Karovian Horse Riding

[LuxyLucy 691]

 

ISSUED BY THE HOUSE OF KORTREVICH

c. [577] E.S.

 

 

 

The vast majority of this work was written prior to my previous work on documenting the Hussars and the fall of my homeland, The Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska. As such, some of what is written may be dated in its references. You should know first of all that you will attain this art more by native talent, by acquiring and maintaining good mounts and having the opportunity to ride them regularly, and by living in a household and land that breeds and values good horsemen, than by knowing anything I will write here, or could be written by those who know more about it than I do, in the absence of good and continuous practice and the other advantages I have just listed. But I am writing this documentation to teach those who do not know about such things, and for those who know more, to consolidate in the memory those things that seem good to them, and so that they can teach others, correcting the errors I discuss. Those who wish to possess this art need to have the three main things through which one acquires any art: Great will, adequate ability, and much knowledge. I will express my opinions concerning each of these; and even though ability and will cannot really be taught - since in all matters they are granted by nature and special grace rather than by learning - I will write about them to show the ability we all possess, if we have the will and knowledge.

 

 

⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀I⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Long ago upon windswept grasslands, the world was irrevocably changed. There are few instances in history where one isolated event transforms our world forever and single-handedly leaves a deep and indelible imprint on not just humankind but all the peoples of Godan’s creation. With the first comforting hands-on encounter and reassuring whisper between one daring man and one docile mare, an unbreakable bond was forged, and the future of us all was instantly rewritten. This initial opportune courtship was likely the result of a swaggering teenager being dared by his snickering friends to approach a submissive or wounded mare and jump on its back. Imagine the brave stupidity and pubescent thought process of this spirited youth as he determined impulsively that attempting to mount a large, wild animal was a good idea! It is amazing that any of us survived to reach adulthood. Now try to envision the strutting spectacle that unfolded as this peacocking teen led or rode this horse past the dumbfounded and slack-jawed stares of his friends and family. Horse domestication almost certainly should be understood this way. It is doubtful that any prehistoric genius foresaw the potential capabilities of the wild steppe horse. The first person to climb on a horse was likely an adolescent or child. Some kid probably jumped on the back of a mare as a prank, and everyone looked on in astonishment. Little did they know that at that very moment, this intrepid young horse whisperer had recalibrated the trajectory of all our histories. The domestication of horses is nothing short of an Equine Revolution in transportation, traction, trade, and war. It was the complete transformative package of civilization. When the multifaceted power of the horse was finally harnessed, it permanently altered the fabric of humanity and laid the foundations of history. The horse is the most noble conquest man has ever made. Save for small, secluded herds grazing remote pockets of Aegis, the horse had disappeared across the landscapes of our world. Domestication reigned in the horse from the precipice of extinction. Without human intervention, it is likely that the horse would have followed most large mammals and other equine species into oblivion, only to be resurrected as dusty museum displays.

 

 

Imagine for a moment our story without the historical power of horses. I can safely say that our modern world order and socio-cultural configurations would be completely unrecognizable. We might as well live residing beside another star. With domestication, the destinies of horses and humans were eternally intertwined. Our triumphs and struggles, our accomplishments and failures, and our unfolding story have been forever fused into a single symbolic narrative. The human-horse dyad is the most dominant animal coalition ever witnessed. This ‘Centaurian Pact’ combined the physical and intellectual power of two creatures into a single cohesive unit. Human beings are both literally and figuratively elevated and empowered by horses. The cooperative union represented a qualitative leap in human psychology and physiology that permits man to act beyond their own biological means. Horses allow humanity to circumvent our physical constraints and limitations by redefining and upgrading the capabilities and potential of our species. Possessing a rare combination of size, speed, strength, and stamina, the horse became the pinnacle weapon of war, a political leviathan, a prime economic mover, an agricultural powerhouse, and a universal, multipurpose machine. History marches forward to the cadence of drumming hoofbeats. As much as we think of horses as organic animals, we must also view them as sophisticated machines - one of the oldest and most important inventions in human history. When the heavy burden of transport was lifted from humans and placed on the shoulders of horses and wagons, the modern age of the machine was born. The horse is so paramount and pivotal to human society that the entire existence of our nations would be an impossibility without the historic muscle of our ever-evolving technology, the horse.

 

Meticulous human-induced selective breeding has promoted and enhanced desirable traits in anatomy, temperament, size, speed, and strength. This genetic engineering has enriched the cumulative advancements in training, maintenance, diet, and medicine. The utilitarian potential of this living machine is elevated further with bits, saddles, harnesses, horseshoes, stirrups, Whipple trees, armor, specialized vehicles and plows, and sophisticated equine infrastructure. As a result of these natural and artificial amendments, the horse reaches the apex of biotechnology. The horse is the pinnacle instrument of profit and power. With their unrivaled operative force, they steer and dominate every part of our existence. The horse can be a source of protein, milk, and a variety of secondary products. It is a war-winning weapon, a groundbreaking agricultural engine, and a high-speed vehicle for transportation, trade, and travel. The horse is the prime mover of civilization. Within Mejeni culture horses are classified in several ways, notably function, breed, and color. Some horses are bred for warfare, including types known as the White Comet, Koravian Warmblood, and Kaltblut; others are primarily for riding, such as the hackney, palfrey, ambler, and pacer; and some served for labor, such as sumpters and carthorses. These categories are never absolute, since many horses have to serve multiple purposes, and some types are specifically bred to serve more than one function - the rouncy is one example, usable either as a riding horse or as a light warhorse.

 

 

With the domestication of horses, human greed and curiosity could now be fully realized. The advent of the farming package, agriculture and domestication of barnyard animals sowing vocational specialization, the first urban city-states, and a surplus economy. High-speed communication allowing distant, previously isolated peoples to become neighbors, allies, or enemies. Remote, exotic lands, only whispered in legend and lore, now entered expanding - and increasingly lucrative and multifarious - trading networks within a flourishing but competitive commercial environment. The chariot and mounted cavalry enhanced significantly the ability of avaricious conquerors to establish, expand, and hold vast empires. The horse is the defining factor that hauled, assembled, and secured these foundational building blocks. It single-handedly created an infinitely smaller and integrated world. One of the reasons horses are so historically dynamic and culturally influential is that they eventually became a relatively egalitarian resource. For the most part, their acquisition and reproduction are outside of government control, commercial manufacturing, business monopolies, social status, and economic condition. Horses are self-reproducing, reasonably self-sufficient, and can be acquired through purchase, trade, theft, and even capture. In this sense, they level the playing field through their ability to gain or subvert power. Horses proffer a sense of liberty and endow the individual with a spirit of freedom. Horses transcend demographics, geography, ethnicity, gender, spirituality, class, and station. Horses pull royal carriages and peasant carts. They convey humble merchants to peddling markets and gilded chariots and chivalrous knights to battlefield glory. Horses haul plows across farms and prance in regal parades. Horses belong to all human beings. They changed the way we hunted, traded, traveled.

