A vaulter is a person who practises equestrian vaulting — a discipline that combines gymnastics, acrobatics, and dance performed on a moving horse. Vaulters work on a horse that moves in a circle on the lunge, executing individual, pair, or team routines that are judged on technical precision, balance, athleticism, and artistic presentation. It is one of the oldest equestrian disciplines and is governed internationally by the FEI (International Equestrian Federation).
What Vaulting Involves
The vaulting horse moves in a consistent 15-metre circle at walk, trot, or canter, controlled by a specialist lunger rather than a rider. The vaulter mounts the horse in motion using a standardised vault-on movement, then performs a sequence of compulsory exercises and freestyle elements from standing, kneeling, sitting, and inverted positions on the horse’s back. A team vaulting routine may include multiple vaulters on the horse simultaneously, performing lifts and balances that require exceptional trust and communication between the athletes.
The horse is central to the discipline — a calm, consistent canter with a reliable rhythm is the foundation upon which all vaulting is built. Vaulting horses are typically compact, well-muscled warmbloods or crossbreds with naturally uphill canters and steady temperaments. They are trained alongside the vaulters and carry considerable responsibility in creating the platform for performance.
Training as a Vaulter
Vaulting training begins with gymnastics on a barrel — a wooden mock-up of a horse — before progressing to a moving horse. This allows beginners to learn the basic positions and movements without the additional challenge of managing a live animal in motion. The progression from barrel to horse is managed carefully, with the horse at walk initially before moving to trot and canter as the vaulter develops confidence and strength.
Physical conditioning for vaulters focuses on core strength, balance, flexibility, and upper body power. The demands are similar to artistic gymnastics at the higher levels of competition. Vaulters must also develop a genuine feel for the horse’s movement — the ability to absorb the canter rhythm through the body rather than bracing against it is what separates a competent vaulter from an excellent one.
Vaulting as an Entry Point to Equestrian Sport
Vaulting is often promoted as an accessible introduction to working with horses, particularly for younger participants. Because the vaulter does not need to control the horse directly, the focus can be entirely on body movement and confidence around the animal. Many vaulters who later transition to ridden disciplines find that their developed balance and feel for the horse’s movement gives them a significant advantage.
In the UK, vaulting is overseen by British Vaulting, the governing body affiliated with British Equestrian. Clubs operate across the country, and the structure of competition runs from local graded classes through to national championships and FEI international events. See the vaulting entry for more detail on the sport’s structure and competition levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to know how to ride to be a vaulter?
Not initially — and this is one of vaulting’s strengths as an entry discipline. Beginners start on a stationary or slowly moving barrel and progress to a horse as their confidence and skill develop. Many successful vaulters have never been conventional riders. That said, a basic understanding of horse behaviour and handling is always an advantage, and most vaulting clubs introduce participants to horse management alongside the vaulting work.
What makes a good vaulting horse?
A good vaulting horse is calm, consistent in its paces, and genuinely comfortable carrying multiple vaulters simultaneously. A steady, round canter with reliable rhythm is the most important quality — a horse with an erratic or irregular canter is unsuitable regardless of its other qualities. Vaulting horses are typically medium-sized warmbloods or similar types, old enough to be physically mature and mentally settled, and usually have several years of progressive vaulting-specific training before competing at higher levels.
Is vaulting an Olympic discipline?
Not currently. Vaulting is an FEI-recognised equestrian discipline and has appeared as a demonstration sport at the Olympic Games, but it is not part of the current Olympic programme. It is governed internationally by the FEI and has its own World Championships held every two years, alongside a full calendar of FEI-approved international competitions at varying levels.