Horse Archery Excersizes
Hello!
I'm interested in finding some horse archery 'ground' excersizes if anyone has some good one they could post, I'd really appreciate it!
Here's one I've been using as a warm up for my regular shooting session. It is for thumbring shooting, but I'm sure it could be modified. Tell me what you think! All constructive criticism welcome:
-Big (about 2'X4" rubber band) green 'Thera-Band' (a physical therapy resistance training tool can get something similar at the pharmacy) with a knot in one end.
-Hold knot in bow hand.
-Wrap thumb around other end of band.
-Draw back and release using good bow hand extension toward target and string hand straight back follow through.
-OK
-Now shoot with Thera-Band as described but as you are squating and standing. Wrap your thumb with the band as you squat and release at the top of the standing part to emulate horseback riding. Shallow squats will be a more accurate representation of horse cadence. KEEP CADENCE CONSISTANT, even if you don't manage to get your thumb wrapped in the band before you stand.
Makes for a great warm up prior to a shooting session because:
-Big leg muscles get heart and lungs circulating blood.
-Light draw wght band 'warms up' shooting muscles and joints (especially important for us old farts).
-Works good form/follow through without the distraction of hitting a target.
WARNING!:
-If you are out of shape (as I was/am)don't over do it the first time! or your legs will be surprisingly sore the following day!
J.
I'm interested in finding some horse archery 'ground' excersizes if anyone has some good one they could post, I'd really appreciate it!
Here's one I've been using as a warm up for my regular shooting session. It is for thumbring shooting, but I'm sure it could be modified. Tell me what you think! All constructive criticism welcome:
-Big (about 2'X4" rubber band) green 'Thera-Band' (a physical therapy resistance training tool can get something similar at the pharmacy) with a knot in one end.
-Hold knot in bow hand.
-Wrap thumb around other end of band.
-Draw back and release using good bow hand extension toward target and string hand straight back follow through.
-OK
-Now shoot with Thera-Band as described but as you are squating and standing. Wrap your thumb with the band as you squat and release at the top of the standing part to emulate horseback riding. Shallow squats will be a more accurate representation of horse cadence. KEEP CADENCE CONSISTANT, even if you don't manage to get your thumb wrapped in the band before you stand.
Makes for a great warm up prior to a shooting session because:
-Big leg muscles get heart and lungs circulating blood.
-Light draw wght band 'warms up' shooting muscles and joints (especially important for us old farts).
-Works good form/follow through without the distraction of hitting a target.
WARNING!:
-If you are out of shape (as I was/am)don't over do it the first time! or your legs will be surprisingly sore the following day!
J.
that sounds really good actually, might have to put that into practice!
Edited as it didn't make sense!
Edited as it didn't make sense!
Actually, there's nothing more difficult in horseback archery than nocking the arrows. There are lots of nocking methods so there's no point in just recommending one. But you must be able to do it without looking.
My suggested ground exercise is:
- learn to hop on one foot turning circles on the spot.
- learn to nock while doing that.
- try to get your eye on the target as soon as it enters your field of vision: acquire the target point as early as you can (i.e. looking behind you if necessary.)
- do all of the above and shoot at your target point every revlolution or two revolutions.
If you can do this exercise with either hand/direction, you are on the way to becoming a champ. If the exercise on the ground makes you dizzy, you will also get dizzy doing a back shot on horseback.
S
My suggested ground exercise is:
- learn to hop on one foot turning circles on the spot.
- learn to nock while doing that.
- try to get your eye on the target as soon as it enters your field of vision: acquire the target point as early as you can (i.e. looking behind you if necessary.)
- do all of the above and shoot at your target point every revlolution or two revolutions.
If you can do this exercise with either hand/direction, you are on the way to becoming a champ. If the exercise on the ground makes you dizzy, you will also get dizzy doing a back shot on horseback.
S
THANKS Stephen!
That sounds excellent (and very hard)! I'll definitely give it a try later today.
I've been practicing nocking without looking and am getting better, but still fumble a fair amount. I was 'stump hunting' in the woods yesterday and was doing this:
-Carried 2 arrows in bow hand as I walked throught the woods.
-When I first saw a suitably rotted stump, I'd start nocking my arrow as I walked without taking my eyes from the stump.
-I'd shoot at the stump as soon as I'd get the arrow nocked, while continuing to walk.
I found that I had to move my body/mind as fast as possible to prepare the arrow, but then shift to a slower mental gear as I drew, aimed and shot to prevent a rushed shot. That was tricky, but fun!
J.
That sounds excellent (and very hard)! I'll definitely give it a try later today.
I've been practicing nocking without looking and am getting better, but still fumble a fair amount. I was 'stump hunting' in the woods yesterday and was doing this:
-Carried 2 arrows in bow hand as I walked throught the woods.
-When I first saw a suitably rotted stump, I'd start nocking my arrow as I walked without taking my eyes from the stump.
-I'd shoot at the stump as soon as I'd get the arrow nocked, while continuing to walk.