 

Equipment of the Equine

 

Breeds are most often categorized by their nation of origin. Such as the White Comet horse, which are admired throughout Haense; other internationally important breeds include the Andalucían of Hyspia, Haflinger of Petra, and the Kaltblut from Reinmar. Coloration has always been an easy way to identify individual horses, but Mejeni culture also takes color as an indicator of a horse’s personality and physical abilities. The fundamental structure underlying the Mejeni saddle is the saddletree, consisting of four wooden components. A pair of panels or “bars” lay along the top of the horse’s ribcage, parallel to the spine, serving to distribute the rider’s weight onto the horse’s ribs. These bars are secured to each other via connecting pieces that arch over the horse’s spine in front and back. The front connector is often termed the pommel or saddlebow, the rear connector is the cantle. Padding underneath the tree protects the horse from chafing.

 

This tree apparatus is secured to the horse by a fabric or leather strap passing under the horse’s belly, called the cinch or girth; some saddles are fitted with double girths, at the front and rear of the saddle. More elaborate saddles add to this basic structure. Stirrups, hanging from straps called stirrup-leathers, are suspended from the tree to add greater stability for the rider. For better comfort and appearance, the saddle can be covered with leather and/or fabric. A covered, and sometimes padded, seat made the tree more comfortable for the rider. Leather saddle-flaps provide a protective layer between the rider’s thighs and the horse; the stirrup leathers may lie either over or under these flaps. Elaborate saddles may also be adorned with a decorative saddle-cover of cloth or leather. War-saddles typically have an enlarged pommel and cantle, also termed the front and rear arcons, providing additional protection and stability. The pommel structure may extend downwards to protect the rider’s legs, with a concave shape to better accommodate them; the top can extend upwards to cover the belly. The cantly may curve forward around the rider’s hips to help stabilize him in combat. Since the cantle might absorb considerable impact, it is sometimes reinforced with iron struts that brace it against the bars of the saddletree. Many saddles have padding inside the pommel and cantle to cushion the rider. The specific design of the saddle depends on its purpose: those for heavy cavalry tend to have higher pommels and cantles, those for lighter riding have lower ones. 

 

 

The jousting saddle is an extreme variant of the Mejeni type, having a very deep pommel and cantle and a sharply angular seat shaped like an inverted V: the jouster stands in the stirrups, bracing against the cantle, rather than actually sitting on the saddle, which is not designed for comfortable riding. The rider might use extra cushions to help absorb the shock of impact, and strapping could be applied to the jouster’s body to help stabilize him in the saddle. Toward the other end of the spectrum is the “oslice” saddle adopted from the Karovians, having a relatively low pommel and cantle along with a long seat, allowing it to be ridden with short stirrups and flexed legs. The typical Mejeni stirrup consists of a loop of metal, flat across the bottom or “tread” where the rider’s foot rests, and arching across the top, with a small loop at the apex to accommodate the stirrup-leather. The Karovian saddle uses trapezoidal-sided stirrups that encase most of the foot - Dszamila calls them “covered stirrups”. For some purposes, especially jousting, the stirrups may be secured in place with bindings.

 

One of the most important means of communication between the rider and horse is the contact between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth established through the reins and bit. The bit consists of a solid or jointed mouthpiece of metal that rests on the gummed “bars” of the horse’s mouth, behind the front teeth and in front of the molars. The bit is held in the horse’s mouth by the headstall, a system of leather straps around the horse’s head. Collectively, the entire apparatus is known as the bridle. Different horses have various levels of responsiveness to the bit: a horse who is relatively unresponsive is said to have a “hard mouth”. Such horses call for a more severe bit, as do situations where extra responsiveness is required. Most Karovian bits can be classed as snaffle or curb bits. The simplest and gentlest form is the snaffle, in which the reins attach directly to rings at the ends of the mouthpiece. More severe, and more typical for The Marian Retinues warhorses, is the curb bit. Here the mouthpiece rotates on perpendicular “shanks” at its ends: the upper end of each shank fastened to a strap of the headstall passing behind the horse’s head, and the lower end attached to the reins. 

 

When the reins are tensed, the leverage of the shank exerts a powerful action on the horse’s mouth, while also exerting pressure on the back of the horse’s head. This leverage is made possible by the curb, a strap that fastens to the shanks of the bit, passing under the horse’s chin. The curb acts as a fulcrum against the horse’s jaw when the reins are tensed; it also makes it harder for the horse to evade the pressure of the bit. The mouthpiece of the curb bit often arches upwards inside the horse’s mouth: when the reins are tensed, this arch or “port” presses up against the horse’s palate, further intensifying the pressure of the bit’s action. The harsher action of the curb bit helps the rider control their horse amidst the stress and distraction of battle. Some curb bits are designed to accommodate two sets of reins, one attached to snaffle rings at the end of the mouthpiece, the other attached to the bottom of the shanks, allowing the bridle to function as either a snaffle or curb. The Karovian spur came in two basic types. The simple “prick” spur has a fixed spike at the heel, which may be more or less sharp depending on its use and the nature of the horse. Karovian spurs are a variant of the prick type. The “Mejeni” spur has a rotating wheel of a multi-pointed star-shape.

 

Since the Mejeni saddle requires the rider to extend their legs, with their heels at some distance from the horse’s flank, the accompanying spurs often have a long shaft to reach the horse. The elongated design appeals to the Ruskan aesthetic and is often exaggerated in high-fashion spurs. The stirrup-iron, the main metallic portion of the stirrup, is secured to the foot with leather straps, by means of buckles, hooks, or studs that hinge on rings at the terminal points of the iron. As Dszamila tells me, a horseman’s manner of riding needs to be adapted to their equipment and circumstances: each style of equipment is optimized for riding in different ways for specific purposes. The classic riding style of The Marian Retinue is known by its Ruskan name Uzda or “bridle” style, in which the rider’s legs are extended and somewhat forward, the rider braces toward the rear of the saddle, and often sitting against the cantle rather than in the seat. This position limits the degree of contact between the rider’s legs and the horse, requiring a correspondingly heavier reliance on the bit for communication, typically using a curb bit. Ruskan riding is optimized for the armored heavy cavalry tactics of The Marian Retinue, and above all for the shock impact of attacking with a couched lance.

