http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/vaulting-at-the-world-equestrian-games-2010.html#more-19981
Photos are by Reuters
Vaulting at the World Equestrian Games 2010
By Spooky on October 13th, 2010 Category: Events, Pics
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If you thought riding a horse was difficult enough, 
equestrian vaulting will seem like an impossible feat. 
Still, it’s practiced worldwide, and it’s even an 
event at the World Equestrian Games.

Equestrian vaulting is best described as gymnastics 
and dancing on horseback. Its origins are pretty unclear, 
with some saying it originated in ancient Rome, and
other claiming it came from he island of Crete. One 
thing is for certain – horseback vaulting has been
around for over 2,000 years, and it’s still a entertaining 
and exciting sport. Vaulting is particularly popular in 
countries like Germany and France, but it’s gaining a lot 
of followers in other parts of the world, like Brazil 
Australia or the United States.

In competitive equestrian vaulting athletes compete by 
themselves or in teams of two or more. Both the vaulters 
and the horse are judged according to their performances 
and receive scores from 0 to 10. Beginners perform their 
routine during the horse’s walk, while experienced vaulters 
perform on the horse at a canter. Horses used for vaulting 
are trained especially for this kind of events, and they 
are controlled by a lunger who keeps them moving in 15-meter 
circles.

The components of a vaulting exercise include a mount and 
dismount, as well as various maneuvers like kneeling, 
standing, handstands, flips, and tossing teammates into 
the air. While the vaulting horse is not saddled, it does 
wear a surcingle fitted with special handles that help vaulters.

The latest vaulting exhibition took place at the World 
Equestrian Games 2010, and was won by the US team. You 
can see an entire vaulting routine, in the video at the 
bottom.

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http://simplymarvelous.wordpress.com/category/horses-vaulting/
Rehab horse wins championship

A former police horse deemed unsuitable for duty has triumphed at 
a major international vaulting competition, thanks to the 
dedication of equine welfare charity the International 
League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) and his new borrower.

Islay, a 17.3hh 12-year-old black gelding on loan to Liz 
Mackay from the Eagles Vaulting Group in Perthshire, 
England won a bronze medal for Great Britain at the FEI 
European Vaulting Championships, held in Kaposvar, Hungary.

Islay and his vaulter, 17 year old Victoria McLaren 
were competing in the Junior Female Individual CVI.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_vaulting
History
Some believe vaulting was first observed in the Roman games, 
which included acrobatic displays on cantering horses. Others, 
however, believed vaulting had its roots in bull-leaping of 
ancient Crete. Those, however, who believed that vaulting 
originated in Central Asia associated the discipline to 
traditional practices that were performed by ancient Iranian 
tribes, collectively known as the Scythians, in the steppes 
of Eurasia. It is believed that the nomadic Scythian/Iranian 
tribes influenced their Turkic neighbors to the east into 
practicing the art form as well. This is thought to have 
influenced the Turkmen tribes into forming their own version 
of vaulting, known as "djigitovka", which is slightly similar 
to modern-day vaulting, but a lot more dangerous. In any case, 
people have been performing acrobatic and dance-like movements
on the backs of moving horses for more than 2,000 years. The 
first known depiction of vaulting is a stone painting, dated 
at around 1500 BC, of Scandinavian riders standing on horses.

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Mounting horse photo courtesy of http://culturemagazine.ca/culture/standing_on_your_hands_on_a_horse.html

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http://www.dmoz.org/Sports/Equestrian/Vaulting/
Excellent research page

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http://www.mvphc.com.au/THAT%20EVENT/Equestrian%20vaulting.pdf
The basic moves of equestrian vaulting.
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