Vaulting- A mothers opinion

McNally

McNally

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My daughter is 12 she has recently (past 8 months or so) become less active and put on some weight which seems to make her even less sporting. Like a vicious circle. Previously she was good at sport and of normal weight and quite active, more so than the average child.
The problem was she began to struggle and doing less well at running for example made her less enthusiastic about trying. Several trips to the Dr later she's been diagnosed asthmatic and is on preventers and things are improving slowly.
Recently she took part in a vaulting taster session which to my surprise (or ignorance!) was actually like a gymnastic/keep fit session with the added bonus of a horse being present! She absolutely loved every second of it and for the first time in ages i saw her taking part and enjoying being active again.
For the above reasons ive signed her up for regular lessons, from my point of view to aid the weight loss whilst she has fun.
Here's my problem.... NO RIDING HATS.....Vaulting is apparently the safest equine sport. Ok i see that but non the less any horse can trip and fall (or just trip). They use pad things with handles to falling off in the early stages is probably less likely than with regular riding. Of course the horses are 100% or as perfect as a horse can be.
I feel uncomfortable though. Not sure if its mainly as this year ive had 4 horse related accidents having had none for 15 years and this has made me seriously rethink horses but i dont want my issues to ruin things for her.
The coaches are highly experienced (coach the british team) and the ratio of adults/child is good. Obviously only one child one adult one horse at a time and the rest of the time is on the floor.
What do you mothers out there think?
 
In this day and age the organisers must be totally confident that all safety measures are in place otherwise they would not get insurance.
If it was gym without the horse you would not expect the child to wear a hat, or be so closely supervised, I would let her enjoy it and see where it leads it can only be good for her .
 
Yes, i see what you mean and no i wouldnt expect hard hats in a normal gym!
However it was the part where she was legged up onto a 16.2 chunk that i didnt know and was cantering round with her arms in the air :-/
Its jusy been drummed into me for so many years!
 
What a great thing for your daughter to be doing. Just been on the website and I don't think I dare show it to my daughter !!. The safety of the riders and horses must be paramount and Im sure that if accidents were commonplace the rules would have been changed before now. These horses are definatley not your average childs naughty pony and your daughters confidence is going to rocket ! Let her go for it!
 
Haha, Yes well there's no getting out of it i dont think! The places were very limited and confirmation was via email....she' checked my emails constantly since going and nearly exploded at getting in!
I guess i just wanted to see if other parents opinion was "hell no"

As long as she dosent start swinging off my horse! ;-)
 
With regards to hats, I could be wrong, but I think I remember reading that the risk of wearing a hat while vaulting outweighs the benefits. As be positive and cambrica said, safety is very important and if things were dangerous they wouldn't be allowed do it.
 
I vault semi-regularly, and as disabled rider vaulting strengthens my muscles in a whole new way that I can't get from any other sport - improving my dressage in turn. Even in my first session I felt totally secure (which I don't always on my own horses in a saddle :cool:) and the only near miss I've had was completely my own fault, I've never seen one of the horses put a foot wrong.

As you say, accidents do happen, and in the 'contract' I signed before I started, as well as through my own policy (both the same company) it stated that wearing a hat was not compulsory so I'd still be insured for any accidents. My thinking is if the same equine insurance company that won't cover me riding a dressage horse without a hat will cover me for vaulting without one, I'm willing to take the risk.

Here's some photos of the lovely horses I've worked with, have you got any to share?
298345_10150352398912905_561097904_9475773_3445751_n.jpg

309518_10150463870002905_561097904_10227128_1234982525_n.jpg
 
They used to teach vaulting at our yard and lots of children from about age 5 took part. No hats, but it was on a surface with an experienced coach and the horse was a total saint. He would basically canter round in circles all day without deviating! :)
 
I used to vault as part of a team, and can assure you the horses used are safer than RDA horses. They are utterly bomb proof, specially picked for the job. Vaulting horses rarely do anything other than vaulting (one we used was never ridden, was broken for vaulting) and they know their job is to go round and round.

Accidents can happen in any walk of life, and while I am a stickler for hats during normal riding, vaulting is a totally different thing. In vaulting you're also taught to fall safely. Your seat and your balance improves so much that falling just doesn't happen.

They can wear hats if they want, but most choose not to.

I'd have no qualms about letting one of my children do vaulting if they still ran a group near by :)
 
Which club is your daughter going to?
I love vaulting, have been to loads of competitions, training sessions etc and friends run local clubs. The only people i have seen vaulting with hats on are some of the disabled children but especially once you get on to having more than one person one the horse the lack of space can mean that a hard hat is more of a weapon.
Vaulting is almost always done on a surface, have only seen a couple of demos done on grass.
It is a brilliant sport, the kids work as a team and the horse is as much a part of that team as the kids are.
I would love to be young enough to be able to start vaulting.
Meant to say the horses are all highly trained and all the horses i know have jobs outside of vaulting. Was at a local hunter trial a few weeks ago and there were 5 vaulting horses taking part
 
Should have said my friend started vaulting when she was very young as she couldn't vault onto her Prince philip cup pony, she went on to represent GB at 3 World Equestrian games and now coaches and judges aswell as still doing a bit herself
 
ailbheg said:
With regards to hats, I could be wrong, but I think I remember reading that the risk of wearing a hat while vaulting outweighs the benefits. As be positive and cambrica said, safety is very important and if things were dangerous they wouldn't be allowed do it.
Click to expand...

