When I first began vaulting a few years ago, I was surprised at how quickly the other beginners and I were encouraged to stand on the vaulting horse’s back. Now, mind you, vaulting is one of the safest equestrian disciplines around—you begin at a walk; practice practice practice on the vaulting barrel; do approximatly three thousand pilates situps (especially if your forty-something) to strengthen your core along with lots of balance exercises; often stand for the very first time at walk with a spotter on the horse as well; and eventually work your way up to canter, having been thoroughly drilled in the emergency dismount. At the same time, you’re learning the other compulsory moves (think figures in figure skating).

While the basic stand is in fact easier than many other vaulting exercises, for any new vaulter who performs the move for the first time—even if it’s for only a couple of strides—it’s a “superpower” moment. Standing on the back of the vaulting horse at canter merits lots of victorious arm waving, I-am-#1 two-fisted index fingers in the air, and some serious woo-hooing! afterwards. Although when I finally did it, my vaulting coach (a patrician and elegant former professional ballerina and serious student of dressage), sternly reminded me (while grinning from ear to ear) that decorum is part of our sport, and that some behaviors are simply not apropos in the vaulting arena.

So why amp up the fundamentals with beginning vaulters? Why encourage them to breathe that rarified air?

Well, giving beginners that heady moment at the stand (either at walk or canter) enables them to envision the possibilities. It boosts their confidence. Gives them the courage to try new things. And it’s amazingly fun—greatly decreasing the boredom factor, especially with the little kids. Vaulters can also use their new “superpowers” to fix what might be lacking in the basics.

Feeling a walking or cantering horse’s back beneath the soles of your feet while at the stand, literally riding the horse with your feet, matching her movement with soft knees, pulling yourself up through your core, chest lifted, neck long, eyes straight ahead, finding your center of balance, spreading your arms out like an eagle's wings until even your fingertips are active, gives you a deeply unique understanding of the horse’s movement. And this translates into a deeper understanding and practice of the basics. This is one of the reasons that equestrian vaulting is used to teach so many European children to ride.

My fellow vaulters and I can use our superpowers to enhance the most fundamental part of the horse and vaulter/horse and rider equation—our basic vaulting or rider’s seat!

Now apparently I need to work on that decorum thing.

Source: Creating passionate users.
Flickr photos: bwong; bwong; bwong