The combat is real time and timing based, but not “clicky” as in you are constantly rapidly clicking. The pacing feels like a waltz at times. Cick, one two, click, three four, click, dance around a bit waiting for the next opening.
Since I generally suck at real time timing based combat I have leaned on horse archery. Rather than take a bandit camp head on, I harass them. I ride around to get them to chase me and try to split them up a bit. Then when nobody is aiming a bow at me I slow down and let the lead guy catch up and try to pop and arrow in him before galloping off again. When things are one on one, and the enemy isn’t all armored up, then I’ll dismount and get some melee practice in. This does often result in my running back to my horse to return to archery.
I’ve also had some success at rushing archers and slicing at them from horseback. Doing the standard gallop perpendicular to them as they aim and loose and then straight in as they ready another arrow. Though this did not work very well before I got some decent armor since I often still take an arrow in the process.
I did spent a lot of time doing archery contests to get a feel for the shooting. At the beginning I even ran a plumb line down the center of my monitor to get a feel for how to judge center using the knuckles of my bow hand.