This is what I was told when I asked why wearing hats was not obligatory, I know that my balance would be impaired if I was trying to do certain things wearing a hat. Also, though this is only anecdotal evidence and quite outdated now Ulrike Rieder, president of the German Equestrian Federation's vaulting committee said she was only aware of one major head injury in the past few years. This happened because the faller was hit by a hoof on the way down as she didn't push away enough (you're taught that if falling, don't try to recover, push yourself as far away from the horse as possible, the damage done by holding on and then falling by the horses feet would be far worse)
 
I totally understand your qualms. As another mother of a horse mad child - although mine's only just starting out at age 3 at the moment! - I would be worried about doing anything hatless around horses.

But as people with experience of this sport have said - these horses are broken differently and are as sound as a bell. Trust these amazing instructors ( I mean, GB trainers - you couldn't ask for more ) and let your daughter go for it. Easier said than done, but the freedom of being allowed to enjoy it will encourage your daughter no end.

Just make sure she understands that she must wear a helmet when doing other types of riding on less secure horses - which I'm sure you will anyway :D

But I can understand your worries ... I would probably have to have a flask of gin in the car to steady my nerves during her lessons! chuckle.
 
Sorry EmsHooper can i just say that most of the horses are not 'broken differently', well all the ones i know haven't been.
They are picked for their temperament though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/6827819524/in/photostream This is my friends new vaulting horse, she does RDA vautling.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/6827819532/in/photostream This is her old vaulting horse, she also does dressage, side saddle, hunts, she is broken to drive. Oh and the rider is a vaulter

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/5990998545/in/photostream Ziggy doing side saddle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/5991019977/in/photostream later the same day doing a vautling demo in the main arena at the Border Show
 
gillianfleming said:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/5990998545/in/photostream Ziggy doing side saddle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/5991019977/in/photostream later the same day doing a vautling demo in the main arena at the Border Show
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When I saw your location I thought for a little moment that it might be Ziggy, then dismissed it think there were probably lots of multi talented horses in your area :p I only saw her once but what an amazing horse she is, plus a friend or a friend in the UK has I believe just bought a horse from Helen - tiny world really
 
gillianfleming said:
Ziggy is amazing, she is such a star.

Has your friend got Matt? I've known him since he was tiny when Helen first got him. I've known Helen for years and got my boy from her.
If it is your friend that has Matt did you know he vaulted for awhile aswell?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47015540@N00/4575871996/in/set-72157623860465225

It is such a small world
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Friend of a friend, I'm told he's known as Matt the Pratt but he looks like butter wouldn't melt there!
 
Does anyone know of a vaulting team in wales? I would really like to give it a go, is it generally the younger kids who do it? I may be a bit late (well 21) to start giving it a go!
 
NoltonSeaShell said:
Does anyone know of a vaulting team in wales? I would really like to give it a go, is it generally the younger kids who do it? I may be a bit late (well 21) to start giving it a go!
Click to expand...

Hopefully this will work
http://www.vaulting.org.uk/index.ph...ntnt01categoryid=3&cntnt01returnid=29&page=29
You're not too late to start! Although I've been interested for quite a while (getting to see demo's when I visited the UK including the lovely Ziggy was a major pull!) but only started when I was 18 :)
 
HDPE i didn't want to put in my post he was Matt the Pratt lol just incase she hadn't heard.
He is a funny horse, didn't do much vaulting but stepped in when Ziggy was injured, when Helen was taking him RDA vaulting she was taking him out and galloping him before she dared taking him.
NotlonSeaShell there is a welsh vaulting team but i can't remember their name and i'm not sure where they are based
 
HDPE said:
Hopefully this will work
http://www.vaulting.org.uk/index.ph...ntnt01categoryid=3&cntnt01returnid=29&page=29
You're not too late to start! Although I've been interested for quite a while (getting to see demo's when I visited the UK including the lovely Ziggy was a major pull!) but only started when I was 18 :)
Click to expand...

Thank you HDPE! I'm really interested in starting it, but unfortunately they are all north based and im south, (Would take about 2-3 hours to get there) hopefully I can scout somewhere closer to home! :D
 
gillianfleming said:
Sorry EmsHooper can i just say that most of the horses are not 'broken differently', well all the ones i know haven't been.
Click to expand...

Oh sorry about that. I'd been doing a bit of reading on breaking horses - can't remember where I was online now - and found a bit about horses only being broken for vaulting, but I was obviously on a misinformed site! Always happy to be re-educated! THanks very much for the links ... time for some more reading! :D
 
Thank you everyone! Feeling much happier about the situation. I knew it was too good an opertunity to pass up (i also knew my daughter would leave home if i backed out)
This particular group is a new one being started up at The Unicorn Trust, Stow on the wold... Very excited ;-D
 
Hi McNally, I have only just seen this thread so apologies for not chipping in with my two pennies worth before. My 11yr son old is part of the GB vaulting team and was there at the 'have a go day' at the Unicorn Trust in Stow on the Wold the day that your daughter went.

He has been vaulting since he was six, and absolutely loves it. He doesn't ride but is a gymnast. As you correctly say, vaulting is the safest equine sport. The vaulters do fall off, but invariably know that they are going to do so - so jump. Obviously jumping from a 17.3-18hh horse is a long way down, but they have all been trained how to jump off. Injuries are very few - majority tend to be wrists from being put out to break their fall, or ankles when they don't land correctly. All canter work is done on a surface, never grass. Helmets would affect the vaulters' balance and when team work is done (up to 3 vaulters on the horse at the same time) would simply get in the way.

Vaulting has taught my son so much, not just about horses, but about team work, discipline, trust ... the list is endless. It has opened up a world of opportunity for him and we have met some fantastic horses and people through being part of the vaulting world.

I hope that your daughter enjoys her vaulting sessions. If you have any questions - particularly from mother's point of view, then get in touch - always happy to talk vaulting!
 
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