 Our
Vaulting Horse
Our vaulting horse
is the most important member of our team.
Jezabelle is a nine-year old Iberian
Warmblood. Trained by Noel Martonovitch,
she carries all of our vaulters--from
smallest to largest--with loving care.
There are few specific
requirements for a vaulting horse (at
least six years old and either a mare
or gelding), and horses of almost any
breed have been and are being used quite
successfully. Due to the requirements
to support a team, with up to three vaulters
at once, there is a tendency to use large
horses, and some teams use draft horses
almost exclusively. Clydesdales, Percherons,
and Shires are seen at almost every Fest,
but a host of other breeds and crosses
are there as well.
Perhaps the two most
important attributes of a vaulting horse
are temperament, and an even gait (some
would say temperament..... and temperament).
The need for an "even gait" is
fairly obvious, but even more vital is
an ability for the horse to accept a
variety of fairly strange behavior without
changing gait or otherwise putting up
a fuss. Vaulting horses are perhaps the
most laid-back of animals, and the stories
about them are legion.
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