Archery on horseback

McFluff

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Yes. It’s great fun. Channeling your inner Robin Hood or Maid Marion.
Some horses take to it quickly, others need a lot more work done on desensitising, so you may not be able to actually shoot in one session.
 

w1bbler

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Yes, loved it. I was absolutely rubbish at shooting the arrow. My horse was a Saint ( after initially panicking about thr noise)
It is easier in canter than walk - although I took some convincing, I was sure my ponies ears would be in danger 🤣
I did have a stroke about 7 years ago, so your co-ordination may be better than mine 🤷‍♀️
 

asmp

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We had a go for my daughter’s birthday last year but we went to a place that did it. I was lucky that my horse had been doing it for years and I didn’t have to think about what he was doing but daughter’s wandered off the track if she wasn’t paying attention to him. It was a good bit of fun.
 

Snowfilly

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It’s good fun! It’s easier, apparently, to teach a rider to shoot than an archer to ride, and if you’ve got a background in gymkhana games so you’re comfortable dropping the reins and moving around your saddle, it’ll be helpful but it’s easy to pick up the riding basics. Once we got to cantering, they were getting you to count strides so a bit of jumping experience helped.

The actual aiming bit… let’s not talk about that! Safe to say, I don’t think I’m in any danger of hitting the targets.
 

exracehorse

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The rain stopped. Sun came out. It was great fun. And not that expensive. She’s Essex based. Had lessons on the ground. Then to ridden. We were cantering and firing by the end. Not easy with no reins 😀. My horses were amazing.
 

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Ratface

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Years ago, I did it as I was heavily into archery as a child and adolescent. Watched too many of the Robin Hood series with my granny, who was a great fan of Richard Greene. Used to practice from the back of the saintly Exmoor pony and later the Fell pony. The Fell always wanted to rush off and retrieve them! Good fun.
Later, I turned to fencing, judo and self-defence. Useful transferable skills, especially the latter.
 

Keith_Beef

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As Meredith posted, Kunoichi does this.

I've had a couple of tries, "Polish" style, though, with a stationary horse, not Hungarian or Mongolian with a moving horse.

Please, please, please, don't use the words "fire" or "firing" when discussing archery.
 

Beausmate

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As Meredith posted, Kunoichi does this.

I've had a couple of tries, "Polish" style, though, with a stationary horse, not Hungarian or Mongolian with a moving horse.

Please, please, please, don't use the words "fire" or "firing" when discussing archery.
So what is correct? Curious 🤔
 

Ratface

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As Meredith posted, Kunoichi does this.

I've had a couple of tries, "Polish" style, though, with a stationary horse, not Hungarian or Mongolian with a moving horse.

Please, please, please, don't use the words "fire" or "firing" when discussing archery.
Sorry to be ignorant - but why should one not use the f*** word? Our teachers used ",draw: hold ; let fly."
 

exracehorse

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As Meredith posted, Kunoichi does this.

I've had a couple of tries, "Polish" style, though, with a stationary horse, not Hungarian or Mongolian with a moving horse.

Please, please, please, don't use the words "fire" or "firing" when discussing archery.
Seriously ?!
 

Nonjumper

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Release is also an accepted term for loosing an arrow.

Never did it from horseback though I did used to think about it.
 

JFTDWS

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I frequently tell people to “fire at will” while marshalling archers because I really enjoy winding people up…

As TFF mentioned, I do a fair bit of horse archery, although mostly for my own entertainment than at events or competitions. Since covid, it’s become a lot more accessible with new coaches popping up all over the place, which is great for the sport.

Old photo (Daemon) when I used to do actual training events. I mostly prefer to shoot without a marked run in a more historically accurate manner these days - mostly because I’m too lazy to keep fencing runs and get bored in straight lines 😂
 

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Kunoichi73

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Just spent 2 days doing this. It's great fun. I don't have a horse so between courses I've been practicing nocking on at speed on the ground. It definitely paid off. I do it here:


but there are a few other places where you can do it if you don't have your own horse.



I'm currently pricing up a new bow! :D
 
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