 Equestrian
Vaulting
(î-kwes'tre-en
vôlt-ing) n.
The art of dance and gymnastics on
the back of a cantering horse.
Vaulting
in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA!
 An American
Vaulting Association member, Free
Spirit Vaulters is a non-profit organization
providing instruction in the art of
equestrian vaulting. Our team and coaching
staff are dedicated to promoting
the sport in the U.S. and abroad.
With a history dating
back to early man's domestication of
the horse, vaulting is one of the seven
equestrian disciplines recognized by
the Fédération
Equestre Internationale (FEI) for
international competition. It is most
easily described as gymnastics performed
on the back (or other parts) of a moving
horse. This hybrid sport requires the
teamwork of the vaulter, horse,
and longeur,
who controls the horse in a circle on
a longe line. Vaulters may compete as
individuals, in pairs, or as a team.
As in many other forms of athletic competition
(figure skating for example), participants
are judged on both a set of compulsory
moves, and in freestyle competition
called (in German) a Kür.
 Competitive
vaulting was brought to the United States
by Elizabeth
Searle from Germany in the late 1960s.
(With over 100,000 vaulters, vaulting
is considered a prerequisite for riding
in Germany, and over 50 percent of German
riders holding competitive licenses were
vaulters in their early years.) She attended
a vaulting display at the Olympic Games
of 1956 in Stockholm on a visit from
America and realized immediately that
the United
States Pony Club would benefit by
the inclusion of vaulting in its program
in terms of safety, opportunity, preparation
for riding, and fun.
Given the nature
of the sport, vaulting is the safest
of the equestrian disciplines.
When Ms. Searle took over the running
of a riding school with a high accident
rate, she insisted on all pupils gaining
a proficiency certificate in vaulting
before being allowed to join a riding
class. The accident rate dropped dramatically.
 Today,
there are over 70
vaulting clubs in the United States.
The benefits
of vaulting are myriad, and it
is accessible to
a wide variety of children. The monthly
tuition fee is relatively low, and
scholarships are available.
With all of the benefits
of vaulting, at Free Spirit Vaulters,
we feel privileged to state that our mission is
clear: We're creating a better world--one
child at a time--through the equestrian
arts.
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