 

Contrasting with the Uzda style is the Karovian-influenced Mejeni style, in which the rider sits in the center of the saddle with their legs flexed and held closer to the horse’s flank. This type of riding allows for more contact between the rider’s legs and the horse, permitting closer communication between the horse and rider, and facilitating the agile light-cavalry tactics favored by the Mejeni and eventually imitated by light cavalry in Hanseti-Ruskan armies. The Mejeni style is particularly suited for spear throwing, since the rider can easily rise in the stirrups to put extra power and height behind the throw. While the shock tactics of heavy cavalry operations represent the core of chivalric horsemanship, this is not the limit of The Marian Retinue’s equestrian range: as my borsa Andrei points out, they need to ride in different styles under various circumstances. The equestrian skills of The Marian Retinue are best showcased in the hunt, in which an unarmored rider engages in close-quarters confrontation with extremely dangerous prey: Andrei focuses on the bear and boar, though also mentions the bull. Andrei makes clear, equestrian hunting requires extensive training for both horse and rider, and the stakes are high: incompetent riding could result in the death of horse or hunter. Andrei tells me: the horse, rider, and lance functions as a single integrated system that can only be understood as a whole. Andrei uses the verb ovládat “wield” with technical force to describe the use of the spear tucked under the armpit in the “couched” position. Andrei calls this position podpaží “underarm”, as opposed to using the weapon overhand as a spear. A rider using the spear underarm is said to “joust”, even when hunting.

 

 

The lance is about eleven feet long, usually made of ash wood. As Andrei mentions, it can be used with or without a lance-rest and grapper. The lance-rest is a steel hook affixed to the right side of the breastplate, near the armpit. The grapper is a leather ring that slips over the butt of the lance. When the lance is couched, the lance sits in the curve of the rest, with the grapper butting against the front of the rest. The rest serves as a fulcrum to help manage the lance, and at the moment of encounter it transmits the shock from the grapper into the wielder’s breastplate and torso. By transmitting the impact directly to the core of the body, it reduces the risk of injury to the wielder’s arm, while also reducing the play in the system, which allows for a more powerful blow to the target. Managing the lance in the couched position is challenging, and the weapon is normally carried upright or on the shoulder. When held upright, the butt may rest on the saddle or rider, with the lance angling forward and slightly to the right. As Andrei mentions, the butt may rest on the thigh; it can be wedged between the thigh and saddle; or it could be slipped into a small leather pouch attached to the rider’s armor, saddle, or stirrup. Getting the lance from the carrying position to the couched position is challenging, especially when the rider is armored, and Andrei offers careful instruction on how best to manage this: lifting the lance, clearing the armor, settling it into rest, and finally lowering the point. The concluding action would be completed shortly before the setkání “encounter” the term in Koravian for the moment of impact with a couched lance.

 

Equine Psychology

 

Spoiler

 

 

Andrei offers a tremendous amount of valuable detail about equestrian practices of the chivalric class: training, equipment, sports, even clothing. Though for all Andrei’s knowledge in the psychology of the horseman, I have found Dszamila’s contrast in the psychology of the horse, which encourages the rider to understand the horse’s emotions in order to improve communication and control. Dszamila is clearly aware of the role of psychology in shaping a horse’s relationship to the rider: “Once the horse has experienced the beatings on the head and between the ears, it will be sufficient to punish him with a harsh voice, and with a very light touch which you can reduce or increase as his trickery reduces or increases, and even more when you know that he is naturally of two minds and of two hearts due to the quality of his coat and his markings. And know that there is no greater terror or punishment for him than the human voice. The voice will never confuse him, distract him, make him forget himself, humiliate him, make him flee, dishearten him, nor make him despair, as beatings with a stick will often do, although these often yield great results and from these arise infinite virtues as well. It is necessary that these should be used in a timely manner, followed by patting him. And with these methods, make him recognize that his own error was the cause of his punishment.”

 

Dszamila acknowledges that the horse is a thinking, feeling creature whose internal world parallels that of human beings, emphasizing that the horse’s emotions play a major role in the equestrian equation: “Nobody in the world, not the shrewdest, or the wisest, if they were put into the form of a horse . . . could find more subtle ways to oppose a man than a horse will; I would say. When I conclude that the horse must know you are his master: that is, he must fear you, then he will love you for his own sake. Fear is the sure hold, for fear is all things in this world, love little, and therefore let your horse fear you.” Andrei discussed both of the main forms of tournament sports of our period, the tourney and the joust. The tourney, sometimes termed a rvačka or “melee”, involves two teams of riders striking at each other with blunt cudgels or swords - in some cases the goal is to strike off the heraldic crests fastened to the rider’s helms, but usually the outcome is determined by a qualitative evaluation of the performances by a panel of judges, Andrei advices that the tourneyer should choose tactics that maximize their visibility and impressiveness.

 

The joust pits individual riders against each other, charging one another with lances. Jousts can take a variety of forms: one such variant is the souboj míru or “joust of peace”, involving specialized equipment designed specifically for the sport, in contrast with the souboj válek or “joust of war”, which uses battlefield equipment with only a few modifications for added safety. In the souboj míru, the jousters wear armor that is more encumbering and protective than battlefield armor, including a jousting helm strapped to the torso armor in front and back for greater rigidity. This helm maximizes protection to the jouster at the cost of mobility and vision, though contrary to persistent myth, the jouster does not lean back at the moment of impact to close off their eyeslot against shards from a shattered lance - a myth clearly debunked by Andrei’s emphasis on the importance of keeping one’s eye on the target. The lance has a three-pronged plukovník or “coronel” point that spreads the impact, increasing the likelihood of a dramatic hit, and prevents penetration of the eyeslot. Such lances also have a conical steel vamplate that slips over the shaft just in front of the hand, providing extra protection to the wielder. Jousters often wear shields that serve as a target for their opponent, although hits on the helm are considered superior to those on the shield. Jousters are separated from each other by a barrier called a tilt. Originally made of cloth on a wooden framework, they’re now constructed entirely of wood.

 

Alekszej mentions a Mejeni tournament sport of kutya játékok, “cane games”. This sport derives from the tactics of Mejeni cavalry: At the signal to begin, opposing teams dash at breakneck speed across the arena, casting blunted javelins at each other and then wheel around to return, protecting their backs with their shields as they retreat. The movements are repeated until men and horses are completely exhausted. Apart from kutya játékok, throwing sports are well established as a chivalric pastime, serving to hone battlefield and hunting skills as well as fostering physical strength and agility. Alekszej offers considerable technical detail on throwing, with specific recommendations on how to throw javelins both on foot and on horseback. Alekszej also tells of a tribal practice of vaulting on horsebacks. According to him, the renowned rider would, “leap from the ground onto a large man mounted on a large horse to ride on his shoulders, only grabbing him by the sleeve to help himself up; and placing one hand on the pommel of the saddle on a large horse, with the other grabbing the mane near its ears, he would spring over his arms from the ground to the other side of the horse”.

