Equestrian:Marshaling on the field

Marshaling on the field

Equestrian specific marshal responsibilities

1. A warranted marshal must directly supervise the following equestrian activities:
   1. All activities involving the use of weapons
   2. Activities with a high likelihood of horse-to-horse impact
   3. Processions
2. The equestrian marshal-in-charge may choose to require the direct supervision of a marshal for any other equestrian activity, at their discretion.
3. The equestrian marshal-in-charge should provide instruction to ground crew (e.g. what to do, where it is safe to stand, how to move around horses, etc), and ensure they are aware of the unpredictable nature of horses and the dangers involved.

Guidelines for marshaling

General

1. The top priorities in marshaling are safety and fair witness.
2. Should a situation arise not explicitly covered by Society or kingdom rules, the marshals should be prepared to use their discretion and best judgement and not assume that the situation is forbidden or inappropriate.
3. No matter how clear or accurate, rules cannot replace common sense, good judgment, and concern for the participants and observers.
4. The guidelines outlined in this section are not rigid requirements, but are intended to help clarify and to provide examples of acceptable methods and procedures.

Preparing to marshal equestrian activities

As marshal-in-charge, you are responsible for organizing the marshaling. This does not mean that you have to do it all yourself.

Things that need to be done prior to all equestrian activities:

1. Check that the arena/area can be safely ridden or driven on, preferably before the site is reserved for the event.
2. At the beginning of the day, check to see if there are holes, soft spots, rocks, mud, etc. If they are serious and cannot be worked around, move the activities somewhere else.
3. Arrange for armor, weapons and equipment inspections. (See Inspecting equipment)
4. Arrange for marshals for all of the activities as needed.
   1. It is relatively common for a marshal-in-charge to appoint those they feel are competent to serve as field marshals during an event. Whether these individuals are warranted marshals is a matter of kingdom choice. The advantage of being a warranted marshal is that you are an official of the Corporation, which gives you certain legal protection from lawsuits (if any) arising from your actions as a marshal. Since the Society and its officers have never faced a lawsuit over fighting on the field, this may not seem critical, but it is worth thinking about.
5. When it is all over, write up a report on the event

Safety

1. The arena/equestrian area itself can cause safety problems.
   1. Before the activity begins, look over the area where the riding (or driving) will take place. Look particularly for large holes, soft spots, mud and rocks. Try to keep equestrians away from these areas.
   2. If the hazards are serious, move the activity.
2. For combat or jousting, as the riders come on to the field take a quick look to see if they have their full armor. This isn't the full inspection, just a quick double-check to help someone who could have been distracted by the excitement of the day.
3. Once the combat/joust has started, watch for broken armor, lost tempers, injuries, and intrusions into the field. Non-participants, especially small children and pets, do not always realize that they are supposed to stay off of the field.
4. If there is a problem, shout "Hold!", several times if necessary. Most people will hear and respond to a cry of "Hold!" even when they won't notice their own names being called.
5. Excessive use of aids such as repeated and/or forceful kicking, slapping, whipping, spurring, yanking, and/or pulling indicates the horse may be outside of that rider/driver's capabilities.
6. If a rider/driver accidentally strikes other horses with their weapon or equipment repeatedly, warn them to modify their actions or remove themselves from the field. If it continues, remove them from the activity. In a competitive scenario, this may result in them forfeiting a match.
7. Blatant violations of the rules and safety concerns should always be brought up either immediately, with a "Hold" called if necessary for safety issues, or if they can wait, until an appropriate time for rules discussion after the bout or activity.

Witness

1. You are expected to be an impartial witness to exactly what happens during an activity.
2. For combat,
   1. you should be able to describe the last 3-4 blows on your side of the combat: where they started, their angle of approach, how they were blocked or where they landed. Do not be afraid to say, "I don't know" if you were looking at one part of the interaction when something (allegedly) happened in another part.
   2. Do not try to impose your view unless you see what appears to be major and repeated problems. Leave the blow counting to the participants unless you see clear reason to intervene; usually, they have a much clearer perspective than the marshals do.
   3. If the fighters do ask you what happened (or you feel compelled to volunteer), try to do so tactfully. Prefacing your statements with "It looked to me like...", "It appeared...", or "to the crowd it looked like..." is preferable to a dogmatic assertion of what happened. Similarly, it is preferable to ask "Did that blade land on edge, or was it flat?" rather than saying, "You missed a blow."

Marshaling combat

1. Combat should begin with the opponents at a reasonable distance apart to approach at their desired speed. (e.g. Less space is needed for walk than canter.)
2. Lay on is called once all riders have signaled they are ready.
3. In order to be a good witness and answer as accurately as possible, you need as clear a view as possible. You need to strike a balance between getting closer to see better and staying out of the way of horse and riders.
4. In some kingdoms, and/or specific tournaments, the marshal may be asked to guide combatants through salutes. This is commonly done in an early round in a tournament. This is also good opportunity to ask whether the combatants are satisfied with their opponent’s arms and armor. The salutes are usually:
   1. Salute to the Crown
   2. Salute to their inspiration
   3. Salute to the crowd
   4. Salute to their opponent
   5. When the combatants are ready, call "lay on" (or its equivalent) loudly and clearly.
5. After the fight ends, ensure the combatants are satisfied with the outcome.
   1. Ask the combatants if they have any questions for each other.
   2. Ask the combatants if they have any questions for the marshals.
   3. Ask the marshals if they have any questions.