Mongolian Archers

Western archery history is replete with classic images of Mongolian horse archers. Because of their extraordinary ability with a bow, horse archers were an essential part of the Mongolian army and feared warriors.

The remainder of the year, Mongolian soldiers would stay in their own gers (yurts) and take care of their livestock since an army typically only engaged in combat during the summer. With the aid of their horses, the Mongols were able to travel great distances without much difficulty. They could cover 10 miles per day while being physically capable of fighting an enemy.

Mongolian horse archers evolved from nomadic tribes who followed herds of cattle, sheep, and goats from one grazing area to the next for their food. In contrast to the littoral (meaning by the coast), permanent settlement society, entire peoples were seen residing in movable homes in Eurasia. Until their horses practically became extensions of themselves, these nomadic men spent the majority of their time riding horses.

Their cavalry archer units were armed with bows constructed of a wood frame in the center, a coating of sinew on the rear, and a layer of horn on the inner surface. These bows were short enough to be utilized from a horse, and they could pull well over 100 pounds. This allowed these troops to remain quite mobile.