 

 

We will receive help or discomfort in riding from our own outfit - the spurs, gear, style of jupon, overgarment, belt, and what we wear on our head. Our footwear should be tight in the middle of the foot, with the toes slender, a bit long, comfortable, and without a long tip. If it is very slender, and broad in the middle, the foot will hurt and will get tired more quickly. If it is short, hard, or tight in the toes, or has a long tip, the foot will be unable to flex well or firm itself in the stirrup. The spurs should have strong irons, fittings, and leathers, and they should be positioned correctly. The length should be suitable for the saddle in which we are riding, and what we have to do. We should be equipped in such a way that all our legwear is close-fitting, for it will make us ride steadier and firmer, and not loose - yet not so much that it impedes or inhibits us. If we are riding Mejeni-style, the legwear should be fuller and less fitted.

 

The jupon should be made such that it does not constrict or catch anywhere, nor should it cause encumbrance or impediment. It should not be so broad that the body is entirely loose; if it is close-fitting, it should not make us uncomfortable at the collar. If the skirt is long, we should take care that the lacing-points sit above the rear arcon when riding in a Karovian saddle, lest they get untied somewhere if the jupon is open on the sides or ties so tight that its skirt cannot pass beyond the arcon. The overgarment should be reasonably short, as is the custom, with sleeves that are light and not oversized. All riders will certainly find themselves stronger if they are efficiently and lightly clothed than if they are encumbered or wearing garments that impede them. What is said of overgarments also applies to armor, for the lighter and more efficiently a rider is armed in whatever they have to do, the stronger they will find themselves. Some people believe they are harder to shift out of the saddle if they are weighted down, but I believe they will find themselves in a worse position, and slower if they get off balance, so that the benefit is outweighed by the loss. As for being strong in defense, I do not deny that it can be helpful.

 

Our overgarments should be loose fitted, like mantles and surcoats, or others of such fashion that they can be worn easily. If you have to wear a belt, it should be belted at the middle, and tight. If your body feels uncomfortable when it is held down tightly, you should gird yourself low and high, with the belt tight enough to hold itself in place or attached at the sides so that it does not slip. You should not wear a great hood or capuchon on your head, but a small one, or a brimmed hat: on a lively mount you will certainly find anything heavy or inhibiting on your head to be a great encumbrance. You do not need to worry about these things for riding on every mount, but only on a mount that is very active - in that situation, whatever you try to do, you will generally find that a small factor produces great hindrance. And beyond what I write, everyone can experiment to find out what they find advantageous. Every discerning person will certainly find great advantage in the things they have to do, if they start by guarding against anything that can bring them injury or interference. And one of the surest forms of learning that we can acquire is from our own experience. Therefore, you should observe closely and recognize what brings you benefit and seems better; for in this and all things most people have their individual ways that they find greatly helpful or hindering, while others find it differently.

 

 

⋅ ───────────────⊱༺⠀II⠀༻⊰─────────────── ⋅

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

Instructions for striking with the spear overhand

 

To strike well overhand, you should heed these precepts:

First you should consider whether it is against something rigid, such as armor or a thick-skinned board, or if you are striking in a spot that is unarmored and of such a nature that the spear penetrates easily. If you are striking a strong target, firm the spear well in your hand, relax your arm, and with fluidity deliver the greatest blow you can; for that will do all the injury, and it will not help at all to bear down on it. If you are striking on something unarmored that the spear can easily penetrate, you should not have trouble lifting your arm much but squeeze the spear in your hand and hold it poised with your body, with your elbow high. When you strike, bear down on it and put your arm into it with the spear. This way sometimes you deliver the blow with four forces: First, with the motion of the horse. Second, with the initial striking of the arm. Third, with the body weight. Fourth, put your hand into it with the spear as much as you can.

 

If you know how to do this well, you can pass right through even a bear, bull, or boar, if you plant the blow well and choose a good spear, and do not come up against any bones that get in the way. When you strike this way, you should intend to pass right through from one side to the other; for if you intend only to strike, once the spear hits the surface, you go no further, while if you try to pass right through, and accustom yourself to doing this, your body and arm continue to bear down on the spear until it passes no further. Those who are good riders, very fluid and sure, do it with such dispatch that others who see it, if they don’t have good knowledge of it, would take it for a single blow.  For further explanation, those who hunt big game can do so three ways: with the quarry coming toward them, fleeing them, or with hounds holding them. When you come at the joust, the best way is to hold your hand still near your face, with your elbow high, and prepare to encounter so that it collides into the spear as if you had it underarm; as it hits the target, put your strength behind it wherever it strikes, bearing down on it. This way you plant the weapon better and deliver a much greater spear-blow, if it is something the spear can penetrate. Those who lift their arm often miss, with the quarry passing before they can strike.

 

If it is running away as you come to it, to strike it more readily, you should not wait until you catch right up with it, but before you get there put your body and arm forward. It often happens that in striking this way the animal comes to you and turns to bear down onto the spear, and you can deliver great blows this way. This manner of striking gives rise to a hazard, for as the quarry does this, feeling that it has been struck, it turns between the horse’s forefeet, and since your body is forward, it is hard to keep from falling, for the forward force without help of the reins throws you. And to give a bigger and more certain blow, it is best not to hasten until you have caught right up with it, and strike bearing downward on the spear, not putting the body forward. If the hounds have the quarry, the blow should be delivered with your arm held close in to you, and not lifting it much, and keeping the horse reined in, targeting from a distance; do not stop the horse at the moment of striking, but urge it quickly forward, and as you arrive turn it aside, and immediately strike where you mean to, without inhibition of will. For if you stop and strike standing still, you will always deliver a smaller and slower blow. Those who know how to do it well can strike quite safely in the presence of two or three dogs without being slowed down, displaying great fluidity through such mastery; even if the horse passes by, provided you keep the horse reined in, you can bear down with your body and arm to give a great spear-blow.

 

To bring any quarry to the ground, Andrei has found a particular technique if you have a spear with a strong shaft and a well secured head: in striking, if you enter well and pull it across with a jolt, bearing down toward the ground, it works like a lever, so that few animals can keep from falling, especially if done with the motion of the horse. But many spears get broken this way. When a dog gets the boar, you should take this advice: see whether the boar continues along with the dog or turns. If it goes straight, it is good to run as fast as you can, and strike it; if it turns around, it is better to run more reined in. With any of these ways, in order to hunt well and display good fluidity, it is better to strike in passing than after you stop.

