Horseback Archery
Start your Journey
Journey’s End Stables, home of Innate Horseback Archery, invites you to explore the sport with Kano Gibson. Learn from experienced instructors, build confidence with our well-trained horses, and experience the joy of this unique discipline in a supportive community.
We emphasize safety, teamwork, and the development of essential skills. Your journey with us will be taken at your pace.
The Essence of Horseback Archery
Horseback archery is an art of skill, patience, mindfulness and team work. Originally used in war but now practiced as a sport, this ancient art requires riders to exhibit exceptional skill in both horsemanship and marksmanship.
Innate Horseback Archery, believes that horseback archery is more than shooting off a horse; it’s a holistic practice that fosters personal growth, cultivates discipline, and forges deep connections between rider and horse.
Skills and Benefits: 7+
- Teamwork
- Patience
- Confidence Boosting
- Enjoyment
- Mind clarity
- Strength
- Overall skill
Learning and Practicing
Whatever your experience level is, Innate Horseback Archery is tailored to meet your individual needs and goals.
Our way of teaching covers everything from basic natural horsemanship and archery techniques to a more advanced understanding and progress of the sport for competition preparation if that’s where your heart lies. With the lessons that we provide, you’ll receive the attention and guidance you need to progress at your own pace.
Journey’s End Stables properly ensures that you have the resources you need to comfortably experience the sport like riding arenas, outrides, and a dedicated archery track.
Start your lessons
My Skills and practice
My experience, background, participation
Riding
. The basics of Riding
Learning how to ride a horse and taking lessons to properly work with horses is essential for developing both technical riding skills and a deeper understanding of horses.
Lessons provide structured guidance, ensuring that riders master the fundamentals, such as controlling the horse, having optimal technique, and mastering different gaits. By working with an experienced instructor, riders also learn how to build trust and communication with the horse, which is crucial for safety and effective horsemanship.
Additionally, proper training helps riders understand horse anatomy, care, and health, empowering them to be responsible and compassionate caretakers. Taking lessons ensures that riders develop not only the physical skills required for riding but also the knowledge and confidence needed to handle horses with respect and understanding. This foundation creates a strong, positive relationship between rider and horse, enhancing both the riding experience and the long-term well-being of the horse.
. Advancing
To become a better rider, horse riders need time and consistency. With regular practice, riders gain more control and confidence, learning to manage their horse at any speed and situation.
The more you ride, the easier it becomes to perform basic skills like steering, balancing, and communicating with your horse. Over time, these basics become second nature, allowing riders to focus on more advanced techniques. Consistency and patience are key to improving and becoming a skilled, confident rider.
. True Teamwork
To ride a horse is a privilege, we can never EXPECT them to work for us. We need to be prepared to be the leader when we have a job for horses and need to work together.
As riders, we must create a foundation of trust and respect, allowing for effortless and harmonious partnership with the horses we ride
Groundwork
. Understanding groundwork
Groundwork is essential when it comes to working with horses and building a strong connection. It allows you to check your horse for overall soundness, exercise without being on their back and expand schooling/training possibilities.
To ground work with horses can shift your perspective completely and change the way you communicate with them. Groundwork strengthens your bond with horses and fosters mutual respect between one another.
. Building a Connection
While lunging and groundwork may have a steeper learning curve, once you grasp the basics, it becomes more intuitive. However, mastering these skills takes time and dedication, much like any horsemanship discipline
Natural Horsemanship
. What is Natural horsemanship?
Natural horsemanship is an approach to training and interacting with horses that emphasizes understanding their natural instincts, behaviors, and body language. It focuses on building a partnership between horse and rider through communication, trust, and respect, rather than through force or dominance. This method encourages a more gentle and intuitive way of working with horses, often based on observing how horses interact with each other in the wild.
Key principles of natural horsemanship include:
- Understanding horse behavior: Recognizing how horses communicate through body language and responding to their emotional and physical needs.
- Building trust: Establishing a relationship where the horse feels safe and respected, which helps to foster cooperation.
- Gentle techniques: Using soft, non-violent methods like body positioning, pressure and release, and natural cues to communicate with horses.
- Leadership: Being a calm, consistent, and clear leader for the horse, which helps it feel secure and willing to follow.
Natural Horsemanship is a great way to connect and work with horses. Its ideal to make a strong and effective connection which is ideal for horseback archery.
Ground Archery
.Traditional archery
Traditional archery is a skill that requires a deep mastery of precision, focus, and physical coordination. Horseback archery requires the use of bare bows—bows without sights or stabilizers—and relies on the archer’s intuition, technique and muscle memory to achieve accuracy.
One of the defining techniques is blind nocking, where the archer places an arrow on the bowstring without looking at the nocking point, relying solely on feel and instinct. Traditional archers also practice speed shooting, aiming to shoot rapidly and efficiently while maintaining accuracy, often in fast-paced scenarios like target shooting or hunting. When combined with horseback archery, this skill set becomes even more dynamic.
