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Training the Warhorse
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| Training the Warhorse |
There are two different types of people that get into Mounted Archery. You
either start out as an archer, or you start out as a horseperson. Regardless of
which one you start as, you will need to start over from scratch. An archer will
not just need to learn horses, but learn a whole new type of archery. Likewise, a
horseperson will not just need to learn archery, but they will need to learn horses
all over again too.
To give a better idea of what you’ll need to do, let me put it in a little more
detail. A horseperson may have a great deal of experience riding, but the reins
won’t do you any good when you are trying to shoot a bow. You’ll need your
hands to operate the bow, not the horse. So that means you will need to use
other ways to communicate with your horse. You’ll need to use your legs, your
weight, and your balance to direct the horse.
For the archer, you need to learn to shoot on the move. A mounted archer is
always moving, so you can’t use the same shooting posture you use when you
hunt or compete in traditional events. You won’t be able to use a sight
dependably. And because you want to be able to shoot many shoots in quick
succession, you will need to shoot more instinctively. The best way to describe it
is to say that traditional archery is a very exact method of shooting the bow. Like
a military sniper taking the time to make a perfect shot every time. A Mounted
Archer is more like a Wild West gunslinger. You will need to “shoot from the hip.”
There are a lot of methods that you can use to get better at Mounted Archery.
The methods I will describe here are what I have found to work for myself. As you
read them you will find that they go step by step to help you get ready in archery
and in riding. You will need to work on both aspects at the same time.
either start out as an archer, or you start out as a horseperson. Regardless of
which one you start as, you will need to start over from scratch. An archer will
not just need to learn horses, but learn a whole new type of archery. Likewise, a
horseperson will not just need to learn archery, but they will need to learn horses
all over again too.
To give a better idea of what you’ll need to do, let me put it in a little more
detail. A horseperson may have a great deal of experience riding, but the reins
won’t do you any good when you are trying to shoot a bow. You’ll need your
hands to operate the bow, not the horse. So that means you will need to use
other ways to communicate with your horse. You’ll need to use your legs, your
weight, and your balance to direct the horse.
For the archer, you need to learn to shoot on the move. A mounted archer is
always moving, so you can’t use the same shooting posture you use when you
hunt or compete in traditional events. You won’t be able to use a sight
dependably. And because you want to be able to shoot many shoots in quick
succession, you will need to shoot more instinctively. The best way to describe it
is to say that traditional archery is a very exact method of shooting the bow. Like
a military sniper taking the time to make a perfect shot every time. A Mounted
Archer is more like a Wild West gunslinger. You will need to “shoot from the hip.”
There are a lot of methods that you can use to get better at Mounted Archery.
The methods I will describe here are what I have found to work for myself. As you
read them you will find that they go step by step to help you get ready in archery
and in riding. You will need to work on both aspects at the same time.
Part 1: Practice Shooting
Part 2: On the Move
| Mounted Archery, Starting From the Ground by Michael Hockemeyer |