How do I contact MA3?  The MA3 Board of Directors is at your service.  If you have any questions you can contact us by using the contact form.

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What kind of bow do you use for horseback archery?  The brand and type will differ but one thing we have in common is that we don't use a shelf or an arrow rest.  Poundage will differ based on preference and comfort.  The draw weight can vary usually between 20#- 40#.  It is most common to see a horse archer's bow weight at 30#.  Suggested starter bow are AliBow fiberglass bows, prices will be between $70 to $100 for these.  The Saluki Bow is a high end bow used by many serious horse archers, it costs around $900.

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What kind of arrows do you use?  This will differ some from person to person based on many variables.  For a number of reasons, most horseback archers use carbon fiber shafts spined to fit the bow, fletched with feathers (lengths will vary) and with a common field tip (weights will vary usually between 75 to 125 grains).  Contact your local archery store for info on prices.

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What style of release is used?  The majority of mounted shooters worldwide use thumb release, which is thought to be more traditional, Sassanid/Slavic, or Mediterranean or 3 finger release which is more common in ground archery.

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What kind of quiver is needed?  The most commonly used quiver for this sport is a front quiver. It is designed to hang from the waist, positioning the nocks to retrieve arrows quickly. Other quivers you will find are a back quiver, which is made to strap tightly against your back to eliminate noise and help with control, and a cross draw or hip quiver, which is attached to a belt and strapped to the thigh for stability. 

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What breed of horse is recommended?  It is not a breed that we look for in a good archery horse, but a good disposition is important.  A willing and reliable partner makes the best kind of archery horse.

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What kind of saddle do you use?  Again this varies from person to person.  As with any equestrian activity the saddle should fit the horse properly, not causing any pain or distraction.  Western, English jumping and dressage saddles, Australian stock saddles, treeless and other crossbreeds have been used for the sport.  A breast collar or breastplate is highly recommended as an additional safety precaution, but is not required.

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What kind of tack is used?  Rules on tack are pretty lax. You may use whatever saddle fits your horse, that you like. Breast collars are preferred. You may ride in a bosal, hackamore, bitless bridle or bridle with a bit. Reins are required to be closed or continuous, whether they be circle reins or split reins with a knot in them.  There can be NO halters or Liberty riding or Liberty collars.

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What is a Postal Match?  Horseback archery is growing in popularity all over the world.  Many archers are calling for a way to compete on a regular basis.  One of the problems we face as mounted archers is how to get enough well trained horses together in one place to share in competitions.  To address this issue, a "postal match system" was developed in which you may ride your own horse on a course in your area, then tally scores and compare them with other clubs which have set up the same courses with the same stipulations around the world.  Each postal match will have courses, styles, targets, dates and rules, set up and agreed upon before hand.  It is imperative that each postal match is set up and run as closely as possible in order for the scores to have meaning.  Once all of the scores from each of the chapters have been tallied, they will then be posted online Internationally.

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