JFTDWS
Well-Known Member
It's been a while since I've done an "I did something daft at the weekend" report, but I thought this one is probably daft enough to warrant its own thread. Possibly shouldn't be in C&T, but... well... what are you gonna do about it?
I decided to take my mare, Skye, to do some horseback archery. Skye's pretty cool about life - she's played a bit of polocrosse (badly, mostly my fault), umpired a polo match (the chap handed her back and said he thought poloX horses were hotter than that!), aces TREC and trail courses and runs barrels and stuff too. I didn't think archery would be a huge ask, but one never knows with horses, and it doesn't do to count ones chickens, so I was slightly nervous the day before (as Ester can probably attest!).
Aside from getting lost on my way to the venue, being late, and having a minor mental breakdown over an insurance disclaimer form (Me: "Define novice/intermediate/advanced?! Are we talking RS or BE standards?!"... Coach: "Um, can you canter?"... Me: "errr... seriously?!"...), it was all going swimmingly. Textbook organisation skills right there. I followed that up by having a complete "WTF?!" at being told to make a triangle with my hands so I could see said coach, then to point at him... I don't like being told to do things I don't understand!
However, this lead to the revelation that I'm "left eye dominant", apparently. I'm right handed, in that I write with my right hand by choice, but am also sort of ambidextrous in that I draw and sometimes write left handed. This meant I had to shoot from the wrong side and everything after this was done in reverse, which wasn't at all confusing Part of me wonders if this has some relevance to my inability to catch at polocrosse - something I was always disproportionately bad at... it's my excuse and I'm sticking to it at this point.
We started on foot, without horses, learning the technique. Brought horses in, warmed up, had a canter around with no hands etc, then we looked at the shooting position, which I would describe as "the mid-90s John Whittaker standing trot", swinging the lower leg back, which is great for me as my lower leg loves swinging back over fences already Finally we introduced the horses to shooting, one at a time, shooting next to them on the ground, then from their backs standing still - being held, or, in Skye's case, not even bothering, because this is the level of zen we're working with:
Then we shot from walk (literally once, from walk, with Skye!), and then canter. I was slightly surprised at a very rapid progression to canter, but she was truly epic about it, and I reckon the coach had guess that messing around in trot would only annoy us both!
Initially, we were shooting at a target 90 degrees to my right, which is the easiest shot (I gather), then we "progressed" to shooting at a target obliquely in front of us. The former was moderately successful. The latter may require further work... I couldn't get the arrow ready to shoot in time to make the shot, and was persistently failing to aim properly. I think it took three repetitions of the advice "aim, draw, aim again, then let go" before I actually attempted it and found it worked... Apparently people who coach this stuff know what they're on about. Who'd have thought it?!
In summary:
1. Skye was completely mega, and is awesome in every way. Seriously. Quarter horses are epic. (Almost as epic as highlands!)
2. Archery is epic.
3. Don't rely on me in a post apocalyptic horse-back battle. I'll probably shoot the wrong people, and I will definitely pull some unorthodox facial expressions while I'm doing it...
Anyway, it was great fun, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who fancies having a go at something different. Can recommend a good coach in the East of England (and possibly loan a Daemon-highland to anyone who wants to borrow a pony!). Wanders off to look at horse bows on the internet...
I decided to take my mare, Skye, to do some horseback archery. Skye's pretty cool about life - she's played a bit of polocrosse (badly, mostly my fault), umpired a polo match (the chap handed her back and said he thought poloX horses were hotter than that!), aces TREC and trail courses and runs barrels and stuff too. I didn't think archery would be a huge ask, but one never knows with horses, and it doesn't do to count ones chickens, so I was slightly nervous the day before (as Ester can probably attest!).
Aside from getting lost on my way to the venue, being late, and having a minor mental breakdown over an insurance disclaimer form (Me: "Define novice/intermediate/advanced?! Are we talking RS or BE standards?!"... Coach: "Um, can you canter?"... Me: "errr... seriously?!"...), it was all going swimmingly. Textbook organisation skills right there. I followed that up by having a complete "WTF?!" at being told to make a triangle with my hands so I could see said coach, then to point at him... I don't like being told to do things I don't understand!
However, this lead to the revelation that I'm "left eye dominant", apparently. I'm right handed, in that I write with my right hand by choice, but am also sort of ambidextrous in that I draw and sometimes write left handed. This meant I had to shoot from the wrong side and everything after this was done in reverse, which wasn't at all confusing Part of me wonders if this has some relevance to my inability to catch at polocrosse - something I was always disproportionately bad at... it's my excuse and I'm sticking to it at this point.
We started on foot, without horses, learning the technique. Brought horses in, warmed up, had a canter around with no hands etc, then we looked at the shooting position, which I would describe as "the mid-90s John Whittaker standing trot", swinging the lower leg back, which is great for me as my lower leg loves swinging back over fences already Finally we introduced the horses to shooting, one at a time, shooting next to them on the ground, then from their backs standing still - being held, or, in Skye's case, not even bothering, because this is the level of zen we're working with:
Then we shot from walk (literally once, from walk, with Skye!), and then canter. I was slightly surprised at a very rapid progression to canter, but she was truly epic about it, and I reckon the coach had guess that messing around in trot would only annoy us both!
Initially, we were shooting at a target 90 degrees to my right, which is the easiest shot (I gather), then we "progressed" to shooting at a target obliquely in front of us. The former was moderately successful. The latter may require further work... I couldn't get the arrow ready to shoot in time to make the shot, and was persistently failing to aim properly. I think it took three repetitions of the advice "aim, draw, aim again, then let go" before I actually attempted it and found it worked... Apparently people who coach this stuff know what they're on about. Who'd have thought it?!
In summary:
1. Skye was completely mega, and is awesome in every way. Seriously. Quarter horses are epic. (Almost as epic as highlands!)
2. Archery is epic.
3. Don't rely on me in a post apocalyptic horse-back battle. I'll probably shoot the wrong people, and I will definitely pull some unorthodox facial expressions while I'm doing it...
Anyway, it was great fun, and I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who fancies having a go at something different. Can recommend a good coach in the East of England (and possibly loan a Daemon-highland to anyone who wants to borrow a pony!). Wanders off to look at horse bows on the internet...