Anyone do an alternative horse sport?

[BBP]

And by that I mean things other than eventing, hunting, racing, SJ, showing, dressage, hacking, endurance etc.

I've always fancied trying a bit of horseball and have heard a bit about archery on horseback lately which looks like a challenge. Plus I love learning trickriding and am competing at horse boarding this year.

I just wondered how many other people on here are a little bit 'different'?!

 

[ellieplatt]

I've never done anything other than the above you've listed, but before i re-schooled my old polo pony, i did have a ago at borrowing a friends ball and mallet and wizzing aorund the school on him!

If i got the chance i'd play polo as a pro, its fun and such a rush! I think the ponies are amazing, you haven't seen a horse turn on a 6 pence or stop turn and gallop in the other direction quite so quick and fearlessly ever!

You don't need to worry how you look just stand up in the stirrups and chuck your reins forward! The ponies seem to love it, but obviously can be dangerous like any horse sport, and the ponies do get bad injuries sometimes, enough to put them out of polo Also the way they are broken in some countries shouldn't be legal, in Argentina they break the horses jaw ! Couldn't believe it when i found this out as my boy was originally from there! Also another downer about it is that it's more expensive than eventing, i'd say most expensive sport in riding!

But its soo fun and exciting love to give it a proper go, and horseball, or even gymnastics on a horse! That looks mega!

 

[JFTDWS]

I've wanted to try horseball for ages! Things just keep getting in the way :S Plus I'm not sure my hairy nativey types are the "sort" the horseball crowd would want hanging about lol

I confess to mucking about mock-jousting at home and such, I'd like to do that properly and horseback archery... I was thinking of acquiring some kind of kid's rubber arrow / bow set and having a play this summer (childish I know )

When you say trickriding, what have you done? I'm having visions of the Cossacks and their mad tricks (which are awesome but would probably kill me!). I do a bit of trick training with my younger pony, which is a very welcome break from traditional "work" for both of us!

 

[Bug2007]

Did a bit of vaulting (gymnastics on horse back) as a youngster.....But now if i try to vault on from the ground i end up with my face in his ribs.

I can back flip off him still.

 

[BBP]

When you say trickriding, what have you done? I'm having visions of the Cossacks and their mad tricks (which are awesome but would probably kill me!). I do a bit of trick training with my younger pony, which is a very welcome break from traditional "work" for both of us!

That's the stuff, the cossack style riding, great fun but a real challenge. I wouldn't say I'm any good, but its fun trying! So far I've got as far as a shoulder stand (basically a handstand with my shoulders resting on the horses withers, legs straight up in the air...haven't tried it at a gallop yet!)...not too sure what the cossacks would have used that for?! The vaulting is quite fun - trying to master the type where you vault off and straight back on.

 

[BBP]

I've wanted to try horseball for ages! Things just keep getting in the way :S Plus I'm not sure my hairy nativey types are the "sort" the horseball crowd would want hanging about lol

I confess to mucking about mock-jousting at home and such, I'd like to do that properly and horseback archery... I was thinking of acquiring some kind of kid's rubber arrow / bow set and having a play this summer (childish I know )
QUOTE]

I think the horseball crowd welcome any type don't they? I'm a big fan of childish games with ponies!

 

[JFTDWS]

O.M.G. you legend! That's pretty awesome. I don't think I could do any of it Where do you learn to do that? Or is it self taught

ETA the horseball crowd all look like they have posh horses in the pics I've seen, but I could be being paranoid and entirely unfair... Or using an excuse not to go and demonstate my apalling ball handling skills

 

[BBP]

O.M.G. you legend! That's pretty awesome. I don't think I could do any of it Where do you learn to do that? Or is it self taught

ETA the horseball crowd all look like they have posh horses in the pics I've seen, but I could be being paranoid and entirely unfair... Or using an excuse not to go and demonstate my apalling ball handling skills

Haha, that's more likely it! There's a group near me that are a bit of a mixed lot, I think it's meant to be a family pony friendly sport...do it!!!! I might try my pony at some point.

I trick ride with the Independent Horse, they teach jousting etc too. Its a 2 hour drive from me which is a bit of a shame, makes it hard to do regularly enough to get good.

 

[flyingfeet]

I'm only doing alternatives now!

I play polocrosse, which is great fun
http://www.polocrosse.org.uk/

Then my latest thing has been tentpegging
http://www.britishtentpegging.com/

Tentpegging straight is using a lance or sword to pick wooden "pegs" off the ground

Then you do two rings and a peg - again with sword or lance

Finally there is SLR - Sword, Lance Revolver
where you jump, attack a dummy with the sword, thrust and remove
Jump again thrust a dummy on the offside and leave sword in the dummy
Then you bring out your revolver (or pricker)
Jump and burst a balloon attached to the jump on the nearside
Jump again and burst a balloon the offside
(If you have a revolver, you also shoot a balloon on the ground in between)
Then you pick up your lance and do two rings and a peg

 

[BBP]

I'm only doing alternatives now!

You sound like me!! Tentpegging does sound like fun. I used to play lacrosse at uni...not sure i was good enough at it to defend my pony form an incoming ball though!

 

[JFTDWS]

Wow. I mean. Wow. I just had a google of them, fabulous! shame they're right on the other side of the country from me I like the idea of sci fi jousting...

OK, next time there's a horseball have a go event nearish me I shall take a pony. I promise And if they mock my hairy little animal I shall draw my light saber-y sci fi joust and teach them to respect natives

 

[flyingfeet]

Polocrosse is easier than lacrosse, as the ball stays in due to deep nets, plus its soft and made of foam!!

To give you an idea the pitch is like netball and only certain players can go in certain areas. So one required move is to bounce the ball over a line!