I found that I had to move my body/mind as fast as possible to prepare the arrow, but then shift to a slower mental gear as I drew, aimed and shot to prevent a rushed shot. That was tricky, but fun!
J.
Another (without the) horse archery activity came to me the other day while shooting in my back yard...
Materials needed:
Bow
Arrows
Portable Target
Thumbring or Tab/Glove
Trampoline
Put the target close to the trampoline (within 10 meters to start).
Get on the trampoline with your bow and arrows in the same hand.
Start hopping and shooting, keeping your eyes on the target.
Go get your arrows.
Repeat!
Of course you can add variations like the spinning on one foot and keeping your eye on target as much as possible version.
My daughters have a trampoline in the back yard and I don't know why I didn't think of this before! What a blast (as long as you don't break your neck on the trampoline)! If you can try this, just BE CAREFUL!!!
:lol:
J.
Materials needed:
Bow
Arrows
Portable Target
Thumbring or Tab/Glove
Trampoline
Put the target close to the trampoline (within 10 meters to start).
Get on the trampoline with your bow and arrows in the same hand.
Start hopping and shooting, keeping your eyes on the target.
Go get your arrows.
Repeat!
Of course you can add variations like the spinning on one foot and keeping your eye on target as much as possible version.
My daughters have a trampoline in the back yard and I don't know why I didn't think of this before! What a blast (as long as you don't break your neck on the trampoline)! If you can try this, just BE CAREFUL!!!
:lol:
J.
Regarding what Stephen wrote about nocking without looking, he is absolutely right.
There is a German video of some yabusame archers warming up before they shoot. One was standing on the ground, legs apart and drawing arrows from his sash and nocking them and then dropping them on the ground. He did this until he had run out of arrows. Since the yabusame archers pull the arrows down and out of their sashes, even getting the arrow to the position where it can be nocked is hard work. Yabusame is practised at greater speed than most contemporary horse archery. This brings out the need to nock quickly and accurately.
All horse archers need to be able to quickly find their arrows, whether in the hand, their quiver or through their belt. They need to orient them in the correct direction and then get the nock onto the right part of the the string. Sounds easy...
There is a German video of some yabusame archers warming up before they shoot. One was standing on the ground, legs apart and drawing arrows from his sash and nocking them and then dropping them on the ground. He did this until he had run out of arrows. Since the yabusame archers pull the arrows down and out of their sashes, even getting the arrow to the position where it can be nocked is hard work. Yabusame is practised at greater speed than most contemporary horse archery. This brings out the need to nock quickly and accurately.
All horse archers need to be able to quickly find their arrows, whether in the hand, their quiver or through their belt. They need to orient them in the correct direction and then get the nock onto the right part of the the string. Sounds easy...
I have to agree, this really is the hardest part of horseback archery.
I have been practising for nearly three years now, and the nocking is still the heaviest task to carry out.
I have a question that I might have asked before on the forum, can't remember.
Do you other archers keep an eye on the cock feather, couse I don't, at least not when I shot from horseback. Is there time for that, or is it not necessary?
/Rigel
I have been practising for nearly three years now, and the nocking is still the heaviest task to carry out.
I have a question that I might have asked before on the forum, can't remember.
Do you other archers keep an eye on the cock feather, couse I don't, at least not when I shot from horseback. Is there time for that, or is it not necessary?
/Rigel
This does not apply to Chinese or modern Mongolian horse archery. In Middle Eastern horse archery, because the the cock feather was parallel with the string and the feathers were very close to the nock, you could feel the position of the feathers. With Western fletching you could use an indexed nock. Either way, you don't have to look.
There is a really excellent tape by Kassai about his training sessions in Hungary. One of the Hungarian archers who was in Korea gave me a copy. There is no talking, just version after version of drilling for horse archery. Much of these exercises take place afoot, some to folk music and some to drumming. I highly recommend this tape but do not know the title, it appears to be written in Cyrilic. It is professionally put together; you will absolutely be thrilled. It only wants to be played on an inexpensive DVD player in Texas. (???)
The website www.horsebackarchery.com is on the cover. The cover is not the same as eighter of the two on the site. In mine, Kassai is on horseback raising his bow. -j-
The website www.horsebackarchery.com is on the cover. The cover is not the same as eighter of the two on the site. In mine, Kassai is on horseback raising his bow. -j-
Is this the one, Jack?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1&q=kassai
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1&q=kassai
Thats it. Let me know what you think. I also practices Stephen's spinning exercise and find it quite difficult; very entertaining in a group. -j-
Yes, I've watched it many times, I find it very inspiring.
What a barbeque!!
What a barbeque!!
Orda & Jack,
I could barely stand watching the whole video because it made me want to jump up and go to my horse!!! OUTSTANDING video! It needs it's own posting I think!
THANKS!
Jason
I could barely stand watching the whole video because it made me want to jump up and go to my horse!!! OUTSTANDING video! It needs it's own posting I think!
THANKS!
Jason