As we know, horseback riding is a great sport, but we still need to engage in other physical activities to be properly conditioned equestrian athletes. While hitting up the gym or going for a run is a fantastic way to work out, have you ever wished that you could bring horses into your fitness routine? Now you can with vaulting! Vaulting combines horses and gymnastic exercises together. Vaulting’s origins trace back to ancient roman games, where athletes would do tricks on cantering horses. Since then, the sport has been refined and developed into vaulting as we know it today.
While vaulting may look intimidating, you can slowly ease into the sport. As a horseback rider, you already have an advantage, because you are familiar with the movement of the horse. Getting into vaulting can be even easier if you have some background in dance or gymnastics, in addition to your riding skills. You can start out vaulting for fun and fitness by taking lessons, and if you really enjoy it, vaulting is a whole additional avenue that you can compete in, in the horse world.
When you learn vaulting, you will most likely start out on a barrel (pictured below). This will provide you a foundation of some basic positions and maneuvers as well as practice with mounting and dismounting, which are much easier to learn on a solid structure than on a moving animal. Then you will learn to vault at the walk, and progress onwards to the trot, and canter. You will always revisit the barrel to practice new moves or improve your technique – there is even a barrel division in vaulting competitions.
Just like the different levels and divisions in horse shows, there are also multiple levels in vaulting competitions such as trot, copper, bronze, silver, and gold (listed by increasing level of difficulty). You can also compete individually, as a team, or perform a pas de deux. Each level has its own set of compulsories, such as the mill, flag, and stand, on which the vaulter is judged based on his or her mechanics, form, balance, and harmony with the horse. The horse and the general impression of the vaulter is also taken into consideration by the judge.
Think vaulting sounds like a cool sport to try? You can check out the American Vaulting Association (AVA) for more information and to look for a vaulting club near you. The AVA’s website is: http://www.americanvaulting.org/. I personally learned about vaulting at Lone Tree Farm, located in Laurel Hill, NC. Lone Tree Farm offers a safe and friendly environment to learn about vaulting, and I have had a fantastic experience vaulting there.
Besides being a fun sport to try, vaulting will bring many benefits to your riding. Even if you’re already balanced and secure on your horse, you will feel even more secure in your riding seat after performing gymnastic exercises on a moving horse. Vaulting will work muscles you never imagined that you had, much like that feeling you got when you first started riding horses. Working different muscles in your body is important, because, if you work the same few muscle groups over and over again, it can strain your body instead of strengthening it. Overall, vaulting will improve your balance, stability, strength, and flexibility.
So, what are you waiting for? Give vaulting a try!
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