Mounted Archery: New Year, New Equestrian Activity

I spent the New Year’s holiday in Florida, and heard about a mounted archery clinic taking place near Ocala. My heart leaped. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at shooting an arrow from a moving horse. Years ago, I had a blast at a cowboy mounted shooting clinic in Arizona. It was so much fun.

In college, I took a semester of archery as a PE credit. I wasn’t half bad. But I had not picked up a bow and arrow since then, and honestly didn’t remember anything about archery. Also, I once got to see Instagram mounted archer phenom Alex Bauwens do her thing in person. She looked majestic and otherworldly, galloping a black horse past saguaro catci, blond tresses streaming in the wind. Alex shot arrow after arrow, each one piercing its target. I assure you, the experience I had at the clinic was a thrill, but I am not a prodigy (and I looked nothing like Alex aka Katniss). lol

In order to sign up for the clinic, I had to become a member of the Mounted Archery Association of the Americas, and then secure my spot with the clinician. I was delighted there was enough space for me and for a new friend I met from Canada who is wintering in Florida.

Sporting paddock boots, half chaps and carrying my riding helmet and a giant bottle of water, we met up with the group of other aspiring archers. While we were getting organized signing waivers, a few experienced archers blazed past us shooting their arrows into targets along the path. In short, they made it look easy. 

If you’re unfamiliar with mounted archery, there is essentially a “runway” set up next to an area set up with various targets at different heights and angles. Simple stakes and ropes provide the boundary—the lane—where the horse and rider will storm through and unleash a series of arrows, striving to hit bullseyes. There is a time element and an accuracy element in the overall score. 

Mounted Archery: Learning the Basics

Most of the three-hour clinic was spent learning the basics from the ground. We had to learn how to hold the bow in first position, how to pick up the arrows and how to nock them (place the arrow onto the string so it can be shot). I found nocking the arrow to be a little tricky, but I’m sure it gets easier and easier with repetition. We were instructed to gently pick up the arrow with just the tips of our fingers so we could easily (in theory) connect the shaft part of the arrow to our left hand holding the bow (as kind of an anchor) and then slide the notch part of the end of the arrow onto the bow’s string. This part felt very awkward.

The good news was that when we were ready to practice shooting arrows, I was able to hit the targets (got a couple almost-bullseyes). 

Once we were successful shooting while standing in front of the target, we then practiced shooting while walking past the targets. Like baby ducks, our group of learners stepped along behind the leader, our clinician (who travels the world competing at the highest levels of mounted archery). My fellow future archers were all super nice and helpful. After each round of shooting, we helped each other retrieve the arrows. I was shocked at how difficult it was to pull the arrows out of the target. Like I pulled with almost all my bodyweight and the arrows stubbornly refused to budge. An archer with more experience told me to place my non-dominant hand over the arrow area (fingers splayed on either side of the shaft), THEN pull. I got one or two out that way, but it was still tricky.

After we could hit the targets while walking slowly, we then transitioned to sitting on a plastic barrel just like we were on a horse. While “mounted” on our rolley steed, we learned two more shots: one where you turn left and aim behind your torso, and the second was kind of a forward angle. When mounted, the idea is you rise from the saddle to take the shot.

The clinician said the turning left one is actually easier than the first shot we learned, and that you have to be careful with the forward shot so you’re angled away from the horse’s head and neck. Ugh! The thought of accidentally hitting a horse with an arrow pestered my brain and I then realized that the arrows are real and not fake. When I did the mounted shooting clinic the “bullets” were actually filled with a caustic agent that would pop a balloon—they weren’t real bullets. 

I shrugged off the thought, “Don’t be the one who hits the horse with an arrow, Susan.” 

Mounted Archery Atop a Horse

The culmination of the afternoon’s mounted archery practice was to have a chance to practice all the skills we learned on a horse. Thankfully, we each were led around like a pony ride—there was no steering involved. I hopped into the endurance saddle (the stirrups were a bit too short for me, but they said I’d be fine). A helper positioned at the horse’s right side wore a quiver. As I rode the length of the track I would shoot an arrow and grab the next arrow from her back. 

I joked, “You must really trust a stranger to allow me to shoot arrows with your back turned.” She said that if a stray arrow hit her at such close range, it would just bounce off. I thought to myself, “So I guess you don’t have to trust the stranger you’re leading around.”

I was really proud of myself. I got the hang of nocking the arrow and was able to hit several of the targets as the horse ambled along. Later, they talked about how to train your personal horse to do mounted archery (I think Knight would be okay with it–he’s pretty chill–but I don’t have a place to practice this). They said you’ve got to pet your horse while holding the bow and arrows, pluck the arrow so he can hear the sound, but the targets in their space then practice from the ground near them (with the horse obviously not by the target). 

I learned is a growing sport and riders from all backgrounds try it. Any horse with a good brain could probably experience success at some level as a mounted archery horse. 

Well, dear reader, what do you think? Would you like to give mounted archery a shot? Please share in the comments section–I love hearing from readers. 

Click here for a FREE horse book sampler and receive excerpts from my books:

• Marguerite, Misty and Me: a Horse Lover’s Hunt for the Hidden History of Marguerite Henry and Her Chincoteague Pony;
• Horses Adored and Men Endured;
• Strands of Hope: How to Grieve the Loss of a Horse and
• Unbridled Creativity. 

Follow my adorable TB Knight and me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Stay in the loop on author talks and special events.