Why I Use Vaulting for Riding Lessons

 Gus, the Halflinger, in a vaulting lesson.

This is a vaulting student's first ride in a saddle.  She learned to hold the reins, mover her hands with the nod of the horse's head, turn, two-point, and start rising at the trot.  Be impressed.

Why would you want to vault when you actually want to sit in a saddle and ride a horse?  Vaulting is a faster method to learning to ride well.  Riding well involves having a good seat.  A good seat is moving with the horse as in no bouncing, hanging on, tension, stiffness, lack of balance.  The person is comfortable being on the horse.  Learning is fun.  The student does only what they are comfortable with.   Lessons are progressive and very enjoyable for the onlooker as well as the student.  Progress is speedy.  Even within a lesson, what a student is comfortable with at the beginning and end can be dramatic.

Miss July. Yes, we vault in the winter.  Miss July's ears show she is paying attention to what is happening on her back.  

Students as young as 3 years old will benefit from vaulting. At this age, the baby is with an older, more experienced vaulter.  Learning is intrinsic.  An example is a baby, 3 years old, who sat with her mother for summer, once a week.  Several years later, the baby loves horses and is not afraid.  The primary purpose of the lessons was to expose the baby to horses so she would not be frightened. (her father is so was a concern of her mother that she did not become afraid. Success!

Vaulting is considered the safest of equestrian sports. The vaulter develops core strength, the ability to feel the horse (an essential part of riding).  Part of the lesson is jumping off the moving horse.  The vaulter learns to fall more safely (no holding on, no arms out to stop the fall).   Yes, falling off is part of riding.  Sometimes getting hurt is part of the package.  But, if limiting the damage from falls will help the rider, then why not?  

The Greeks had their boys and men vaulting as part of their training.  Then the Romans vaulted, and the Europeans took it up until finally vaulting came to the New World.

She vaulted before riding Alex.  Alex is not an easy horse to ride because of anxiety (she was started by an abusive trainer) and her giant stride.  Alex did not want to be a vaulting horse.

Europeans had vaulted for decades before vaulting came to Canada.  Notice how Europeans ride:  their seat stays in the saddle, no flopping legs or hands, head.  Could it be because the rider vaulted first or was put on the lunge?   Peer teaching also helps during lessons for encouraging students to try new moves.  Not all learning is directly from the instructor but by fellow students.  It is good that students learn from each other and. not directed by an adult.  Students are encouraged to think for themselves.  They are not micromanaged with every move required, but students in vaulting must think about what they are doing and how to achieve what they are attempting.  Everyone is different.  The moving horse changes a lot.

A rider with injuries from falls is affected mentally as well as physically.  It could actually limit the rider's ability to ride to her potential.  Fear creates tension which inhibits riding well.  

Frankie learning to become a saddle horse.  She is now a wonderful vaulting horse.  

Lying on the horse lengthwise. No helmet as the vaulter can jump off at a walk.  Miss July is a beautiful vaulting horse for anyone.  She is an excellent riding horse that everyone enjoys riding.

                                                                     Flag on Gus

The new rider will need to wear stretchy clothes (legging, sweat pants, t-shirt), soft-soled shoes, and a helmet (I have my students wear a helmet initially.  That is my personal preference.  Riding boots are necessary for working around the horse.  Yes, vaulters are expected to groom, tack up, and generally look after the horse before and after a lesson.  Stable management includes cleaning the stall, sweeping the floor, and manure picks up in the arena.  Good skills to learn.  

                                                    Cautiously standing on Gus.

Lessons begin with looking after the horse:  grooming, tacking up, warming up, setting out equipment and finish with looking after the horse (cleaning the barn, putting away the equipment).  In between is the actual time in the arena:  warm-up, ground exercises, barrel work, and horse and repeat with groundwork, barrel and again on the horse.  The lessons are in sets.

Standing on Gus, minutes later.

Emphasis is put on the welfare of the horse.  It is not any horse that can become a vaulting horse.  Temperament, smooth moving, tolerance, and sound are all essential attributes for a vaulting horse.  A horse can be used for beginners and only walk and trot in lessons and competitions.  Another horse will be used for students that are cantering.  It takes a particular horse to do either job.  Rarely would the horse be used for a walk, trot, and canter.   As well as vaulting the horse should be ridden in dressage type work, jumped and trail ridden.  Loose jumping, time out in a field also will help develop the horse's muscles equally.    Cross-training is vital for keeping the vaulting horse sound and mentally happy.                                                          

       Stuart learning to become a vaulting horse.  Didn't become one. 

