instead.
The entire army suffered a lack of young and talented commanders, and those who served preferred to keep to the old tactics.
This type of cavalry was merely meant for frontal attacks. These mounted troops usually attacked in close order, leaving a short distance of five to six paces between the riders. This quite often led to great losses when horsemen came under enemy fire.
They preferred melee combat to fire-arms. Cuirassiers were armed with a broadsword and a brace of pistols, therefore their only possible firing option was at close range, when riders were fully involved in fierce melee combat. As a result, cuirassiers often used dragoons and chasseurs for support to direct fire on the enemy from long range, and preferred to attack in melee themselves.
After the Prussian defeat, only two cuirassier regiments were left.