Horsemanship Level 2: Grooming By the time you are testing Level 2 you should be able to groom your horse quickly and confidently. On the checklist for Level 2 is: 5. Groom horse; three reasons for grooming; common sense around horse. Grooming, and the reasons for grooming are pretty well covered in this level one…
Horsemanship Level 2: Leading at the Trot At level 1 we asked that you demonstrate how to safely lead your horse for the simple purpose of moving him about from stall, to cross-ties, to arena. You can review this here. For level 2 you will also need to demonstrate leading at the trot. 4. Lead…
Horsemanship Level 2: Routines of the Horse There are many different equine lifestyles for the domestic horse, from grazing loose on the range 24/7, to kept in a barn with a variety of supplemental feeds, and everything in between. At level 2 we don't expect you to be able to descibe all the various horsekeeping…
On Sunday we welcomed Borsos Torzs Horse Archery Club to Red Colt for our first ever Mounted Archery clinic. The weather was gorgeous, and, judging from the smiles on everyone's faces a great time was had by all! Here's a summary of the day. Prior to the start of the workshop we tacked up nine…
Horsemanship Level 2: Identification Part II: Points, Colours and Markings Last week we looked at breeds and types, which is the most general way of identifying horses. This week we'll narrow down and look at more specific identification. Points Your horse's anatomy forms an important part of his identification and is helpful in communicating with…
Horsemanship Level 2: Identification Horses come in many shapes and sizes; display strange colours, such as chestnut, bay, buckskin and skewbald; have exotic body parts, such as pastern, stifle, dock and chestnut (no relation to the colour); and have other interesting markings such as black points, ermine spots, snips and stockings. This is not just…
Our Horsemanship curriculum, like the Canadian Pony Club system it stems from, is designed to deepen and expand students' knowledge in the key areas of horsemanship with each progressive level. What starts as simple identification of colours, breeds and markings in levels one and two, becomes measuring and identification in level three, and conformation, teeth…
Having completed our blog tour through the Green Spur, it's time to move on to Blue. Blue Spur candidates are able horse-keepers with basic equine first aid knowledge, and are riding at a level that includes cantering, small jumps, and a secure and confident seat. Swordplay from the falsemount and horse are part of regular…
The final item on the Green Spur checklist is: Describe the mechanics required to keep your seat when striking from horseback. And here we come back to that Independant Seat once more. It keeps cropping up because it is probably the most important component not just of mounted combat, but of all your riding endeavours. …
The Eight Cuts, Contorted for the Saddle Cast your mind back to the eight cuts which are available to the swordsman on foot. Now consider: ... which sword blows can and should be thrown from horseback to a mounted rider and a fighter on the ground As you face forward in the saddle, an immediate…
Last week we took a brief tour through the mounted combat arsenal as part of the Swordplay Knowledge section. For the last portion of the Green Spur checklist we ask that you are familiar, at least in theory, with the general mechanics of swordplay from horseback, and how it differs from fighting on foot. Mounted…
Swordplay Knowledge: mounted weaponry Aside from knowing your way around a sword, we also ask in the Green Spur that you have a basic knowledge of the types of weapons typically used from horseback: Describe two different types of cavalry sword Describe three alternate types of mounted weapons Broadly speaking, any type of weapon you…
Swordplay Knowledge In the Horsemanship portion of the Green Spur curriculum you needed to know the common vocabulary of the rider. Similarly, for the Mounted Combat checklist, you will need to demonstrate a basic level of swordplay knowledge: Describe the anatomy of the cut and thrust sword Describe two different types of cavalry sword Describe…
As wonderful as all our venues for the Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium last weekend were, none of them were quite large -- or rustic -- enough to host a mounted combat workshop. Though we were sad not to be able to offer swordplay from horseback to the conference attendees, we did manage to bring a…
Swordplay from the Ground: the three turns of the sword The last of the swordplay skills you'll need to demonstrate for your Green Spur is an understanding of the three turns of the sword. These turns have the same names as the turns of the body, which makes them easy to remember. It may be…
I wish I had a photo to share from last Sunday’s Mounted Combat workshop. The stars aligned so that all participants in the workshop were strong riders, and we had enough horses for everyone, including instructors. That meant nearly three awesome hours of trading blows from horseback! Having eight very different horses and riders on…
Swordplay from the Ground: Crossing the Sword in Front and Behind For the Green Spur there are only two ways you need to worry about encountering your opponent's sword: from in front, and from behind. Crossing in Front This is most direct and natural way of preventing your opponent from striking you. As she delivers…
Swordplay from the Ground: Cutting Mechanics & Timing In previous posts I discussed the eight lines and the three points of origin (shoulder, elbow and wrist) of cuts. To make your cuts effective, however, you need proper body mechanics and timing of hand and foot. Timing of Hand and Foot A cut is most powerful…