In this article we shall discuss what happens after the point of impact during a joust.
A few years ago, I was talking to a fellow who said he had just started jousting. Before I had a chance to ask some pertinent questions, so I could determine his experience, or lack thereof, he explained ...
"Oh yes, we run past each other. I aim and close my eyes as we get close and when I open my eyes, I'm just relieved that I'm still on the horse."
Needless to say, this is not the correct approach before or after the point of impact.
So let us talk about the correct procedure after the point of impact. That is, providing the Knight is still on their horse, which is almost always the case.
Many people who joust feel such relief after the impact that they relax dramatically. When the warhorse feel this, he also relaxes and slows down, and sometimes breaks down into a trot. This is not the image we want to portray to the audience, especially if a hard, solid, dramatic hit has been made by one or both knights.
The other thing that happens if a Knight relaxes too much after the hit, is that the lance tends to sag, and could, in an extreme case, nick the opponent's horse's hindquarters. We certainly do not want this to happen. Therefore, it is important to make a conscious effort to lift the lance up and off to the right, away from the opponent's horse, and over the head of one's own horse. Bringing the lance back into a couching position is then recommended as the Knight continues galloping to the end of the list. Once this is done, the Knight can reset their reins, which sometimes become loosened. When the slack is taken out of the reins and the lance is in the lance rest (of the shield), the Knight is then in firm control to stop and turn the horse at the end of the list.
Now let us discuss what happens when a Knight has been dislodged and is not firmly in the saddle. If they have been severely dislodged, and can't regain their balance, the decision must be made to bail off with as much control as possible. Getting rid of weaponry and getting one's feet out of the stirrups are the basic rules.
It is usually no problem if a Knight is dislodged but not severely enough to be unhorsed. If the Knight is more severely dislodged, the idea of keeping the horse galloping forward no longer applies. In this situation, the Knight will usually find it easier to pull themselves back into the middle of the saddle if they can first slow the horse down. Getting rid of the lance is also a good idea. Retaining the shield is usually recommended, however, every situation is different. I have seen a Knight extend his shield arm hard to the left, which allowed him to regain his balance. So the decision to retain or discard the shield must be made quickly, and every situation is different. In the situation we're discussing, the shield arm is usually holding on so getting rid of the shield is more difficult than throwing away a lance.
It never hurts to put oneself in this situation even if the horse is standing still, just to familiarize yourself with the conditions.
To bring focus back to the normal situation after impact, the Knight must remember to keep their energy and momentum going forward. This is done by keeping a conscious agressive attitude after the impact, as well as before.
In an ideal jousting course, the Warhorses should gallop away from each other as quickly as they approach each other
James Zoppe
Founder and Director
American Jousting Alliance