Archery: Thumbring?

[Virilis]

I think that bows would certainly need to be 80lb and upwards. I also think that the recurve is more efficient than a simple self bow.

I can pull 80lb on the ground, and I'll pull back to the ear to destroy the target, not just hit it. But on the horse in armour 55lb is my upper limit. And my draw length suffers.

But I'm not young any more.....

Only the tought of shooting from horseback in full armour with a 100# plus now makes my head spin. If you add to this the thumb-ring style of shooting, wow, that must be something to see hock: ...

I think 55# from horseback in full armour is quite an achievement in itself :wink: ...

[John Conyard]

Let me make it clear I don't use a thumb ring, just a western release.

As a typical Briton I get embarrassed when people suggest I do anything out of the ordinary. 55lb pull is relatively easy. Sometimes things are going well on the horse and you can achieve the full power of the bow. It's marvelous. Sometimes things go less well, and you hit the target but with limited force. Once the bloody arrow fell off the string so I used it as a javelin. And I don't even think the crowd noticed the difference.

[ratty]

Let me make it clear I don't use a thumb ring, just a western release.

As a typical Briton I get embarrassed when people suggest I do anything out of the ordinary. 55lb pull is relatively easy. Sometimes things are going well on the horse and you can achieve the full power of the bow. It's marvelous. Sometimes things go less well, and you hit the target but with limited force. Once the bloody arrow fell off the string so I used it as a javelin. And I don't even think the crowd noticed the difference.

hello John Conyard

:lol: excellent :lol: how did it go when you threw the arrow?

wow shooting from a horse is something i would enjoy learning.

are there any places that teach shooting from a horse in the uk?or is it best to learn to ride a horse and then shoot your bow from it.

i read somewhere (please correct me if i am wrong) that you relase your arrow when all 4 hooves are of the ground during gallop for maximum accuracy?

is this what you do?

[ratty]

I think that bows would certainly need to be 80lb and upwards. I also think that the recurve is more efficient than a simple self bow.

I can pull 80lb on the ground, and I'll pull back to the ear to destroy the target, not just hit it. But on the horse in armour 55lb is my upper limit. And my draw length suffers.

But I'm not young any more.....

Only the tought of shooting from horseback in full armour with a 100# plus now makes my head spin. If you add to this the thumb-ring style of shooting, wow, that must be something to see hock: ...

I think 55# from horseback in full armour is quite an achievement in itself :wink: ...

i totally agree

[ratty]

I think that bows would certainly need to be 80lb and upwards. I also think that the recurve is more efficient than a simple self bow.

I can pull 80lb on the ground, and I'll pull back to the ear to destroy the target, not just hit it. But on the horse in armour 55lb is my upper limit. And my draw length suffers.

But I'm not young any more.....

you have my upmost admiration, its a skill i aspire to

do you have any vids of you shooting from horseback? i would love to see them, ive seen a few pics on www.comitatus.net( i guess they are you?)

[Virilis]

Here is a sorry video I made last summer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ro6lvKbxPo

I tried to show three different styles to shoot (with a 30 inch draw & 110 pounds) with my Kassai "Bear" bow. To my horror they look all the same!!
Since then I have been using the style Ratty kindly showed me, rising the bow and drawing as I lower the bow...

[ratty]

Here is a sorry video I made last summer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ro6lvKbxPo

I tried to show three different styles to shoot (with a 30 inch draw & 110 pounds) with my Kassai "Bear" bow. To my horror they look all the same!!
Since then I have been using the style Ratty kindly showed me, rising the bow and drawing as I lower the bow...

8) wow, hey im impressed excellent

your style looks good to me, if that style is working for you stick with it.

[Virilis]

Thanks Ratty!!

In fact I find that both of the ways (starting the draw from up / down) are working for me. I quess that in the end it is just a question of a personal choice...

[ratty]

here is a picture of the thumbrings i am using at the moment best being on the left worst on the right.

[Virilis]

Nice pics!!

Looking at the pictures it seems that with the left thumb-ring the release is quite smooth and with the right one the cut-out for the string is so massive that it affects the release. Am I on the right track :wink: ?

[ratty]

Nice pics!!

Looking at the pictures it seems that with the left thumb-ring the release is quite smooth and with the right one the cut-out for the string is so massive that it affects the release. Am I on the right track :wink: ?

8) absolutely correct the one on the right is actually quite painfull to use as well, it really digs in the joint of the thumb.

the brass one in the middle is quite good but not as comfortable as the other horn one on the left.

