Trainer: Emma Seely
Length: 09:15 Minutes
A sport rich with history, vaulting has evolved from a recreational activity to an international sport which welcomes equestrians of all ages and abilities. A true team effort, vaulting involves athletes (which may be an individual, a pair, or a squad), a horse, and a lunger. In this video, Emma Seely, Chef d’Equipe of the U.S. Vaulting Team, discusses how a vaulter can get started with appropriate clothing and footwear; what makes a horse ideally suited for vaulting; how these equine athletes are trained and conditioned for the sport and the equipment they wear; and the key role that the lunger plays. Next, Seely describes how a vaulter develops his or her skills with practice not only on the horse’s back, but also the importance of working on a customized vaulting barrel. Finally, Seely shares how vaulting competitions are structured and judged with compulsory, freestyle, and technical components, and how equestrians can get involved at the local, regional, national, and international levels.
To learn more about the sport of vaulting, visit the American Vaulting Association website and US Equestrian's Vaulting page.
Key Principles:
Athletes Horses Lunger (also spelled Longeur) Equipment Competition