The sport of equestrian vaulting is a a rapidly growing team sport in which one to three athletes or a team of up to eight perform dynamic and static gymnastics and dance on the back of a moving horse set to background music. Vaulting exercises include artistic mounts and dismounts, shoulder stands and handstands on the horse, carrying or lifting another vaulter, kneeling and standing exercises. The horse canters on the left hand around a circle a minimum diameter of 15 m with the horse attached to a "longe" line which is attached to the bridle the horse wears on his head and controlled by a trainer (called a longeur) It requires strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and cooperation. Vaulters perform seven compulsorie exercises and freestyle. All moves begin at the ground level and then move on to the practice barrel. Once proficiency is achieved on the barrel, the vaulters will move to the horse at the walk an then on to the more advanced gaits. Vaulting can be done on a barrel, at the halt, walk, trot or canter. Vaulters are judged on correctness of execution, creativity, degree of difficulty, security, and flow. Vaulting requires trust and cooperation between the horse, the vaulter, the longeur and the vaulter's teammates. It builds skills such as strength, balance, grace, rhythm, coordination, and teamwork. The athletic prowess and skills required of the vaulters can only be exhibited to their full potential if their exists a true complicity between vaulter, horse and longeur as the full expression of the vaulter’s talent can only be achieved through the harmonious inter-action between all three. 

 

        In "Horseplay! Recreational Vaulting with Nancy Stevens-Brown" she states that most students quickly relax and harmonize with the horse, gaining balance and riding competence faster than if they were engaged in a conventional riding lesson. Each vaulting movement can easily be adapted to fit the needs and abilities of any level of student. This rapidly builds success, skill and poise which transfers to many other aspects of their life. Since the horse is under the command of the instructor the vaulter is free to focus on his or her own balance, form and control, allowing them to learn faster and more effectively.  

       The social aspects of the sport are, especially for youngsters, very important. Recreational, therapeutic, and competitive vaulting are all available. Team Vaulting combines, the feeling of togetherness, willpower, and ambition. Many riding programs incorporate vaulting as a means of developing balance, courage, and safety in their riders. Therapeutic programs for the mentally, physically, and emotionally challenged help participants to accomplish goals previously thought unattainable. Teams do not offer lessons or classes like a gymnastics or dance academy. New athletes are encouraged to come visit, get involved, and become part of the team; learning from the volunteer coaches and other vaulters.  The teams participate in community demonstrations, events and fund-raisers. Vaulters usually compete at local competitions and many go to regional and national competitions.

  

     

      Vaulting horses, the true heroes of the sport, carry their vaulters faithfully and safely. Small horses carrying young vaulters to draft breeds carrying teams of three, require thoughtful training and care. Team members share one horse and vaulters don’t need to own their own horse to have the chance to work, learn, and be around horses. The best vaulting horses are calm, strong, fit and kind, with a consistent gait. Chosen specifically for their disposition, vaulting horses are also in excellent physical shape, and are given lots of love and attention by their trainers and their vaulters.  Vaulting horses can be of any breed but it is common to see draft breeds like Percherons and also Warmbloods. Breeding and appearance are less important than calmness, good balance, good movement, tolerance, patience and good old horse sense. After a horse has shown he has the temperament and personality needed for vaulting he is trained very carefully for the safety of the vaulters. Vaulters love their horses and you will see many expressions of this very special relationship.
      The horse wears a bridle (with the lunge line usually attached direct to the inside bit ring)for communication and control, and a specially designed roller(surcingle) with two large handles either side of the withers. The roller is used to keep a large back pad in position. . The whip is not used to punish the horse but is for communication. Also fastened to the bridle are side reins, which help guide the horse. The side reins are connected at the other end to the surcingle, which is a leather band that attaches around the horse. The surcingle has grips, which are handles for holding onto and stirrups which hang down either side for the vaulter to put his foot in for certain moves. Under the surcingle is a thick pad to protect the horse's back.
Many different sizes and breeds of horses are used for vaulting. The best vaulting horses are calm, strong, fit and kind with a consistent gait and excellent temperament. Vaulting horses are carefully trained to move at a steady continuous gait and to become used to the vaulters performing unusual and exciting moves. Vaulting horses are generally a happy bunch due to the love and attention they receive from their vaulters

 

   

    The barrel is the practice equipment for vaulters. It simulates the size and shape of the horse and surcingle but not the movement. The barrel is important for warm-up, practice and to work out new moves before trying them on the horse. There are also Barrel Classes in competition. They are run the same way as the horse classes except minus the horse, and plus the barrel. Compulsories (see "The Performance") are not judged on the barrel.
 