[John Conyard]

The few times I have tried to shoot with a thumb ring I was using a version of the ring on the far right. It's a small world.

I suspect there are many places to learn or practice horse archery in the UK. I live in York and use a stable near Goole, 45 minutes away. They allowed me to develop the whole Roman cavalry side of Comitatus. I knew how to shoot, but needed to transfer that to the back of a horse. Later riders will stand in the stirrups to help counter act the movement of the horse. Roman riders don't have the stirrups. But the draw action does make you sit upright. In some ways the faster the horse is moving the smoother it's action, and so taking aim is easier.

I think Maurice wrote that horse archery is a matter of practice not skill. After a while you kind off feel the motion of the horse and know when things are just right to take the shoot. I can't really describe what it's like. Some re-enactors just blast up and down taking one shot on each pass. But I think you need to be able to demonstrate the cantabrian circle. So you ride with the wrong hand, the right, while holding the arrow under tension on the string in the left hand. You get the horse up to a decent speed before turning him to the right. Then you make sure the horse is balanced, drop the reins, take the shot, collect the reins with your right hand and put the horse into another right hand turn. As yet I cannot "reload" on the move. I suspect that task would be easier with an eastern style of draw and stirrups.

The horse needs to be used to all of this. It took my poor old mount Murph a while to learn what we were doing. During the closed season the knowledge will be lurking at the back of his thick skull somewhere, waiting for the spring. And there is a new pony in the yard that I want to teach, when he stops bouncing up and down.

I fully recommend you give this a go. There are few better feelings than a clean shot from a horse on a sunny day in front of the public.

[ratty]

The few times I have tried to shoot with a thumb ring I was using a version of the ring on the far right. It's a small world.

I suspect there are many places to learn or practice horse archery in the UK. I live in York and use a stable near Goole, 45 minutes away. They allowed me to develop the whole Roman cavalry side of Comitatus. I knew how to shoot, but needed to transfer that to the back of a horse. Later riders will stand in the stirrups to help counter act the movement of the horse. Roman riders don't have the stirrups. But the draw action does make you sit upright. In some ways the faster the horse is moving the smoother it's action, and so taking aim is easier.

I think Maurice wrote that horse archery is a matter of practice not skill. After a while you kind off feel the motion of the horse and know when things are just right to take the shoot. I can't really describe what it's like. Some re-enactors just blast up and down taking one shot on each pass. But I think you need to be able to demonstrate the cantabrian circle. So you ride with the wrong hand, the right, while holding the arrow under tension on the string in the left hand. You get the horse up to a decent speed before turning him to the right. Then you make sure the horse is balanced, drop the reins, take the shot, collect the reins with your right hand and put the horse into another right hand turn. As yet I cannot "reload" on the move. I suspect that task would be easier with an eastern style of draw and stirrups.

The horse needs to be used to all of this. It took my poor old mount Murph a while to learn what we were doing. During the closed season the knowledge will be lurking at the back of his thick skull somewhere, waiting for the spring. And there is a new pony in the yard that I want to teach, when he stops bouncing up and down.

I fully recommend you give this a go. There are few better feelings than a clean shot from a horse on a sunny day in front of the public.

excellent that sounds amazing, thankyou for sharing. 8)

im looking into horse riding lessons, should i tell them what i want to do straight away, or must i go through like a beginners coarse the same as archery, that may possibly hinder what i want to do rather than help

any advice?

[John Conyard]

I suspect everybody needs a different approach. Comitatus riders get sat on a horse, told what to do and watched carefully. Not just for how they sit on the horse but for attitude. They will be exercised on a lunge-line to improve their seat. Then they use weapons with some advice from others.

I certainly needed someone to offer me pointers, and I liked having others around learning at the same time. After that I decided what I wanted to learn, and spent hours cracking each bit. Often riding alone.

I suspect you need a stable like mine where you can set the aim and get some help getting there.

[ratty]

I suspect everybody needs a different approach. Comitatus riders get sat on a horse, told what to do and watched carefully. Not just for how they sit on the horse but for attitude. They will be exercised on a lunge-line to improve their seat. Then they use weapons with some advice from others.

I certainly needed someone to offer me pointers, and I liked having others around learning at the same time. After that I decided what I wanted to learn, and spent hours cracking each bit. Often riding alone.

I suspect you need a stable like mine where you can set the aim and get some help getting there.

8) thanks. ill look into different riding schools to see who can help me best with what i want to do