Some horses wear sidereins to help keep the horse in a consistent position.  This horse will have to have time off the sidereins to stretch every 15 minutes.  Which sidereins the horse uses is horse dependent. 

        Shoulder stand at a halt on Miss July for fun.

The vaulter learns to move with the horse.  Moving with the horse is one of the essential lessons a rider needs.  If the rider does not move with her horse, she will slow the horse; she will constantly use her legs and interfere with the horse's balance.  Soundness can become an issue for the horse as well.  So, moving with the horse from the small of the back is essential.  This learning is intuitive.  No instruction is required.  

The rider learns the leg sequences of the horse's gaits.  The walk is 4 beats, the trot is 2 beats, and the canter is 3 beats.  The learning is intuitive.  Learning rising trot and correct leg on the canter is easy when the vaulter sits in a saddle.  A balanced seat (ear, shoulder, elbow, hip, heel alignment) is part of vaulting (basic seat it is called).

Fun on Miss July at a walk (pre-covid) Changing places on the horse

The rider develops confidence in her ability to stay on the horse and will remain on easier.  She will also, without thinking, fall without causing harm to herself (let go and fly rather than gripping and attempting to stay on, which is when injuries occur.).  The confidence changes the rider's mind.  In a saddle, even when started on a lunge line, this process will take years to attain.  Some riders never do get this far, no matter how many trails ridden or years.

The rider will be balanced and not require reins to stay on.  This is a massive leap in learning to ride and will take years to learn.  Balance without holding on with hands or legs is when riding becomes fun. It is called having an "independent seat".

Learning to sit the trot is a long process that can only be understood by sitting the trot.  Learning while vaulting shortens the learning curve significantly (by years).  Lunge lessons help, but most instructors do not teach lunge lessons.  It again takes a particular horse.  One that is reliable, sensible, sound, sane, etc. Sitting the trot is a skill that can only be learned by sitting the trot.  In vaulting, trotting and sitting is part of the lesson.  Again, it is up to the vaulter how much trotting she does.  Trotting is not easy.

       Diamond learning to lunge, in a few years, will be a vaulting horse, maybe.

What vaulters do in their lesson depends on the individual.  Ground exercises help build strength, teach the muscles what to do.  It is easier to perform on the ground than on the barrel usually.  The barrel is more manageable than on the horse because no matter how still the horse is standing, there is still some movement (breathing, for example). Spotters are used to helping the vaulter, just in case.  Once the vaulter is ready, the horse is lead.  Then the horse is lunged at a walk.  Each step is small but essential. Some vaulters never progress to the next step, but that is okay.  No pressure.  

There is a progression for everything.  Once a walk is comfortable, then trot is introduced, then canter.  Cantering is a long time coming, mainly because of me. (Emma, a student, told me this).  I have been told that cantering is easier than trotting.  I learned to ride so long ago I have forgotten this.

Some exercises,  for example, handstands, take more strength than others.  Not all people will be able to do handstands.  That is fine.  

The barrel is the next step from doing an exercise on the ground.  Once the vaulter can do a movement on the barrel mounted on the horse is next.  Beginning at the halt, the walk, trot, and finally at a canter.  Some people will never do what others can do.  That is not important.  The most crucial point is the progress the vaulter is making.  Not what other people are doing.

Even in the first lesson, spectators can see learning taking place.  Sometimes the vaulter is nervous and wants someone to ride with her.  By the third set, the vaulter is not only riding alone but waving at mom. In one lesson.  Amazing.  

Riding better is a lifelong process.  Vaulting speeds up the process.  The welfare of the horse is essential and repeatedly stressed throughout lessons.  Horses generously allow us to vault, ride and drive them.  Riding a horse is relaxing; it is pleasant, even at a walk.

 

Riding Ziva outside.  Ziva teaches a lot of younger riders.  She is my top vaulting horse.  Variety of work is vital for working lesson horses.

Another video from the first lesson

Thank you, Shannon, Maya, and Auntie for sharing these videos that illustrate so well why I start people vaulting on their first lessons.