Pony Club Australia Horse Archery
Horse Archery – the Sport Horse Archery has seen a huge surge in interest around the world in the last 20 years, leading to a vibrant worldwide community today. There are several themes running through the sport, which can overlap: • • •
The research, revival, and practice of traditional horse archery as a martial art The development of it as a modern sport. This strand is relevant to horse archery as a Pony Club® sport in Australia. Horse archery is also gaining traction as an emotional regulation tool by mental health practitioners.
The modern sport can involve riding a horse along a straight or curved track, or a ‘cross country’ type course with a rider able to pick their own path. The reins on the horse’s neck are attached to stretchable rein ties and the rider is loading arrows into a bow and taking several shots at targets along the track. This can be at walk, trot, canter or gallop depending on the experience level of horse and rider, as well as the style of track. Mastery of horse archery involves the ability to nock* arrows onto the string without looking, whilst riding with the horse and keeping your eye on the target, then aiming whilst subconsciously adjusting for variation in distance from and location of the target and the speed of the horse, wind and other variations. Participants say it’s a lot to think about, but when it all comes together the feeling really is addictive! There are some inherent dangers in the sport - you are handling weapons on a moving platform (the horse) - so adherence to safety protocols is mandatory. When properly conducted with a qualified person in charge, it is a thrilling sport to both compete in, and watch. * When you put an arrow on the bow string, that's called ‘nocking the arrow’.
Photos: Left: Pony Club SA. Above: The end of arrows showing the nock. (Animal Instincts Australia)
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