JFTDWS
+++ Out of Cheese Error +++
An unusually un-highlandy report from me… Not that I’ve reported on anything highland-related in months as we’ve taken the summer off from competing as I just haven’t had the right mindset for it. However, I’m planning to get him out again soon, so maybe you’ll hear more from him some other time (if you like and all that!). Wasn’t sure whether to post in here or TR as it’s not really competitive (well it could be… just not with me doing it!) and it’s not training as the horses are pro’s and clearly not mine… But arguably I’d like to train Fergs to this at some stage so that’s my justification. You can always try and get admin to move it if it offends you 
I digress…
On Sunday I went to the Centre of Horseback Combat in Hemel Hempstead for some training in the art of horseback archery and jousting. If you’ve seen some of my threads in the past, you’ll know this is very much my sort of thing (and Fergs’ too, not that he came with me!) and my super mother got me a voucher for a combat day for my birthday ages ago. I spent the morning learning the basics of archery, shooting horse bows on the ground and getting the idea of the technique. Unsurprisingly, most of the technique is based around not poking your horse in the neck while you’re getting arrows from your quiver (/belt in our case) to the bow
It’s also a specific manner of firing using your thumb on the string (I’m sure I’m abusing the technical terminology of which I’m not aware here!) which seems pretty odd at first.
After a wee while of shooting from the ground (and mostly missing the targets even on the ground for me!), we moved out to the field with the horses. I may have become totally wet at this point (literally and metaphorically, given the weather) as the stunning beast I was given was massive – compared to Fergs anyway! – and I’m really not used to riding other people’s horses. So it’s just as well they were planning on leading us up the track the first few times
Unsurprisingly, my pathetic-ness was completely unjustified as the pony was a total gent and behaved impeccably - seriously good brakes – you just touch the reins and he pulls up! - and was generally an absolute credit to his watching owner (and presumably the centre trained them, so them too). Surprisingly though, my aim wasn’t significantly worse at speed on horseback… That may say more about my lack of aim on the ground though!
We spent a fair bit of time in trot before having a crack at canter. The speed at which you have to get the arrows out and ready to shoot is ridiculous – I have no idea how these guys do it at gallop! Even at a steady canter I only managed to get two fired (and I think one of them didn’t go near a target!)
It was great fun though and a fabulous way to spend a morning.
The afternoon session was jousting and generally playing at being knights After briefly acquainting ourselves with the jousts (which are surprisingly heavy and difficult to handle!), we were on board again. I had a different horse, who was utterly divine – such a sweet chap who really knew his job – I would happily have taken him home with me! We spent a little time practising “dressing to” (keeping in line with the designated “lead” rider) with varying success and doing some work with flags and short wooden swords.
We spent some time throwing lances at targets on the floor – again, my aim leaves a fair bit to be desired, but good fun none the less!