You are only allowed one horse so far more accessible than polo, plus non horsey people like stick and balling with you on the ground!

Tentpegging is not such a "game", but it is really good fun. Think mounted games with weapons and any horse can do it whether a small pony or 17hh hunter!

 

[BBP]

That sounds like an excellent plan! I wanna see hairy horse ball photos! (Hmm, that sounds a bit wrong!)

 

[JFTDWS]

Then my latest thing has been tentpegging
http://www.britishtentpegging.com/

Tentpegging straight is using a lance or sword to pick wooden "pegs" off the ground

Then you do two rings and a peg - again with sword or lance

Finally there is SLR - Sword, Lance Revolver
where you jump, attack a dummy with the sword, thrust and remove
Jump again thrust a dummy on the offside and leave sword in the dummy
Then you bring out your revolver (or pricker)
Jump and burst a balloon attached to the jump on the nearside
Jump again and burst a balloon the offside
(If you have a revolver, you also shoot a balloon on the ground in between)
Then you pick up your lance and do two rings and a peg

I've mock tent pegged at home and I used to do my own version of SLR (which to me is a camera, I had no idea other people actually did this sort of thing) where I used a plastic sword to attack an obect on one side, jumped then attacked something on the other side, then swapped sword for a mock lance and killed a mock dragon on the other side of the arena... I had no idea other people did something so similar

(Yes I did confess to being very juvenile before)

 

[Faro]

I've done jousting, tent-pegging, horseback archery in the past - all great fun. Have been thinking of training my own horses for mounted archery, as I still have a bow - but, much as it was great fun, I won't do jousting any more as after a while it dawned on me that subjecting a horse's back to the kind of impact it receives when a lance makes contact, can't be doing the horse any favours whatsoever.

 

[JFTDWS]

That sounds like an excellent plan! I wanna see hairy horse ball photos! (Hmm, that sounds a bit wrong!)

That does sound very wrong. No fear, they're geldings

I can guarentee there will be photos, I'm just off to see if they're advertising anything online...

 

[BBP]

I've done jousting, tent-pegging, horseback archery in the past - all great fun. Have been thinking of training my own horses for mounted archery, as I still have a bow - but, much as it was great fun, I won't do jousting any more as after a while it dawned on me that subjecting a horse's back to the kind of impact it receives when a lance makes contact, can't be doing the horse any favours whatsoever.

That's a fair point, I don't know enough about jousting but I can imagine. Trick riding is similar, the horses have to be well prepared and well cared for to cope with how one sided some of the tricks are, and you have to have the right horse for your size and know what speed is easiest for them to cope. There are some tricks I wouldn't try on my little horse as I'm too big in relation to him, but that still leaves us with plenty of games to play!

 

[City Mare]

funny enough i read about this this morning:

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/859066-horse-boarding-the-new-extreme-sport

 

[Silver]

Our family has just started polocrosse. even my was non riding hubby.

We have a tent pegging demo to see tomoz so that sounds interesting.

 

[Shantara]

Anyone know how to get into Archery or the horse boarding thing? I REALLY want to do that :O

 

[JFTDWS]

Well would you look at that, thread resurrection. Makes me realise I have at least achieved something this year! Started training with the Essex and Suffolk Horseball team in October so we have the hairy horseball photos, mentioned on page two:

And from our first matches

My youngster's playing too now, just don't have photos on this computer.



There's somewhere that teaches archery and jousting in East Sussex I've always wanted to go to. But there's other places too...

http://www.bhaa.org.uk/how-to-learn.php

 

[PollyP]

I did an introduction to polo at ascot park polo club and I fell in LOVE! The ponies are just incredible! The slightest move in the saddle and the know what to do! And the turns they perform are out of this world! Very challenging and as the mallet is so so heavy! But agree with it being the most expensive horse sport! Ouch! I paid over £100 for the morning but it was well worth it! Just watching the argentines is worth paying for!

 

[noblesteed]

My husband surfs and I keep my horse near the beach - I would love to try horse surfing but I don't know how to get into it. I regularly ride along the sand while the boys are out surfing so horse is ok with surfboards and soggy men in wetsuits - but not sure how to 'attach' surfer to horse...

 

[NeilM]

I'm a competition field archer and have done a bit of horseback archery.

I'd like to do more, but my lad is really worried by the bow, and it does not seem to matter what I do, he does not like it. My OH's mare could not care less and is quite happy to canter along while I fling arrows all over the place.

 

[Shooting Star]

The centre of horseback combat in East sussex I've got a voucher from my mum for christamas I am really looking forward to it i hope its not too hard or brave.......

OMG that's amazing - wish I got pressies like that for Xmas. Used to shoot when I was younger but never combined it with the horse, that looks way more fun! Sooo tempting to book a session!!

 

[Hen]

I have played polocrosse a few times but am a bit too cack-handed to be messing around with stick and horse and ball and... splat/crash... So I satisfy myself by going reining instead. Nothing beats an accelerating run-down on a loose rein followed by a well-timed slide stop. And nothing is funnier than when it all unravels!

 

[Hen]

When I give up reining I think mounted shooting might entertain me.

 

[Stacey6897]

Maybe barrel racing?

How about Roman Riding? Ride two horses at the same time

 

[JFTDWS]

Stacey, last night at Olympia while watching the flying Frenchman, I proclaimed:

"real horsemen do it over six horses"

 

[flyingfeet]

When I give up reining I think mounted shooting might entertain me.

Is there anywhere that does reining local to us (I'm close to Burford)?

Otherwise I can rope you into tentpegging which involves shooting a revolver whilst jumping. Mounted shooting might be a step too far, as the revolvers with the blocked barrels per UK gun laws are a bit crap so you need to get really close!