Before I put swords in the hands of participants on horseback during our Intro to Mounted Combat workshop, I have people high-five each other. I tell them it's the friendly way to start hitting one another. The comment is light-hearted, but the principle and the practice is important. Co-operative riding is a key part of mounted…
Another amazingly fun and exciting Carosella has passed us by. Congratulations to our high-point tournament winner Robert Borsos, and all the other riders who took home prizes! Here are a few photos from Sunday courtesy of Double Exposure Photography. Enjoy! A huge thank you to all the instructors, assistants, and volunteers who worked to make…
Registration for Carosella 2017 is open! This year spaces for participating on horseback are limited to 20, so be sure to sign up soon. Now it's time to answer some of those frequently asked questions.... Q: How can I sign up for Carosella? A: You can register online here for full and one-day passes. Regular entries…
Horsemanship Level 4: Mounted Games It is possible to progress through our Riding and Horsemanship curricula without ever taking up mounted combat, and some people do this. However, we think you're missing out on a lot of the fun as well as on the riding skills that mounted games build. So even though we test…
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Blue Spur: Throwing a Spear from the Saddle The final Mounted Games item in the Blue Spear checklist is: Safely throw a javelin from the halt and walk without emphasis on accuracy. Since we don't even ask you to hit a target, this is, (in a sense) even easier than the earlier requirement of hitting…
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Blue Spur Mounted Games: Block Cutting The second mounted games skill we ask you to demonstrate for the Blue Spur is cutting to the blocks: Cut and thrust four out of five block targets using a synthetic or wooden sword in good form, three times in a row, while at a trot or canter. The…
What do fairground rides have to do with mounted combat? A lot, it turns out. The children's game of spearing rings from the back of carousel horses descends directly from knightly games. In fact even the word 'carousel' comes from the Italian 'garosello' or 'little war'. These were the displays of skill at arms that…
Our annual mounted combat symposium has come and gone, and what a wonderful weekend it was! The sun smiled kindly on us for the Friday and Saturday of Mounted Combat, Horseback Archery, Classical Riding, Ballet and Mounted Games, and by Sunday those of us competing in the tournament were grateful for some cooler, cloudy skies!…
There are just a few Friday clinics left this year. Don't miss out on these opportunities to learn from different instructors and focus on different areas of your riding and combat skills. The clinics run from 6pm - 7:30pm every Friday, and the cost is only $60 including use of a school horse. Plus, if…
This Sunday from 1 - 4pm the arena at Red Colt will be alive once more with the thunder of hooves, the twang of bowstrings and the clash of swords for our August Playday. Mounted Games Anyone with Riding Level 1 or the equivalent can participate in these non-combative games of speed and skill, such…
The weather is gorgeous, the footing is good, and the grooming is easy. Make the most of our glorious summer by spending at least part of it on the back of a horse. We have a whole line-up of clinics and classes over the next two months for both experienced riders and complete beginners. Refine…
Once more we are offering a variety of special clinics related to the Mounted Combat Program at Red Colt throughout the summer. Clinics start up this Friday June 12th and continue through August with a variety of instructors and topics, from 6:00pm - 7:30pm each week. Some classes may run a half hour longer if…
As predicted this summer's schedule in the Cavaliere program is a little wibbly-wobbly, but I will do my best to keep this blog up to date with the most recent information. Instead of weekly Mounted Games Practices on Fridays at 5-7pm, we will use this time slot for varied activites (including games practices). Here is…
This summer's schedule is a tad scattered due to various events, such as plans to re-do the arena footing, and the fact I'll be away teaching Mounted Combat in Zwiebrucken for part of July. So I thought I'd take a break from instructional blogs to give you what scheduling I can. Intro to Mounted Combat…
The first weekend in May was a busy one down at Red Colt. We kicked it off with a great turnout for the first Games Practice of the season on Friday evening. The next day we welcomed back Robert Borsos from Borsos Torzs Horse Archery Club for a full day of mounted archery. We had…
Riding Level 2: Mounted Games We don't actually ask you to juggle while riding, but sometimes that's what it feels like when we ask you to 8. Pick up an object from a standard, carry at trot to another standard and deposit. You may wonder what on earth this skill has to do with mounted…
Riding Level 2: Mounting 2. Lead horse, mount & dismount independently There's no big secret to mounting and dismounting at level 2. We simply expect you to do it more smoothly and with greater confidence. So go back and review level 1, enjoy the videos if you missed them the first time, and work towards…