Mounted Archery

[Smoke24]

We recently moved our horses to a new barn. My gelding is young (6) and still a little green, so I put him into training for a few months. I really like their trainer, and she happens to give lessons and clinics for mounted archery, as well. I was looking for a challenge, so decided to give this a try.

Yesterday, our trainer was target practicing from the ground and let me shoot her bow a few times. I felt completely awkward and it was REALLY challenging, but I am excited to get my own equipment and start practicing.

I would love to hear from anyone else that does mounted archery. Did you have a background in archery? What are any tips/pointers you can give a person that is totally new to the sport? How much did you practice and how long did it take to feel somewhat comfortable with the bow? I was looking for a new challenge with a great community, and this sounds like a good fit. I am excited to get started!

[Foxglove]

Mounted Archer for the past 8 years here. Your trainer sounds first-rate!

My background in archery was in college (40+ years ago) when I shot competitively --never won anything but thought it was fun.

My 3 kiddos and granddaughter showed our horses (fox hunters, 3-Day) and I followed them around grooming and cheerleading for the next episode of my life. Everyone is now an adult and moved on. Youngest kid sent me information on a clinic, offered to groom for me, and I took my two horses and had a great weekend learning the basics from Lucas Novotny.

I entered my first competition that fall. I came in second to the last, just ahead of a DQ.

By spring, with a lot of practice, I was finishing in the top 1/2. Now I sometimes win if it is a local competition, but at national level, I am very out-classed!

Archery is like golf --the more your practice, the better you become. Instruction can only take you so far --eventually, you have to figure it out for yourself. I would say it took me about an hour to get comfortable with my bow --but I’d shot before in college, remember?

Now that it is competition season, I am shooting every day, sixty arrows, using two horses. Weather permitting.

I have three archery horses --one is older, 27, and slow; one is perfect, but has occasional lameness issues at 18; and I just acquired a new horse who is going to his first competition May 16-19.

Our local club has bi-weekly practices (again, weather permitting) from April to September. I have my own track on my farm where I practice.

I like MA because I can practice by myself (we have a rule on the farm that jumping is only done when someone else is on the property), it is quiet (years ago I did shooting --too loud!), and my horse needs only canter 90 meters --great for the older horse (and rider --I’m 72). I can compete equally with young men and women as it is a skill sport --not a strength sport. I may not ride as fast, but I am accurate with my shooting.

Please consider joining our FB group --Thwack Pack.

Welcome! (Michigan Open 2023)

[hoopoe]

I am a grounded archer and compete nationaly and next year, internationally. Archery is an excellent sport, easy to learn, hard to do well. There are so many places you can go with it

Many folks who shoot at the ranges I shoot at enjoy shooting for the meditation of the activity.

My riding days are over, but I think my last horse would have been a great mounter archery choice

[pony_baloney]

My barn may have a clinic this year, but I’m only interested in the archery part, not doing it on horseback. My horse is a bit spooky about things moving around his head.

[Smoke24]

What a fantastic photo!

Thank you for the info, it is super helpful! My daughter (13) is also interested and her horse really struggles with circles due to a stifle issue, but I am hopeful that she might be able to do archery since the track is straight. I am impressed with how much you practice! I shot 5 arrows yesterday and can feel it in my upper body today.

I will check out your FB group! Thanks!

[Foxglove]

@Smoke24 --when you have you own bow, you can do “bow stretches.” Guess you could do it with a stretch strap too --but I always use my bow. Standing as one does for archery on horse back --body sideways to the “target,” keeping your bow holding arm straight, and slowly pull the string back to your cheek. Slowly return string to start position. Do that again for another 99 times. Pleasant to do indoors, watching TV or whatever. Oh, do it on both sides --otherwise you’ll look like Hellboy (joke --one big arm . . .)

When you acquire arrows, you can put them in your quiver (do not buy a quiver until you’ve tried a whole bunch --I went through 5 styles of quiver before I settled on a sword draw quiver --some use back, some thigh. --oh, do NOT Google “thigh quiver” weird stuff comes up). Anyway, the next practice is called “knock and drop” --without looking, pull an arrow from your quiver, knock it, draw back, then slowly release (don’t release the arrow!) and let that arrow drop to the ground. Continue until your quiver is empty. Then pick up your arrows, put them in your quiver, and do it again. This is another exercise you can do inside.

Before you start buying archery stuff --make sure you have been correctly measured for a bow and your arrows are the right size. There are various nocks --I use fangs --a heavy nock that has a “bump” so my fingers can tell up from down. I keep 60 practice arrows for daily use (worn out tips, scruffy feathers) and have 24 competition arrows --pristine with killer sharp tips. I have them with different color fletch (feathers) so I can tell at a glance what I’m pulling.

Arrows can be costly, but shop around. The local English archery store is about $13-15 per arrow for what I use (carbon, custom fletch, custom nocks, custom points, cut to size) --but the Amish archery store charges only $8 for the same arrow. I buy about 10 a year, always having new (er) ones for competition.

If you go on the Mounted Archery Association of America (MA3) you will find a list of instructors and clubs. Hope you are near us!

[moonlitoaksranch]

Thank you for the information! You got me interested, too.

[MunchingonHay]

2 years ago, I picked up a recurve barebow, some arrows, and a target from Lancaster Archery in Pa. And I love it. I do not ride currently.

I love the centerness target practice does for me. It helps me quite my mind. Will I ever compete?? May be,… but for now, I do practice for myself.

[Smoke24]

@Foxglove - Thank you for all of the information! This is very useful. I can’t wait to get started.

What would you look for in a mounted archery horse? And what type of saddle do you ride in?

[Foxglove]

There are many different breeds of horses, and a few mules, in Mounted Archery. In NC there is a woman who specifically trains MA horses --she’s very good and her horses are very good.

I look for a retired reiner or cutting horse. Those horses are used to working with no contact. MA is done without holding on to the reins, so a horse that will work like that is ideal. Most people train their own having started with a quiet horse that has a nice canter.

As to breeds, all are represented, although I must say I’ve never seen an OTTB on the course. Most are QH, a few mustangs, paints, and Arabs are equally represented. I’ve seen a few draft, but only in the walk division.

A couple of people ride Gypsy paints.

Personally I use my hunt saddle. I’ve also shot in my dressage saddle. I CAN shoot in my Western saddle, but I find leaning against the horn (I shoot from a 2-point position) difficult. There are many custom made “Mounted Archery Saddles.” Again, it is best to try many before you buy specifically for archery.

Pix shows my position when I shoot –

[hoopoe]

local events can be fun and you can certainly find fellowship in sharing time together. If you are in or around Lancaster, you certainly have great resources at hand.

but like I said, the simple activity of shooting is a great meditation

[Smoke24]

Our barn hosted a beginner’s clinic yesterday. It was a lot of fun! We practiced from the ground, then our trainer saddled up one of her horses and we practiced from horseback at a walk. I was surprised to find that I was already building a bit of muscle memory by the end of the day. I also agree that it is meditative, once you start to get the hang of it.

I really enjoyed the day and it was a great group of people. I am excited to get my own equipment and start practicing. What a fun sport!