 

 

How to throw a javelin

 

Four things are necessary for someone who wants to throw a javelin well: First, to throw far. Second, accurately. Third, safely, keeping themself and their horse from falling. Fourth, elegantly. As to the first, whoever wants to do it well should practice first on foot, throwing javelins that would be reasonable to use on horseback: it is natural for people to learn throwing this way, and you cannot hope to throw well from horseback, something you have not first learned to throw on foot. In throwing on foot, some people bear the javelin low as they run, and others high, and throw it from there. The former to Alekszej seems the better way for throwing on horseback. To deliver a great throw from horseback, you should start by itching yourself with a javelin shaft blunted on both ends for your safety. Bringing the horse to the canter, work to relax your arm as if you were throwing on foot, and release it high and smoothly, having squeezed it in your hand, well aimed for distance; for when the javelin is released this way, the motion of the horse makes it travel much further than you might think. You should practice this way at the center for a while, so that you can get better at all these precepts, especially the fling of the arm, for few do it well enough. And among other things you should know how to recognize the forward balance you should give the javelin to make it go smoothly, and as you run, squeeze on it so that, when you throw it, the point goes straight where you want it to go.

 

Once you have been able to do this for a few days at the canter using such a shaft, you can practice with any other projectiles on horseback, always practicing throwing a javelin more than anything else. On foot, avoid using a bar or other heavy projectile, or one very light, which can wrench your arm; throwing a spear on horseback should never cause pain, if your arm is not already injured. The benefit of these two kinds of throwing motions is minimal for someone who is a good thrower on horseback. If you want to make a long throw, you should have a horse with a Mejeni saddle with short stirrups, as is customary, and it should run well and have a somewhat hard mouth; you should use a javelin that is appropriately sized for you, keeping your arm fluid and limber. Run on a flat course with your back to the wind, and when you reach the first houses of the city, fling the spear with your arm, not tightening on the bit at all except after throwing.

 

This way you should throw about a third further than on foot. Alekszej has tested this, having made a throw that exceeded sixteen javelin-lengths; in his jupon with the same javelin, he could reach little more than eleven. He offers this example here for everyone to recognize whether he has reached his potential in this art, realizing the advantage that he can get with his javelin on horseback compared to when he throws on foot. When you want to throw, you should also do your best to avoid all the contraries of the aforementioned advantages that you should ensure to make great throws. And because the baulking of the horse at the moment of throwing is a major impediment, to make sure you avoid this, once you start the run, you should not apply the spurs heavily before you throw, but let him run as he wants, and just before you throw, give him the spurs hard again, and as his gait picks up, promptly throw with the least possible delay.

 

To throw accurately, you should consider whether the throw is short or long. If it is long, help yourself with your skill at throwing and throw it as far in advance as you estimate the quarry can go before the javelin arrives; this throw will have a chance of hitting. If it is short, you should not throw straight ahead, since that is dangerous and not so accurate, but let it go it to whichever side suits you or the situation; affix your gaze on the shoulder of the quarry, and aim it there, throwing high and easily, as if you were playing at the javelin, not making such great account of trying to deliver a powerful throw as of planning it. For if the javelin goes smoothly from the hand, the motion of the horse usually makes it deliver a great enough blow. If you throw standing still, as often happens for hunters, and it is reasonably close, you should observe the same manner of throwing high and easily. To throw safely, you need only observe two things. First, you should never throw straight in front of you. Second, you should practice that as the javelin leaves your hand, you turn your horse in the opposite direction from where you are throwing. To do it elegantly, you should heed three things. First, you must have a suitable horse, saddle, outfit, and javelin. Second, you should keep your feet, legs, and body still, and principally throw with your arm; and you should not unsteady yourself from the saddle when you throw. Third, observing the aforementioned precepts, you should deliver a powerful and smooth throw with the javelin.

 

How to strike with a sword

 

As to teaching how to strike well with a sword, Dima has told me of four ways that one can strike on horseback. First, with a horizontal forehand cut. Second, with a backhand cut. Third, with a vertical cut from high to low. Fourth, with a thrust. She considers the first and second best for striking an opponent on horseback. To deliver a great blow forehand, you should strike with the motion of the horse and body and with the flow of the arm all together. It is very suitable in tourneying; for if one strikes standing still, just with the arm, you deliver a rather weak blow, but with the motion of the horse and the flow of the body and the arm combined, the blow will be considerably greater. Here is a rule for anyone who wishes to deliver fine blows in a tourney: you should normally strike while in motion, firming yourself on your legs, relaxing your body and arm, squeezing the sword well in your hand; and do not deliver the blow straight across or vertically, but obliquely downwards. And for this you should not make tight turns in a grand tourney, nor focus your attention on one opponent, unless to get such an advantage against him from behind or the side as will please you in order to display your great mastery.

 

If you are riding a good horse who is responsive to the spurs, bold, and well trained, at the first clash get each of your targets, and stay reined in to avoid an unexpected fall, as happens to many at such times. And after you first meet an opponent, always strike in a specific place, and once you deliver to one, afterwards go to another without worrying about turning around until you have passed the entire field, seeking the most visible places on the field. And where you see some of your teammates standing close to the opponents, striking hard among them, scattering them with the impetus of the horse, pass quickly and go to strike someone else. This way you obtain these advantages: First, you are highly visible, because you seek in every direction. Second, you give greater strokes, because you strike whomever it suits you: and you will find many who are well placed for you to strike at will without any obstruction. Third, you and your horse work more easily, for you do not have to tire it with running or turning but generally bring it to a canter when you wish to make a particular arrival.

 

Also, since you deliver your blows at intervals, your arm does not get tired. The reverse will happen if you tourney with just a single opponent: if you go back and forth on your horse to strike, each time the opponent must gain an advantage, for it makes work for both you and your horse; and if you strike standing still, your arm soon becomes tired, and the small intervals between the blows make them appear rather weak to the onlookers. To strike with a reverse, you should do it solely with the flow of the arm, and likewise in battle when necessary. The cut from high to low can rarely deliver a great blow to someone else on horseback. With men on foot or games animals, whom you can strike this way, you should never pull with the sword, which will make it cut less, and easily strike your foot or horse, but bear downwards on the blow with all your body, squeezing the sword well in your hand; this way you will deliver a much greater blow, other things being equal with the sword and the thing you are striking.

