What archery equipment do I need and what is the cost?
A short-medium length bow with no arrow rest is required for horseback archery; the vast majority use a horsebow, these come in various styles and lengths. We strongly recommend that those new to archery use a lightweight bow (i.e. one that doesn't require much strength to pull) so that you can develop good technique without fighting against a heavy draw weight. The Rolan junior (48") snake bow is inexpensive (<£40), shoots quite accurately and the small arrow rest can easily be covered by sports wrap (tape for wrapping racquet handles). It's really important to get feather fletched arrows which can be shot off the hand without either influencing the trajectory of the arrow or hurting your hand - you will need to ask an archery shop specifically for these as most arrows are fletched with plastic vanes - aluminium arrows are ideal (such as Easton Jazz or Tribute and get them a little longer than you think you need). An armguard is also essential to protect against a bruised forearm, and tape (e.g. Elastoplast tape) to protect your fingers or thumb. Once you've decided that you enjoy horseback archery and are ready to move up to a better quality bow with a heavier draw weight there are lots of options; by then you should have an idea of your preference in bow length, type and draw weight. Archery shops will generally stock a few types of horsebows which you may be able to try (such as Freddie bows or the Samick SKB) and you can buy nice bows online e.g. Alibow. Steer clear of eBay unless you know exactly what you're shopping for. For those who are experienced archers, or for those looking for equipment that will give them a competitive advantage there are some lovely bows available, plus carbon arrows, but we wouldn't recommend them for beginners. There is more advice in the manual on equipment for all standards of horseback archer. We recommend that you only do archery after tuition from a qualified archery instructor. Should you decide to practice archery on your own property please make absolutely sure that it is safe to shoot - that there is no risk to people or animals if the arrow misses its intended target and overshoots, or is deflected sideways.