> Generally, nomads use a special rider-bow.
> They use a bow almost as long as the long bow, but it isn't a
> standard long-bow with the handle in the middle.
>
> They are specially made for riders; the bow's handle is at a third
> of the bottom.
> It gives the archer the possibility to use it on an horse, they are
> able to shoot on both sides; it is no so difficult to pass above
> (/cross over) the head of the horse.
Actually, one problem of horse archery this doesn't solve is the problem of twisting the body around. To shoot, it is normal to have a straight line between bow hand and both shoulders. That's not easy to do, sitting on a horse, aiming forward or, worse, to the 'wrong' (usually right, for a right-handed archer) side. This is why Red Indians (to use the vernacular of the westerns) always surround the wagon train riding anti-clockwise... left-handed Indians became shamans or learned to shoot right-handed I guess. You CAN shoot over to the 'wrong' side, but you can't draw to full length and keep your normal draw position.
> Most horses riders like american indians use a *short* bow, because
> of the neck of their horse, but great nomads of east-europe and
> asia use a third-handle bow. Their armies are bow-based warriors,
> in this condition, their bow need long and strong shots.
This is also to stop the string fouling their own feet/knees, and such bows were usually composites, so much stronger than a wooden bow of the same size - strong enough to kill Bison anyway! As I mention above, actually crossing over the horse's neck is a fair task for a contortionist.
Wulf
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