The Hanoverian 09|2012 - the American Hanoverian Society!

28 The Hanoverian 09|2012
Sport
With built-in
clockwork
The demands on horses for vaulting has increased
consistently over the past years. After all the score
for the horse constitutes 25 percent of the result in
competitions.
By Daniel Kaiser
Rockard H and Viktor Büsewitz
are most successful in the sport of
vaulting. Photo: Rau
large-framed exterior, a smooth and swinging
A canter and a gentle disposition: The demands
on a modern vaulting horse are high. Radiant like
Totilas, elegant like Damon Hill and Desparados
and possibly bred out of the same lines – the wishes
of the athletes, the trainers and the lunge
handlers know no limits. The pedigrees of the horses
most often take a secondary role in acrobatics
on horses though. Often a very limited budget of
the associated club and diversified training (also
far away from the lunge line) determine the balance
artist with its built-in clockwork on a circle. The
horse factor has increased in importance in com-
petitions over the last few years. At international
competitions the four-legged partner now determines
25 percent of the final score instead of 10
percent as it was for a long time. This circumstance
has clearly changed the demands on and the daily
workout of the vaulting horses certainly at the top
level of competition.
Just as in all disciplines of riding do, the prerequisites
on the horse as a partner depends on the
desired use. It is without question that vaulting at
the beginner level does not require the market’s
best vaulting horse. It often is sufficient to use horses
with unshakable patience and an honest disposition
for recreational vaulting. Beginners that
start their equestrian career with vaulting to develop
contact with and trust in the horse must be
able to safely groom, lead and feed the animal. The
walk to the paddock should be enjoyable and not
a challenge or a risk. Rearing, biting or even kicking
must not be in the horse’s repertoire. The rule
is that a calm interior beats an excellent exterior at
least as long as the competition idea is far off.
Over the past years the sport of vaulting has developed
greatly especially in Germany. The undoubtedly
acrobatic discipline stepped out of the shadow
of the overpowering dressage and jumping
competitions at the latest with the World Equestrian
Games in Aachen in 2006 after the removal of
the age limit one year earlier. Vaulting is no longer
a sport only for children. Vaulting is U18 (under 18
years of age) and sometimes even U30. Vaulting is
in; and it certainly is no longer only an introduction
to equestrian sports. This development also excites
German federal trainer Ulla Ramge. This lady from
Warendorf has served in her position for ten years.
Daring pyramids and always new and spectacular
elements have revolutionized the discipline that
once served as an introduction to equestrian
sports. The level of training for the horses has followed
this development, says Ramge. With respect
to the quality of horses “this sport has really jumped
ahead a lot. “Only a very few clubs lead the
way in excellent training. The quality of horses has
improved considerably.”
Professional daily training
The daily training has clearly become more professional;
this is one reason for the positive trend.
Modern concepts of scientific training methods
have been introduced into the daily training. For
instance Viktor Brüsewitz who is an athlete in the
federal cadre trains almost 30 hours per week. His
horse Rockard H works just as hard in an intense
weekly training’s program. It is undeniable that the
ten-year old Hessian gelding by Rubioso N/Wiener
Domspatz (breeder: ZG Hoehl, Griesheim) is top fit