A traditional hand-made horsebow does not need a great deal of care, but you need to develop a personal relationship with it.
Keep your bow unstrung when not in use. Best to keep one loop of the string on one bow tip and the other end loop of the string attached to the other bow tip with a leather lace or simply twined around your bow. Nothing worse than getting ready to shoot and discovering you’ve lost your string. These bows are uncommon enough that you may not be able to find a replacement string in your local area. You will need to rub your string with beeswax a few times a month—NEVER use paraffin. Replace the string at the earliest sign of wear. (See our Accessories page for information on ordering extra strings.)
Protect your bow from excessive heat or cold. NEVER leave your bow in the car on a hot summer day. It will warp. It will also warp or twist if you leave it standing up against the wall or in a corner for any amount of time.
Do protect your investment and make a bow rack to properly hold and display your beautiful bow.
As for the leather, good leather care products can be found in any leathercraft, shoe, or horse equipment store.
Bows are most commonly damaged when the wood tips are jammed into the ground. Always use the stringing method recommended by the bowyer who make these bows. There are as many opinions about how to string a bow as there are bowyers and bow designs. The proper way to string a horsebow (although discouraged by some archers in this country who are not truly familiar with this type of bow) is clearly described in the brochure that will accompany your bow. Follow this procedure and you will not harm your bow; in fact you will ensure its longevity.