 

Striking with a thrust is much like a spear used overhand, striking with the arm and bearing down behind it. And you can strike a quarry at a distance straight in front of yourself, and on the outside, in order to keep it from making a turn into the horse’s face when it feels itself injured. The safest is to strike it with a thrust on the outside going across. One should also practice mounting from the ground without any aid on the saddle, and without anyone else holding the horse by the reins or by either of the stirrups. Along with practicing this from both the right and left sides, sometimes holding a spear in hand, and at others even doing it in full armor. Along with remounting from one horse to another on both sides; and it is better to go from the smaller to the larger, or if they are of equal size, then to position the one you are mounting on higher ground, or to grab onto someone standing on foot between them. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

How to strike with the spurs

 

And now I will write instructions on how to strike with the spurs, the styles of spurs, and how mounts should sometimes be governed with a rod or stick. In striking with spurs people err by excess, omission, or not observing the situation or reasonable manner. Some people err by excess, if the mount goes slowly, owing to limited knowledge and bad habits: they repeatedly goad it, making it recalcitrant. If the horse is naturally lazy and reluctant, this practice increases the problem, for things much used make less feeling. This same issue arises in running: if the horse tends to baulk, constant application of the spurs will make it increase greatly in this habit; if it is frisky, such a practice will make it more so. In doing a great run, there is nothing that causes greater impediment than excessive striking with the spurs, for if a horse is sufficient for running a league in a reasonable manner when it is temperately struck, excessive spurring will make it lose speed within a single bowshot. In addition, excessive and inappropriate striking with the spurs will make it less responsive to direction and become badly bitted. All these evils come to the mount from excessive use of the spurs, leading to displeasure, danger, obstruction, exhaustion, and bad appearance in all the principal things by which good riders are recognized, which come from good striking with the spurs as required in every situation.

 

Therefore, when you do more than you should, good riders judge it for a fault, and it makes you look bad: steadiness is one of the things that looks good on horseback, and excessive striking with the spurs makes the rider unsteady, taking away a large part of their good appearance. Some riders err by omission owing to fear of their mount, as we can see in those who are afraid to give it the spurs when they should. Others do the same by excess of will, through their desire to strike something happens to them, so in fear they hastily shake their legs to get away and fail to make contact with the spurs. By these examples we can recognize how people fail through omission in these cases and other similar ones. When some riders joust, the moment they begin the course, they strike the horse with the spurs, and so apply them for the entire course, if they are accustomed to run hard, or the horse does not go well; and the moment before they arrive at the encounter, they cease to strike it. And because the horse fears the arrival of the opponent when it is near, and because it no longer feels the spurs, it baulks or turns aside. The opposite happens if, as the horse enters into its course, you do not give it the spurs, and just before you arrive at the encounter, you strike reasonably hard depending on what the mount requires; this way, if its will is not already fearful, it will run the course straight.

 

Another is in throwing something, for here again some riders spur their mounts excessively at the beginning, and when they throw, they make such a show of correcting themselves, ceasing to strike them, that soon they make them baulk. They should use the spurs little in the beginning, and continue this way prior to throwing, then apply them hard, and at once throw promptly without delay. There are many different styles of spurs: some people wear them straight of moderate size; short, curving downwards; very long and some curving upwards; some with a wheel, others with a cylinder. All this serves for various purposes: the straight ones of moderate length, for saddles that are of Auvergnian design, are generally good for all mounts and times; those with a cylinder and those with wheels which are considered more elegant and safer for the mounts are helpful not to strike them as hard, although it bothers the horse more if they have long spikes. The downward-turning ones are good for willful horses, so that the legs can enclose them better, and the horse does not feel it so much. Long ones are worn with leg-armor, and for some people who cannot or do not know how to strike well with others. The upturned ones allow you to spur with less effort for small mounts who require a lot.

 

Owing to little knowledge and understanding, some people wear them without considering the situation or reason, wearing the very long and upturned ones on both good horses and willful ones, which is entirely backwards. Therefore, anyone who can, should consider the situation, the nature of their legs, and what the mount is like. And if they have no more than a single pair, they should wear straight ones of moderate length, but with short and small spikes, for these are generally best for all times and any kind of mount. Mejeni spurs are good short, and with a small, thick spike. All spurs, of whatever fashion, should have strong irons, fittings, and leathers, so that our feet are placed just right, and the buckle sits in its place for good appearance and use; for you will need their help when you least expect it, and if they are weak, they will fail, and their failure will bring even greater failings. Therefore, they should be good, well made, and strong, and of a fashion that you feel is suitable for the mount you are riding, the nature of your legs, and what you have to do. In training mounts at the outset, people give their instructions with light whips. This is done so that the spurs will not give them the habit of baulking, recoiling, sucking back, or not running straight; if we use spurs, new mounts often show one of these faults. They use whips before sticks, to make the horse fear correction beyond the actual pain. It is also done to avoid developing unsteadiness in the face for fear of the bit; for horses rotate and turn more naturally with whips than with bits. 

 

Once they are made to run in pairs, in addition to the spurs people strike them with the rod, to make them run more, increasing the fear of the blow of the rod above the striking of the spurs. Next, when horses show the vice of biting, pulling to the left, or being rebellious, people correct it in part with the stick. At moments of need, often owing to breaking of the bit or curb, or losing the bit, rides avoid great dangers with the stick, applying it in the face and making the horse turn to a wall or such a spot where it is held forcibly in place; and if they cannot find one, they go uphill, so that it becomes tired with the pain of the spurs; or they use it to turn aside from dangerous places. Considering these benefits that one receives at such times, it is a good custom when riding to bear a stick or rod in the hand, so that you can take advantage of it when needed. Here is some advice from Dszamila as pertaining to how one should attend to lameness, pain, weakness, tiredness, bad manners or vices of the mount. One could offer various general precepts on this subject; but lords and others who can, should avoid riding such mounts, and those who do not have others horses, should run and walk them with great care according as they sense their shortcomings, being mindful of where they are going and what they may or must do on such mounts, paying attention to the hand, reins and spurs.

 

If your mount is lame in the chest, forelegs, or forefeet, or bears down on the bit from tiredness, or strikes its sinews with its shoes, or drags its forefeet, you should be especially careful on the lower slopes of mountains, or hard or rocky ground, even if it is muddy. If the horse bars down forward, going low in the forefeet and forelegs through deficiency or bad habit, or has trouble getting through scrub that is thick or encumbered with mud, water, or brush, you should be very cautious. If the horse is deficient in the hindlegs, of weak loins, tries to dislodge the saddle, has weak lungs, is weak or tired, or its girths slip when climbing, you should take care, for its weakness can greatly impede or hamper the rider. If the horse drags its hindlegs, is frisky, skittish and excessively eager, you should take special care on steep paths, narrow roads, and tight passages. If the horse carelessly crosses its forelegs, runs foolishly, or is very lame, you should be wary of it in all kinds of places, for they are all dangerous. You should be careful of the vices of mounts in every place and time especially in those instances that entail the greatest potential danger or disgrace. You should be very careful of mules in mud, or rough or deep water. You should be careful with jealous mounts, for they never lack a target and opportunity to show their vices. If the horse does not see well, or is poorly bitted, or very lively, you should be more cautious in places thick with trees, watercourses, furrows, pits, stony hillocks, and in thunderstorms, for in such situations one cannot easily turn aside from such dangers. If the horse runs the scrubland jumping on its forelegs with its weight forward, or puts its weight on the bit, or is weak in the forelegs, you should be especially careful of places with rabbit-warrens and very wet moors.

