Equestrian:Overview of equestrian

Overview of equestrian

Consultation version approved 23 June 2026. Updates will need to be highlighted with the {{Edit}} highlighting {{/Edit}}

Introduction to equestrian activities

Horses and other equines were vital to the daily life, warfare, transportation, pageantry, and sport in the pre-seventeenth centuries.

SCA equestrian includes many of these activities: mounted combat, jousting, mounted archery, skill-at-arms competitions, medieval games such as Buzkhashi or Dakyu, historical performance riding and royal processions. Youth are also able to participate in several of these activities.

The equestrian marshalate oversees the use of all equines at SCA events and practices, which include both martial and non-martial activities.

As historical research continues to advance, new activities may be added at the discretion of the marshal-in-charge or the kingdom equestrian officer. New activities with higher risks than existing activities, or that involve new or higher levels of contact, are approved through experimental programs.

In this handbook, each activity description includes:

• a summary of requirements (e.g. authorization, armor, weapons, equipment),
• conventions (e.g. target areas, rules of engagement, acknowledgement of blows, judging blows, scoring).

Details on requirements for armor, weapons and other equipment found in the chapters on Equipment Standards.

Horses are large and sometimes unpredictable animals. You should exercise care whenever you are in the vicinity of one.

Classes of participant

Horse

For the purposes of this handbook, we use the word "horse" to include all equines under the authority of the equestrian marshalate. This includes horses, asses, mules, zorses, and donkeys. Zebras and other non-domesticated equine variants are not allowed.

Rider/driver

A person who is actually riding or driving a horse.

Ground crew

People who generally assist riders/drivers and horses from the ground, such as resetting targets or handing weapons to riders.

Marshal

A person who is supervising the equestrian activities and areas.

Led individual, or passenger

A person who is not an authorized rider/driver, being led on horseback (e.g. in a procession), or riding on a carriage driven by an authorized driver.

Spectator

Anyone present in the general area where equestrian activities are taking place, but not taking an active part.

Equestrian activities

There are numerous equestrian activities in the SCA, ranging from martial to presentation to work. Many are based on historical combat, training, games, or shows, with adaptations for safety. Common activities include, but are not limited to:

1. Processions and historical performances (e.g. carousels, Ride Before the Prince)
2. Skill at arms - using real and simulated weapons on targets (e.g. rings, reeds, quintain, javelin, tent-pegging).
3. Mounted games - historical mounted games and competitions (e.g. buzkashi, dakyu, jareeds, pato, crest combat)
4. Medieval tournament combat
   • Mounted combat, melee - represents armored mounted combat, using tourney batons or padded rattan swords in one-on-one tournaments, teams, or battles.
   • Jousting - two types of lances are used (foam or wood tips), with different armor standards.
5. Rossfechten - represents unarmored mounted combat, focused on historical techniques with longsword and other weapon simulators.
6. Mounted archery
7. Unmounted activities - Activities that require handling or closely interacting with horses from the ground (e.g. packing and carting, ground crewing).

Authorization categories

1. Authorization categories for equestrian are:
   1. General riding
   2. Weapons and games
   3. Driving
   4. Special authorizations
2. Special authorizations are required for certain activities. These require participants to also meet the requirements for the general riding and the weapons and games authorizations.
   1. Mounted archery
   2. Mounted combat - Using tourney batons (behourds) or padded rattan swords.
   3. Rossfechten - mounted combat with special simulators, focused on historical techniques with longsword and other weapons
   4. Jousting - foam lance
   5. Jousting - wood lance (*Society level program)
3. You do not need to be authorized to participate in the following:
   1. Ground crewing
   2. Going through the process of authorizing under the supervision of an equestrian marshal
   3. Practicing equestrian activities at a sanctioned practice or event under the supervision of an equestrian marshal
   4. Being led or driven by an authorized equestrian.
4. Kingdoms are allowed to define additional types of authorizations and requirements, such as authorizations in specific weapon forms, categories, multiple groupings, or ground crew.
5. Unless specified by this handbook or your kingdom, you are not required to authorize in a category or type of weapon as a pre-requisite for another category or type of weapon.

Equestrian demonstrations

1. Individual(s) may demonstrate an activity with the approval of the Kingdom Equestrian Officer. The equestrian marshal-in-charge of the event must oversee the demonstration, subject to the following requirements:
   1. Equestrian waivers are executed before conducting the demonstration.
   2. The demonstration must be conducted under the supervision of a warranted equestrian marshal.
2. Individuals demonstrating the activity with the approval of the Kingdom Equestrian Officer are not required to be authorized.

Equestrian activities and jurisdiction

1. The equestrian marshalate has jurisdiction over all SCA activities that include the presence of horses (commonly referred to as SCA equestrian activities).
   1. Miniature horses that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or equivalent international provisions are exempt. When used in this capacity, they are not under the SCA equestrian marshalate, and do not require activation of the SCA equestrian insurance policy.
2. Kingdoms are allowed to develop mounted archery, mounted thrown weapons, or mounted combat programs that provide for the safe oversight of these activities by the equestrian marshalate of the kingdom, but must not make rules requiring supervision by marshals of other disciplines.
3. The only animals that may participate in SCA equestrian activities are equines (i.e. horses, asses, mules, zorses, donkeys).
4. Other animals:
   1. Demonstrations of other animals in equestrian activities must be of historically relevant activities appropriate to the specific animal.
   2. Non-horse demonstrations fall under the jurisdiction of the seneschal. However, requests that involve large animals over 300 lbs/140 kg (e.g. elephants, camels, llamas) must also be approved by the equestrian marshal-in-charge or the Kingdom Equestrian Officer, if horses will also be present at the event.

Equestrian insurance and waivers

1. For branches under the SCA, Inc (United States and Canada):
   1. The equestrian insurance policy must be activated and equestrian waivers signed for events in which SCA equestrian activities occur, or whenever event attendees interact with any large animals under SCA control. This includes events, practices, and demonstrations.
   2. Insurance instructions can be found at https://www.sca.org/resources/insurance/
   3. Equestrian waivers can be found at https://www.sca.org/resources/document-library/
2. Affiliates of the SCA:
   1. Branches must follow the insurance procedures for their affiliate organization.

Policy on rental horses

1. Horses or horse drawn wagons cannot be rented by the SCA, Inc. or SCA branches.
2. If you rent a horse, you must do that directly from the rental agent.
3. SCA, Inc. or SCA branches are permitted to keep track of rental horse reservations for SCA participants by holding only checks or money orders (not cash). Such checks or money orders written for rental horses must be written out only as paid to the order of the rental agency.
4. SCA, Inc. will not be held liable for damage to rental horses.
5. If you rent a horse, you are subject to the rental agreements of the horse owner.