 

 

      The longeur controls the horse with the longe line. The lunger also holds the whip which is used for communication with the horse along with audio signals. The longuer and the horse have a special relationship. 

 

 

       THE WARM-UP ARENA
       This is where the lungers warm up the horses and the coaches warm up the vaulters.

       THE MAIN ARENA
       The main competition arena holds a circle and has two gates, one in and one out. At the in gate is the whipper-in who makes sure everyone is ready to go on time. Sitting at a raised table is the judge. Sitting with the judge are the scribe, who takes notes for the judge, a scorer, who does the math and a timer who…times. Sitting at a separate table are the announcer and the music people.

 

 

       Each team usually meets once or twice a week for 2-3 hours year-round.
Each club will run their lessons differently but generally the vaulters catch, groom and tack up the horse with the older, more experienced vaulters helping the new ones. The vaulters then warm up and stretch while the coach warms up the horse on the circle. The vaulters enter the circle with the coach and begin taking turns training on the horse. While waiting for their turn on the horse vaulters can practice and try out new moves on the vaulting barrels that simulate the size and shape of the horse without the movement.
Vaulters are responsible for a variety of horse duties each lesson (depending on vaulter age and level). These duties might include brushing, feeding and watering the horse, putting the equipment on the horse, walking the horse to cool it down after a lesson, and cleaning out the horse's stall.

       The competitive levels of vaulting are as follows (from easiest to most challenging): Demo Class, Walk D, Walk C, Walk B, Trot D, Trot C, Trot B, Canter D, Canter C, Canter B, Canter A. A typical horse has 4 gaits - walk, trot, canter and gallop. Vaulting is performed at three of those gaits. A gallop is very fast and bumpy so is not conducive to vaulting. Vaulters begin at the walk and work their way up through trot to canter. In each gait there are 3 levels: D is the easiest then they increase in difficulty to C and B. In canter there is also A. Canter A is the highest level of vaulting and this is what is performed at the international competitions. At most local competitions you will see every level of vaulting from Walk D to Canter A. A Demo Class is a non-competitive class for vaulters just starting out. A Green Horse Class is for a horse that is in the early stages of training.

 

 

      The vaulters run in with their club, lunger and horse. They line up before the judge and bow then the vaulters stand off to one side. The lunger sends the horse out and around on the circle. When the judge rings the bell the first vaulter begins. There are two performances from each vaulter. One is called Compulsories. Each level has a series of required movements. Each vaulter performs the same movements in the same order. This may or may not be accompanied by background music. The second performance is the Freestyle. This is a performance designed by the individual vaulter and their coach to showcase their abilities in their level. It is performed to carefully selected music. The Freestyle must be one minute long. If the vaulter goes overtime the judge will ring the bell and the vaulter must dismount. In the lower levels the Compulsories and the Freestyle are performed one after another. In the higher levels they are performed at different times. After all the vaulters in the arena have performed, they line up before the judge again, bow and run out together. Occasionally you will see an extra person in the arena. This is an assistant who helps the smaller vaulters to mount (get on the horse). The assistant is often an older, more experienced vaulter. The sport of Vaulting is proud of its very supportive community spirit. The atmosphere at a vaulting show is always very friendly and you will sometimes see a club share their horse with another club in need.

 

 

      Some classes are for more than one vaulter. A Pas de Deux (Doubles) is a team of two vaulters performing together. A Team is 4 or more vaulters. Team movements can be performed by one, two or three vaulters on the horse at one time. Pas de Deux and Team performances are longer than individual ones. Pas de Deux pairs do not perform compulsories but Teams do.

Music

       Music is very important in vaulting. Each piece of Freestyle music is chosen for its rhythm, which must match the horse's, and its expression. A Vaulter will choose music that they feel expresses themselves in their Freestyle so you will hear many different styles and moods of music. Some clubs use Run In music when they enter and leave the ring. Compulsory music is often the same piece for all members in a club.

Scoring

       In Compulsories each move receives a score out of 10 then the final score is calculated by dividing. The Freestyle is marked on degree of difficulty, composition and performance. The horse also receives a score that is factored into the vaulter's final total.