When it comes to horses there is a wide variety of sports which can easily be dubbed as ‘extreme’. In fact most people I know in the equestrian industry proudly wear their extreme title.
Vaulting
I’ve been riding my whole life and quite frankly it’s enough just to stay in the saddle sometimes so vaulting simply confounds me. It’s quite artistic and clearly requires about 30 hours of practice a day – where do they find the time? Instead of just one video today I thought I’d share a few, each one providing a glimpse into the interesting world of vaulting.
Vaulting!!! Good Show!!!! Horses!!!! – Funny home videos are a click away
Vaulting, Anyone?
Has anyone tried it? I kind of feel bad for the horse with all of that jumping around. These are some seriously steady animals – I’ve never met a horse that would actually put up with acrobatics on their back!
We love vaulting, and will be at equine-a-rama to teach a class.
Vaulting is performing gymnastics and dance on horseback.
It’s a wonderful way to develop coordination, balance, strength, and creativity while working in harmony with the horse.
Usually vaulters practice twice a week on the horse, and do a lot of conditioning stretching on the ground and the barrel.
It is a great confidence builder and can greatly improve riding skills.
And it is the safest of the equestrian disciplines 😉
http://www.americanvaulting.org/safety/everyday.shtml
From the horse perspective, we have 3 horses and they all do vaulting now without complaining.
All the moves are practiced a lot on a barrel 1st then at walk, and it’s performed at canter only if the vaulter is controlled which reduces the pounding.
We also try not to vault more than 30% of the weekly workout routine, more because of the lunging in circle than because of the vaulters.