7 Young Fearless Gymnasts Show Their Incredible Horse-Riding Routine; Audience Can't Believe Their Eyes

Dec 12, 2018 by apost team

If you've ever attempted horseback riding before, you may have figured out that it's not always easy to guide these majestic animals where you want them to go. Horses are often trained to respond to different movements of the reins as well as various vocal signals from riders. Keeping it all straight can be a bit complicated, especially for first-time riders.

Imagine instead of simply trying to ride a horse you were expected to do daring gymnastics moves while balancing atop the horse's back! That's exactly what an amazing group of young ladies did, and the video is going viral. We think you'll agree that this footage is simply incredible!

Though this may be your first exposure to the sport of horse vaulting, it's actually been around for a long time. There's an organization called American Vaulting that encourages interest in the sport. Anyone who already loves gymnastics and horses would be an ideal candidate to give it a try.

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On the American Vaulting website, you can find plenty of helpful information about what the sport entails. Some of the skills the site lists that participants can expect to learn would include "coordination, balance, strength, and creativity."

They also seek to dispell some of the safety concerns first-time viewers of performances may have. Any reputable teacher of the sport that's affiliated with American Vaulting is expected to teach in a carefully supervised, enclosed arena. The horses are treated well, and they walk in a predictable circle while connected to a skilled trainer (known in the sport as a longeur).

Together with the horse and longeur, the vaulter learns to perform elegant and difficult moves as the horse stays in motion.

Some other skills vaulters can seek to master while involved in horse vaulting would include interdependence with their teammates, dependability in caring for their horses, and confidence in their abilities. These qualities are developed both through diligent practice and through performances and competitions.

Vaulting is a sport that has developed over centuries of time. It has long been a revered tradition in Europe and was brought to the United States a few decades back. Since making its debut in America, the sport keeps growing in popularity. 

The poise and effortless grace these young ladies and their horses show during their performance are truly admirable qualities that speak well of the hard work they and their teams have put into training for excellence. Though many of the moves are practiced well in advance, there's some leeway allowed for spontaneous improvisation during performances as well.

The results are very impressive.

You can check out the video for yourself to see how a breathtaking routine brings down the house. We'd love to read your reactions in the comments section. Feel free to pass this story along to anyone who would enjoy this inspiring performance.