 

The Composite Bow

 

Shooting a composite bow is a dynamic and thrilling form of archery. It is done with flair, punch and attack. It is done standing, kneeling, walking, running; it is done from the platform of thundering chariots and from the back of galloping horses. The materials - wood, horn, sinew - sing in the hand; their oscillations in tune with the body. Composite bows are smooth to draw, both because of their cleverly engineered designs and because of the perfect elasticity of these components. A true horn-and-sinew composite bow is a superior bow. Composite bows have appeared in a diverse array of sculptural forms - beautiful shapes that change dramatically through the various stages of being strung and drawn. To protect the component materials from the weather, composite bows often have coverings of either bark or leather; they are then frequently painted with opulent decoration before being sealed with a lacquer. Composite bows are not only highly efficient weapons; they are also exquisite works of art.

 

A composite bow is ‘composed of three or more layers of dissimilar materials’. This distinguishes it from a self bow, which is one that is made from a single homogenous material, such as a wooden bow from yew or elm and a laminated bow, a bow is a spring. Bending the limbs stores elastic potential energy, which is then released when the bow is shot. The heavier the draw-weight of the bow, the more energy is generated. However, the efficiency of composite-bow materials and design means that less effort has to be expended for a performance equivalent to that of a self or laminated bow. Composite bows are a high-status weapon - they are expensive. Manufacturing requires highly developed skills and takes a long time. The glue used to bond the sinew and horn are slow to dry, and a composite bow takes at least several months in the making. There is a correlation between how long a bow is left to dry and set in a pre-stressed shape before moving to the next stage of manufacture and the resultant power of that bow. The strongest bows take one or even two years to produce, and that gives them considerable value. Despite their expense, composite bows are used in large numbers, both by regiments of infantry archers and massed troops of horse-archers. Even so, this widespread employment does nothing to diminish the high standing of the composite bow among warrior elites - it remains an aristocratic weapon of choice. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Geometry

 

There are two essential elements to a composite bow - the geometry and the materials. To begin with the geometry: bow-limbs that bend away from the archer are known as reflex and those that bend towards the archer are known as deflex. A combination of reflex and deflex is called a recurve. Composite bows appear in a variety of forms but they are all, to a greater or lesser extent, recurve bows. There is a trade-off of benefits between reflex and deflex, and the search for the perfect bow led to an extraordinary diversity in bow designs. One distinct advantage of a recurve bow is that the design, combined with the powerfully elastic properties of the materials, induces the limbs to return with an accelerating velocity; this in turn transfers into arrow speed. To deliver an equivalent performance with a non-recurve self-bow would require a heavier draw-weight. Secondly, a recurve design requires less work from the archer to draw the bow to its full extent. When drawing a bow, the ends of the bow do not bend, but rather act as levers. With a relatively straight-limbed bow, there comes a point where the tips pass an optimal angle and no longer offer mechanical advantage to bending the limbs. At this point the archer perceives an increase in the effort required to draw the bow, a phenomenon known as stacking. It feels harder to pull, yet there has been no actual increase in either power or draw-weight. Once the tips cease to act as levers, the archer is in effect trying to stretch the limbs rather than to bend them. By changing the angle of the energy transfer, the recurve limbs of a composite bow, acting like crowbars, permit the archer to draw a bow of comparable draw-weight for significantly less muscular exertion.

 

Contact recurve bows, having long tips that sweep away from the archer, offer an additional advantage to the archer  - ‘let off’. Although he has to push through an initial resistance at the commencement of the draw, as the levers reach the appropriate angle, he would feel a distinct let-off in draw-weight. This in turn enables him to hold at full draw for longer. The downside of this design is that with beefed-up tips and string bridges, there is an addition of mass to the limb: mass that requires energy to shift - energy that would otherwise have been transferred to the arrow. With a non-contact recurve bow, there remains some degree of lever advantage; and because the angle is more torsionally stable, the tips could be made thinner and lighter, which enables a more efficient energy transfer to the arrow. Every design modification in the composite bow’s many manifestations have both advantages and consequences.

 

Origins

 

The discovery of the advantages offered by a recurve design may have coincided with the early adoption of composite materials. Adding a sinew backing to strengthen a wooden bow seems the most likely first step; sinew’s value as a strong and elastic material was well understood by early peoples. Compared to wood fibres, sinew fibres have a greater capacity to stretch before breaking, and the back of a bow (the part facing away from the archer) stretches the fibres a great deal on bending. Moreover, the sinew is applied wet in an adhesive solution and it shrinks as it dries. This shrinkage compresses the wood fibres so that they in turn are also more resilient to being pulled apart under tension. As the drying sinew shrinks it also pulls the tips of the bow away from the archer and creates a basic reflex design. Sinew-backed bows with their higher tolerance of tensile failure enables shorter bows to be made. This is especially useful in areas where long billets of suitably elastic bow-woods such as yew or elm are not available. Even where such woods are available, shorter sinew-backed bows are widely used, possibly because hunters seeking concealment in low brush prefer them and because they offer greater power and general toughness.

 

 

Simple composites of wood and sinew produce very serviceable bows, but the next step is to enhance the power of the limbs by adding horn. Shorter bows are particularly suited to this improvement because continuous strips of horn, whether from water buffalo, bighorn sheep or mountain goats, are limited in size. The inherent ‘springiness’ of horn, especially its ability to store energy under compression, makes it the ideal material to complement the tensile strength of sinew. However, the essential advance that enables the genesis of true composite bows is the discovery of the right types of glue. Only hide and fish glues have the strength and pliability to bond the sinew, and the horn, to a wooden core. The elasticity of these glues also contribute to the overall spring and resilience of composite bows. Exceptionally, some Norn bows have the sinew bound to the wooden core with an elaborate knot system because of the difficulties of manufacturing appropriate glues in extremely cold temperatures. Although the wooden core remains important to hold the bow in shape, in particular resisting torque, and although it continues to assist in the delivery of elastic power, its main function is to act as a framework for the shape of the bow. With everything held in place by multiple layers of sinew, the wooden core is able to take on elaborate shapes created by a series of joins. It could therefore be used to build engineered geometries that would optimize the potential energy created by the horn, the sinew and the wood when under strain.

