FULL DAY HORSEBACK ARCHERY COURSE - 2024   £199 per person   (all equipment is included in this price) 10.30am - 4.30pm  Scroll down for course dates.     

A full day course to really get to grips with the skill of Horseback Archery!  
Your day starts with a safety briefing and introduction to the history of Horseback Archery and its now growth into a fast paced and exciting modern day sport with worldwide competitions and rules. You will then be matched up with equipment and headed out for your first ground archery session on our range, learning to shoot a horsebow in the traditional style - the thumb draw, blind nocking, nocking on the move, speed nocking and loosing.  
Then it’s off to meet our selection of highly trained and experienced warhorses where you will be matched up to a suitable horse for your riding ability before riding onto our 150 metre sand Horse Archery run - to put all these techniques together and ride to glory! 
Each step is mastered before we move on - in walk, then in trot, and then into canter for those riders who have mastered the techniques sufficiently and are assessed to be working safely on our horses. 
 
At lunch time around 1.30pm you are welcome to bring a packed lunch to eat on our beautiful historic premises, or pop to one of the three fantastic pubs for a quick meal (NO alcohol!).  
 
The afternoon sessions starts with a second ground archery session where we will polish up your basic techniques before moving back onto our horses up on the track and now moving up a gear for those confident too and maybe even have a fun competition towards the end of the session put your new-found skills to the test! 
 
The course includes complimentary tea, coffee, a wide selection of Twinings herbal teas, bottled water and biscuits. 
 
All our students are required to wear riding hats and suitable riding footwear. 
 
Please note: Horseback Archery is a seasonal activity due to loosing good and safe ground conditions heading into the winter months. 
We tend to stop end of October and restart March time - weather depending. If its dry we will keep going! 
 
 
Q&A 
 
SOME TESTIMONIALS 
 
Becky King recommends The Centre of Horseback Combat. 
5 August  
"Just taken part in the full day horseback archery course and I can honestly say it was the best thing I’ve ever done!! Karl and the team are fantastic and the horses are so beautifully trained, it was a privilege to ride the wonderful Jupiter 🏇🏼☺️ 
The course is broken down step by step, only moving on when you’ve got the hang of the current step. The improvement in everyone on the day was huge, I learnt so much and my self confidence was soaring by the end! 
Galloping down that track without reins at the end of the day was something I will never forget and has left me desperate to do it again!! 
Thank you so much to all of you for such a fantastic experience, I will definitely be back! 😁🏇🏼🏹" 
 
Natalie Willcock reviewed The Centre of Horseback Combat – 5 star 
18 June at 08:36 · 
This is truly an amazing centre and if you love horses and want to try something new then highly recommend this centre. Once you walk into the 250 year old stable yard you are immediately transported back in time at the wonderful Gaddesden Place Stables. You are welcomed by the incredible Zana, Karl and their team. What they can do on horse back is truly outstanding. My husband was attending the horse back archery course and hopes to return for more tuition when he has mastered the art of the thumb draw at speed! Super course, Extremely professional, great tuition, fun and informative and I was just a spectator! 
 
Josie Meatyard reviewed The Centre of Horseback Combat – 5 star 
14 May 2018 
I experienced the half day horseback archery, It was fantastic. The tuition was excellent they really know their stuff! Very professional and lovely people with the most fabulous trained horses. I highly recommend and hope to go again to another course. 
 
 
 
"Fantastic course. I attended the half day archery and it was a really enjoyable and challenging morning. Great staff and incredible facilities, I want to go again!! Thanks guys :)" AUGUST 2017 
 
"Just done a full days archery in the sunshine, just an awesome day brain turned to mush 
Load the arrow with precision and windmill arms without looking and fire at targets whilst in a gallop and oh don't forget to stand when you fire  
Stunning venue, fab horses and lovely people and hospitality,think lots of my friends will be coming." MAY 2017 
 
"Yesterday I travelled to the Centre of Horseback Combat for a full day of horseback archery. I've never held a bow in my hands but ridden most of my life so wasn't sure of what to expect.. Well I probably had THE best day of my life shooting arrows from horseback, such a thrill!! The instructors are patient, kind and fun. I would recommend this to anyone, horse rider or not, they cater to all abilities. I hope to come back and do it all again! thank you Karl, Beth and Crystal (and of course Niagara and Bullseye!)" AUGUST 2016 
 
"Thanks for the great horse archery training day today where we took extra time to focus on our horse skills. The combination of work on Nellie and on the lunge to improve our balance and independent seat really got me moving and thinking about how I could practice the exercises at home. Once we were mounted I felt a big difference when revisiting the exercises from the Advanced weekend with the Mikaels -more confidence staying up above the saddle and taking those offside and backwards shots. It was a great reminder that improving our horse archery depends on honing our riding skills, not just our aim!" Cathey, Advanced Day - SEPT  
 
"Excellent instruction in mounted archery. Very clear coaching for all levels of rider or archer, lovely horses. Great place. Thank you, Karl & Zana!" JUNE 2016 
 
"I had an awesome day trying horse archery, the horses were immaculate and the staff are all very knowledgeable and extremely helpful." SEPT  
 
"I have had the BEST two days ever, doing the 1/2 day introduction to Trick Riding and a full day of Archery on Horseback. 
Stunning setting, fun, friendly and the most amazing instructors in Zana and Karl you could possibly wish for! The horses are fabulous and so calm and really know their job! Huge thank you to everyone there! I will be booking more soon!!!! 
I can't keep saying how impressed I was, but I would urge anyone (horse experience or not!) to have a go! It's exhilarating and an experience you will never forget!" AUGUST 2015 
 
 

   2024 course dates      

YOU CAN NOW PAY FOR YOUR COURSE USING PAYPAL STRAIGHT FROM THE WEBSITE BY CLICKING THE YELLOW BUTTON BELOW. 
PLEASE CHECK COURSE AVAILABILITY WITH US FIRST BEFORE BUYING A PLACE IN CASE THE WEBSITE HASN'T BEEN UPDATED. 
Do also check our Facebook pages as we list last minute dates on here first! 
 

march  

 

April 2024  

Sunday 21st - Advanced Horse Archers - 2 Spaces Available 
 
Saturday 27th - Beginners to Horse Archery - Now Full  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

may   

Sunday 5th - Beginners to HA - Now Full 
Saturday 25th Beginners to HA - 6 Spaces Available 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

June  

Saturday 8th - Inter/advanced - 3 Spaces Available  
 
Sunday 23rd - Beginners to HA -Now Full 
 
 
 
 
*HA - Horseback Archery* 
 
 
 
 
 

July  

Sunday 7th - Beginners to HA - 6 Spaces Available 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*Beginners to HA - You can walk, trot and ideally canter with balance as you will not be using the reins whilst shooting on the track. 
You are new to HA or have done this a few times before. 

august  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* Intermediates and Advanced HA - You can, at the minimum level, trot and shoot 2 or more arrows on the track. 
You know Horseback archery shooting techniques  
You will not be led on the course and we will be working in trot and canter on this day looking at different target positions, front and back and offside and more advanced shooting practices. 
You can stand up in your stirrups and shoot with balance. 
 
You have your own bow and arrows. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

September  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

OCTOBER 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ggggg 
 
Please see our Q&A page for payment details and T&Cs 
 
Q&A 
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