Taking Aim

About this time last year while I was still very much a newbie learning the basics of riding,  I discovered something that I have been wanting to do before I discovered endurance riding. Yes, before endurance.

Lajos Kassai, a lead proponent for Hungarian mounted archery

The annual Yabusame festival in Japan

Mounted archery is an ancient sport and mounted martial art that has been practiced for centuries. It seems to be more popular in areas of Europe and Asia, but there is a small but steadily growing group of mounted archers in the US who actively train and compete in Texas and along the west coast. Unfortunately the sport has not yet attained the same popularity on the east coast so local resources for information, lessons, and clinics have been sparse and lacking.

Not to be daunted though, I've been learning, reading, and digesting as much information as I can. Shooting a bow from horseback obviously requires a certain level of horsemanship and riding ability. There are different types competition courses involving a variety of target setups and track lengths. Beginners usually shoot at a walk- those just starting out are on lead lines, intermediate shoot at a trot, and advanced archers at the canter. All of this is obviously done without hands on the reins and communication with the horse is entirely leg, seat, and weight cues.When I started riding everything about mounted archery was very much beyond my abilities however as I've gotten more proficient on horseback, the fire has slowly been rekindling. I've been interested in doing archery for a very long time. I was introduced to it back in grade school gym class and really enjoyed it. Best of all this is something that I can eventually do with Quest. The more I've gotten to know her, the more I think she'd make a decent mounted archery partner with her smooth steady canter, great athletic abilities, and honest personality.

There is going to be a ton of work involved of course. I need hundreds of hours of practice on my own two feet first before doing anything mounted. Quest and I need to also keep working on lateral movements and basic dressage undersaddle. Then there is all the desensitizing work that needs to be done- the sound of slapping bowstrings and nocking arrows, the feeling of the bow, arrows, quiver brushing against hindquarters/sides, the visual of dropped arrows and bows on the ground, etc.  

Finding the proper equipment is another challenge. Mounted archery uses traditional archery methods which include recurve bows, namely horse bows, that come in a multitude of sizes, designs, materials, lengths, and draw weights. Like saddles, the bow selection is vast and they can be completely customized or purchased right off of a shelf. I've been spending quite a bit of time just figuring out what I need for my height/weight/size because being under or over bowed are both major safety concerns. I seem to have a penchant for choosing hobbies involving high risk...

I've been checking out archery groups on FB and some bowyers (the official lingo for bow makers) approached me about getting a custom build for reasonable prices. It'll be more expensive than the run-of-the-mill beginner bow but will be an actual horse bow and made to my specifications. So tempting...must resist. I'll likely settle for a good youth bow to dabble around with that can take a beating since I'll probably be knocking it into things, dropping it in dirt, and getting it coated in horse hair and slobber.

Lots of things are still in the works but I'm eager to give this new hobby a try. Next steps, getting my bow, safety equipment, and scouting out the basement to see what would be needed to set up an indoor practice range!