Harmonizing with the Horse
Vaulting is an activity that has captured the attention of Island locals and visiting horse enthusiasts throughout the last decade. Here is a closer look at what the activity is all about and how it got started on Vancouver Island.
Tiny is the name of the beloved draft horse that has carried Vancouver Island's Mount Arrowsmith Vaulting Team to ever-increasing heights in the equestrian vaulting world. In simplest terms, equestrian vaulting is akin to gymnastics or dance that takes place on the back of horse in tune to various styles of music. Vaulters work through a series of compulsory moves to refine their skill and balance, engage core strength, and perfect their timing and support through body tension all while coordinating with the horse. Vaulting is believed to date back to Roman times when battles were once fought on horseback. The warriors needed to be athletic and adjustable while maintaining their riding ability and brandishing a sword and body armor.
During this artistic yet challenging equestrian sport, the vaulter must first match his or her canter stride to the horse and then launch onto the horse’s back with a seamless and effortless sequence of moves. With toes pointed straight, the vaulter moves as one with the horse through a series of skills as they both begin to warm up.
One of the first things the vaulter must learn is to properly bail. There is a lunger, who is connected via a lunge line as the horse moves in 15-metre circles around her. In the event the lunger sees any danger for the vaulter, she tells them to bail, no questions asked. Immediately the vaulter jumps off and rolls. The reason vaulters are rarely seen wearing a helmet is because in the world of a vaulter, wearing a helmet only increases the chance of injury because the helmet can become hooked on equipment during a fall, and the extra weight of the helmet could actually increase the risk of a neck injury instead of protecting the vaulter.
The horse wears a thick pad on his back, a vaulting surcingle, which has handholds and side straps, leg, supports, a bridle without reins, and side reins which attach to the surcingle. A wooden horse provides a place to practice prior to mounting the horse. As with traditional horseback riding, one begins in halt, then walk, then trot, and finally canter. “Once you canter you see that this is really what it all leads up to,” says Debbie Bentzen, the coach of the Mount Arrowsmith Vaulting Team.
In an effort to understand the multiple levels, this activity is again similar to figure skating or gymnastics in the compulsory and freestyle competitions. The initial skills are at first the vaulter mounts, then seats, flags, mills, swings (or scissors), kneels (or stands), and flanks off to dismount. Ballet or gymnastic slippers are worn along with spandex body suits to allow the greatest degree of movement. In competition, the vaulter can also perform freestyle with a series of necessary movements with their choice of music. The kids in particular love to do pairs or perform together in groups supporting one another.
For just over a decade, this team on Vancouver Island has been perfecting their skills to attend competitions in the Pacific Northwest. A horse enthusiast myself, I remember the day well. It was 1999 and I said to my friend and colleague, Debbie Bentzen, “We are going to start a vaulting team.” She replied quite quickly, “No we are not, what is it?” She tended to be more practical than me. I made the case for the Island’s first vaulting team easily enough. “It will be fun, and think how balanced and confident the kids will feel,” I replied back. Debbie didn’t need much more persuasion than that. This was the beginning of the Mount Arrowsmith Vaulting Club, the first of its kind on Vancouver Island.
Since that day, Debbie has taken the team to greater heights than I had first envisioned. Her personal greatest achievement was when one of her vaulters, her daughter Jessica, represented their team at the 2009 Kentucky Cup International Event.
While it may look challenging, anyone, at any age, can vault. Yes it is true, you can! You may choose to be competitive or remain recreational. Have fun, enjoy the horse, strengthen and stretch your body, and work on bettering skills for other riding. Although vaulting is a sport in itself, practicing this activity can help prepare a rider to have a greater understanding of their horse and how it moves to maintain a consistent rhythm. Through a combination of static and dynamic moves, the rider develops necessary skills to move in harmony with the horse. This training assists in other riding disciplines like dressage or show jumping.
Debbie invites anyone interested to come and watch at the team’s home base, the Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre, located at 1515 E. Island Highway in Nanoose Bay. The centre is very supportive of the sport. Vaulting sessions take place at the centre on Monday and Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, please contact Debbie Bentzen at 250.954.9940. Learn more about vaulting online at www.vaultcanada.org.
During this artistic yet challenging equestrian sport, the vaulter must first match his or her canter stride to the horse and then launch onto the horse’s back with a seamless and effortless sequence of moves. With toes pointed straight, the vaulter moves as one with the horse through a series of skills as they both begin to warm up. One of the first things the vaulter must learn is to properly bail. There is a lunger, who is connected via a lunge line as the horse moves in 15-metre circles around her. In the event the lunger sees any danger for the vaulter, she tells them to bail, no questions asked. Immediately the vaulter jumps off and rolls. The reason vaulters are rarely seen wearing a helmet is because in the world of a vaulter, wearing a helmet only increases the chance of injury because the helmet can become hooked on equipment during a fall, and the extra weight of the helmet could actually increase the risk of a neck injury instead of protecting the vaulter.
The horse wears a thick pad on his back, a vaulting surcingle, which has handholds and side straps, leg, supports, a bridle without reins, and side reins which attach to the surcingle. A wooden horse provides a place to practice prior to mounting the horse. As with traditional horseback riding, one begins in halt, then walk, then trot, and finally canter. “Once you canter you see that this is really what it all leads up to,” says Debbie Bentzen, the coach of the Mount Arrowsmith Vaulting Team.
In an effort to understand the multiple levels, this activity is again similar to figure skating or gymnastics in the compulsory and freestyle competitions. The initial skills are at first the vaulter mounts, then seats, flags, mills, swings (or scissors), kneels (or stands), and flanks off to dismount. Ballet or gymnastic slippers are worn along with spandex body suits to allow the greatest degree of movement. In competition, the vaulter can also perform freestyle with a series of necessary movements with their choice of music. The kids in particular love to do pairs or perform together in groups supporting one another.For just over a decade, this team on Vancouver Island has been perfecting their skills to attend competitions in the Pacific Northwest. A horse enthusiast myself, I remember the day well. It was 1999 and I said to my friend and colleague, Debbie Bentzen, “We are going to start a vaulting team.” She replied quite quickly, “No we are not, what is it?” She tended to be more practical than me. I made the case for the Island’s first vaulting team easily enough. “It will be fun, and think how balanced and confident the kids will feel,” I replied back. Debbie didn’t need much more persuasion than that. This was the beginning of the Mount Arrowsmith Vaulting Club, the first of its kind on Vancouver Island.
Since that day, Debbie has taken the team to greater heights than I had first envisioned. Her personal greatest achievement was when one of her vaulters, her daughter Jessica, represented their team at the 2009 Kentucky Cup International Event. While it may look challenging, anyone, at any age, can vault. Yes it is true, you can! You may choose to be competitive or remain recreational. Have fun, enjoy the horse, strengthen and stretch your body, and work on bettering skills for other riding. Although vaulting is a sport in itself, practicing this activity can help prepare a rider to have a greater understanding of their horse and how it moves to maintain a consistent rhythm. Through a combination of static and dynamic moves, the rider develops necessary skills to move in harmony with the horse. This training assists in other riding disciplines like dressage or show jumping.
Debbie invites anyone interested to come and watch at the team’s home base, the Arbutus Meadows Equestrian Centre, located at 1515 E. Island Highway in Nanoose Bay. The centre is very supportive of the sport. Vaulting sessions take place at the centre on Monday and Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, please contact Debbie Bentzen at 250.954.9940. Learn more about vaulting online at www.vaultcanada.org.
This article was written by Dona Naylor of Island Times Magazine.
To learn more about Vaulting and how to get started, email dona at dona@westcoastfocus.com
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