 

Materials

 

In general, maple is the wood of choice for making the core. Not only does maple have a fine, straight grain and good elastic properties, it also bonds securely with adhesives: Maple accepts glue exceedingly well, and is one of the best-gluing of all cabinet woods. For the finest bows the tree has to be felled when growth is dormant, and a single bole of maple produces sufficient timber for only two bows. Karovian bows famously use the horn of Koravian Grey cattle, one might think of the horn as the muscles of the bow and the wooden core as its skeleton. To extend this analogy, we must also think of the work done by the tendons in an animal body, and this is exactly the role provided by sinew in the composite bow. It is what holds it all together under tremendous strain and it also lends a great deal of elastic power to the flex and return of the limbs. Animal sinew, when hammered and combed to reduce it to fine fibre strands, has phenomenal tensile strength. The best sinew comes from the tendon of cattle. The wood, the horn and sinew all have to be held together by adhesives that remain secure under enormous stresses and are able to flex, stretch and contract without cracking. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the discovery of the correct glues in the development of the composite bow. Leg tendons were, and are still, used for making the glue that is used both to join the section of the wooden core and also to bond the horn to that core. Hide glue is an acknowledged alternative, but tendon glue is the strongest. However, the application of the sinew requires a different genus of adhesive - fish glue.

 

Tuning and stringing the bow

 

When released from its constraints the bow, now firmly set in an acute reflex, requires assistance to reverse the arc so that it can be strung. This is achieved with the aid of shaped wooden blocks, these tie to the bow, holding it in a semi-strung position while the fibres relax, before the bowyer puts a string on it for the first time. Strings can be made from silk, but the best strings should be made from the hide of a lean camel which has gone hungry through the winter and therefore has become emaciated, during winter it should be rubbed with a fine polishing stone; then treated with a mixture of fox fat and yellow beeswax melted together. Strings are also made from goat hide, intestines or sinew. Once strung, there then begins a wrestling match. The bowyer tunes the bow by bending it over his knees and by twisting and flexing it between his powerful hands. He adjusts the limbs correctively and holds them in position for a few minutes, encouraging them to take a new set. Working by eye, he alters any tendency a limb may have for torsion and he balances the tiller - by pushing an amount of curve from one limb, he induces correspondingly more curve in the other. It is strenuous work. Occasionally he will make slight adjustments every time he pulls it back another few inches. In some cases the bow may have to go back into the conditioning box to soften its period to more strenuous manipulation. It is then shot repeatedly over days. With each arrow it is checked, corrected and tuned. When it is finally tamed, a protective leather coving can be glued over the sinew and the bow is handed to an archer. It remains a living thing, however, and that archer needs to know how to care for it and how to keep it fine-tuned.

 

Maintenance

 

Composite bows require contrast expert care and attention. They need to be shaded from direct sunlight just as much as they need to be kept warm and dry. Extreme changes in temperature can cause distortion or reduce performance. When on campaign an archer should never neglect their bow for a single moment, and in extreme temperatures he should inspect it day and night, hour by hour, and not let it out of his mind even if he is sure that it is stable and true. When the weather is cold, the best policy is to put the bow inside his clothes and warm it with his body. When going to bed at night, he should also keep the bow inside his clothes to protect it against the damp. For more extreme twists, misalignments and tiller adjustments, the archer should warm his bow gently by a fire before applying corrective pressures. Heating a bow over a fire before shooting is a normal practice, in case of a colder climate. When more serious modifications are required, you should warm the bow into a rigid structure - some kind of mould or jig - which may be similar to the hood used for the initial stringing of a new bow. Such workshop hardware would presumably be stowed in the baggage train rather than carried by individual archers, though it should be part of every catcher's remit to be able to undertake a sophisticated level of bow maintenance. Apart from their prowess at hitting the mark, this ability to maintain such a nuanced and expensive weapon is something that sets an elite bowman apart from other troops. Although composite bows can remain strung for considerably longer than longbows without detriment, they do need to be unstrung and allowed to relax regularly or else they lose power. It is often that an archer will carry no less than two composite bows. For he must always have one strung in readiness for ambush or other surprise action and the second must rest in its unstrung state, preserving its power. Of equal importance to care for the bow is maintenance of the bowstring, and having a second string for your bow is an essential provision. Silk bow strings should be changed every forty days, or sooner if a lot of arrows have been shot.

 

Shooting Technique

 

There are advantages to using the thumb to draw, whether with a leather tab, glove or solid thumb-ring. One is that it makes it a great deal easier to hold a nocked arrow in place against the bow while moving; this is of significance because composite bows are used by a variety of archers who shoot while in vigorous motion - from chariot-archers, to horse-archers, to skirmishing infantry. All benefit by having more secure control of the arrow immediately prior to shooting. In the three-finger draw, the fingers rotate the string clockwise, and it is partly for this reason that the arrow is placed against the left-hand side of the bow. To keep it in place the archer must keep the directional twist on the string and if necessary give the bow a slight diagonal tilt known as canting the bow. However, when dealing with the bone-shaking bumps and bounces of a galloping chariot or the high-speed dash of a spirited horse, keeping the arrow against the bow becomes more challenging. The thumb-draw, which places the arrow on the right-hand side of the bow, the index finger holds the arrow in place, however erratic the motion. A further factor determining on which side of the bow the arrow should rest is the tendency of an arrow to flex as it is pushed forward by the string. It bends around the bow as it leaves and, depending on whether the string has a clockwise twist finger release or an anti-clockwise twist thumb-draw it clears the bow more cleanly from the appropriate side. Compared to a three-finger draw, the thumb occupies a smaller surface area of the string resulting in less friction and a faster, cleaner release; transferring more energy to the arrow. This is especially true when used with a solid thumb-ring. Here the string of even the heaviest bow sits on the tiniest ledge of a smooth, hard surface. Most importantly, the thumb-draw facilitates a faster loading speed. A right-handed archer wears his quiver on the right hip; from here an arrow can be drawn and placed on the right-hand side of the bow in the most ergonomic fashion. The thumb-draw also enabled a technique for rapid shooting that involved holding arrows in either the bowhand or the string-hand.

 

 

Thumb-ring technique

 

Shooting with the thumb-draw is an arcane art and when used with a solid thumb-ring, the technique becomes even more nuanced. It is significantly more difficult to learn than the three-finger draw and beginners all too frequently quit early on, finding it too difficult. Shooting the composite bow in an authentic manner is a sophisticated martial art. The entire weight of the draw is held on an extremely narrow surface, and the slightest inconsistency in angles and alignments can cause the string to slip from the ring prematurely. It is a wonderful teacher and yet also an unforgiving taskmaster; errors frequently cause pain to either thumb or index finger. With each increase in draw-weight there is less tolerance for error and the reproving lash of the string becomes even harsher. Eventually, consistency is drilled into the archer’s form and the reward of a fast, clean release is immense. Closely allied to the draw with the thumb-ring is the push with the bow-hand and consequent follow-through. What the archer should do is to dip the bow sharply from the grip in such a way that at the moment the string is loosed he would appear to give his arrow a push with the string. The action must be strongly executed and come from the wrist-joint like the punch of a man in anger.

 

 

 

---

 

 

HER LADYSHIP, PRIMROSE EMELYA KORTREVICH,

The “Rose” of Kortrevich