Horseback archery requires the archer to shoot while riding at any horse gait, balancing precision with the challenge of a moving target, both in terms of horse movement and the archer’s own posture and control. The skill of traditional archery is thus enhanced by the physical demands of riding, and archers must master timing, rhythm, and fluidity in their shots. Historically practiced by warriors and hunters, it remains a thrilling and challenging pursuit for those who seek to connect with this ancient, multifaceted art.
. Practice
Practicing your archery on the ground is essential for becoming good at archery and just as important for horseback archery.
A lot of progress is built on the ground when shooting. From progressing on the ground is when you can apply your skills on horseback.
. Ground Archery is important
Horseback archery requires archers to shoot in motion, balancing precision with the challenge of a moving target, both in terms of horse movement and the archer’s own posture and control. The skill of traditional archery is thus enhanced by the physical demands of riding, and archers must master timing, rhythm, and fluidity in their shots.
Ground archery is essential in order to shoot well on horseback. To improve your accuracy and technique in horseback archery, a large amount of progress is made from ground archery, especially if you can already ride.
. Historical Ground Archery
Lots of my theoretical archery experience and knowledge has come from Deon De Lange, a very experienced historical archer. Knowledge is essential if you want to truly understand what you’re doing. Deon is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about archery and where it stems from.
Here you can find more information about his upcoming events, lessons etc. Chinese Archery South Africa.
Lost Arts Archery is where you can find his historical archery products.
Horseback Archery
. Horseback Archery!
Horseback archery is a unique and exhilarating discipline that blends the ancient skills of archery with the act of riding, requiring not only physical skill but also a deep connection and understanding between the rider and the horse.
At its core, horseback archery is built on natural horsemanship, where the rider and horse develop a strong partnership through clear communication, trust, and mutual respect. This bond fosters confidence and a strong sense of self in both horse and rider, allowing for precise execution of each shot while maintaining clarity and focus. The experience of riding and shooting in harmony with the horse requires time and practice, but the fulfillment of achieving such a balanced partnership is unparalleled. Through this process, both rider and horse grow in skill and trust, making horseback archery not just a sport but a journey of personal and relational growth.
. Requirements
To master horseback archery, the key is to first build a solid foundation in both traditional archery and horseback riding. It’s important to become proficient in archery by practicing proper form, aiming techniques, and shooting at various targets from the ground. Similarly, developing strong riding skills is crucial—learning how to maintain balance, control your horse, and ride smoothly at different gaits is essential.
Once both skills are honed individually, combining them requires steady practice. The rider must be able to shoot while guiding the horse through various movements, whether at a walk, trot, canter, or gallop, all while maintaining focus on their target. Consistent practice with both the horse and the bow will gradually improve accuracy and fluidity, allowing the rider to execute shots with precision while in motion.
. The most important part
Having fun!!
Learning is important and in order to have fun you need to know what you are doing and how you do it. However its contradicting to get all held up in learning without having fun and enjoying what you do.
The act of shooting off of a horse is incredibly fun and exhilarating. Nothing else matters in that moment besides you, your horse, your bow and arrows and the target.
Competing WFEA
. Join The Community
Join the Innate Club and come compete with other horseback archery enthusiasts and connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion!
. What is the WFEA?
The World Federation of Equestrian Archery (WFEA) is an international organization dedicated to promoting and organizing the sport of horseback archery worldwide. Established to unify and support the global community of equestrian archers, the WFEA aims to preserve traditional archery practices while fostering the growth of the sport across different cultures and regions.
The federation works to standardize rules, host international competitions, and provide resources and training for both beginners and experienced practitioners. By connecting enthusiasts, coaches, and athletes, the WFEA plays a vital role in advancing horseback archery as a competitive and recreational activity, while celebrating its rich history and diverse traditions.
Where in South Africa?
Griffins Horse Archery in South Africa is the destination for anyone looking to compete in horseback archery. Led by Daniel Griffin, a certified master from the World Horseback Archery Federation (WFEA), the facility offers expert guidance and a reliable community for both beginners and experienced riders.
The Horses
Our incredible partner’s
Vonkle (R.I.P)
- Brave
- Smart
- Confident
- Cunning
Pioneer
- Sweet
- Tolerant
- Tender
- Introverted
Consi
- Strong
- intelligent
- Sensitive
- Perceptive
Hagrid
- Affectionate
- Tactful
- Fast
- Spirited
Central to the experience of horseback archery are our legs and strength for the sport.
Journey’s End is home to our exceptional horses, each chosen for their temperament, will, and suitability for the sport. From spirited Arabians to sturdy Boerperd, our horses are trained for horseback archery by Kano and her piers.
Whether you’re experienced in riding, archery or a complete beginner, our horses will inspire confidence and trust as you embark on your journey.
Conclusion
Trust between rider and horse is essential for horseback archery, and with Innate Horseback Archery, we prioritize the development of this essential bond as well as technique and overall experience.
Through a combination of ground exercises, riding lessons, and archery practice, you will be well guided in building trust, communication, and mutual respect with the horses you work with.
Innate Horseback Archery practices skill, technique, teamwork and fun! With time, effort and patience you’ll experience the pay off and benefits of horseback archery.