Handling the jousts when mounted was… challenging to say the least. It was blowing a gale, which didn’t help, but the weight of them makes it a bit of a skill to get them up and down safely in the first place – without bashing the poor horses on the head, anyway! The trick is to use the counter-balance at the arm end when you need to get it back up (you sort of push the arm end down with your shoulder, rather than pull it up with your wrist? Does that make sense?!), though it’s not a knack I found very easy to get! Anyway, we attacked the quintain and lines of small targets, which kept blowing over in the wind
Brave chaps holding up the targets – with my bloodlust, you don’t want to get in front of me when I’m armed
And finally, we donned shields, reverted to the short wooden sticks (with the level of control we had over the jousts, it really wouldn’t have been safe to try jousting with them! Ha!) and mock jousted. Starting with the ritual of trotting round in unison, meeting at the fence in the middle (the name of which I’ve forgotten!) to insult one another and then facing down the centre line three times Awesome
Anyway, it was great fun and a really good way to spend the day. I couldn’t recommend them enough to anyone who is fancying a go at this stuff – the horses were fabulous, the staff were lovely and the chap who was in charge of teaching us this stuff was brilliant – very patient (and I’m pretty incompetent at following basic instructions so that is saying something!) and a good laugh. Properly awesome and well worth it
Of course, I’m now wondering how much of this I can mock up in my field before I get to go back to play again
I digress…On Sunday I went to the Centre of Horseback Combat in Hemel Hempstead for some training in the art of horseback archery and jousting. If you’ve seen some of my threads in the past, you’ll know this is very much my sort of thing (and Fergs’ too, not that he came with me!) and my super mother got me a voucher for a combat day for my birthday ages ago. I spent the morning learning the basics of archery, shooting horse bows on the ground and getting the idea of the technique. Unsurprisingly, most of the technique is based around not poking your horse in the neck while you’re getting arrows from your quiver (/belt in our case) to the bow
It’s also a specific manner of firing using your thumb on the string (I’m sure I’m abusing the technical terminology of which I’m not aware here!) which seems pretty odd at first. After a wee while of shooting from the ground (and mostly missing the targets even on the ground for me!), we moved out to the field with the horses. I may have become totally wet at this point (literally and metaphorically, given the weather) as the stunning beast I was given was massive – compared to Fergs anyway! – and I’m really not used to riding other people’s horses. So it’s just as well they were planning on leading us up the track the first few times
Unsurprisingly, my pathetic-ness was completely unjustified as the pony was a total gent and behaved impeccably - seriously good brakes – you just touch the reins and he pulls up! - and was generally an absolute credit to his watching owner (and presumably the centre trained them, so them too). Surprisingly though, my aim wasn’t significantly worse at speed on horseback… That may say more about my lack of aim on the ground though!
We spent a fair bit of time in trot before having a crack at canter. The speed at which you have to get the arrows out and ready to shoot is ridiculous – I have no idea how these guys do it at gallop! Even at a steady canter I only managed to get two fired (and I think one of them didn’t go near a target!)
It was great fun though and a fabulous way to spend a morning.
The afternoon session was jousting and generally playing at being knights
After briefly acquainting ourselves with the jousts (which are surprisingly heavy and difficult to handle!), we were on board again. I had a different horse, who was utterly divine – such a sweet chap who really knew his job – I would happily have taken him home with me! We spent a little time practising “dressing to” (keeping in line with the designated “lead” rider) with varying success and doing some work with flags and short wooden swords.
We spent some time throwing lances at targets on the floor – again, my aim leaves a fair bit to be desired, but good fun none the less!
Handling the jousts when mounted was… challenging to say the least. It was blowing a gale, which didn’t help, but the weight of them makes it a bit of a skill to get them up and down safely in the first place – without bashing the poor horses on the head, anyway! The trick is to use the counter-balance at the arm end when you need to get it back up (you sort of push the arm end down with your shoulder, rather than pull it up with your wrist? Does that make sense?!), though it’s not a knack I found very easy to get! Anyway, we attacked the quintain and lines of small targets, which kept blowing over in the wind
Brave chaps holding up the targets – with my bloodlust, you don’t want to get in front of me when I’m armed
And finally, we donned shields, reverted to the short wooden sticks (with the level of control we had over the jousts, it really wouldn’t have been safe to try jousting with them! Ha!) and mock jousted. Starting with the ritual of trotting round in unison, meeting at the fence in the middle (the name of which I’ve forgotten!) to insult one another and then facing down the centre line three times
Awesome
Anyway, it was great fun and a really good way to spend the day. I couldn’t recommend them enough to anyone who is fancying a go at this stuff – the horses were fabulous, the staff were lovely and the chap who was in charge of teaching us this stuff was brilliant – very patient (and I’m pretty incompetent at following basic instructions so that is saying something!) and a good laugh. Properly awesome and well worth it
Of course, I’m now wondering how much of this I can mock up in my field before I get to go back to play again
