Vaulting Horse Turnout

At a canter, a vaulter’s bare skin meets the horse’s bare skin — no saddle, no numnah, nothing in between. That fact sets the whole brief for turnout: come out spotless, non-slip, and clear of anything that could rub a bare leg, foot or gripping hand. A properly clean coat and barrel matters here, not a tidy-looking one. A mane needs to stay clean enough to hold safely, without turning slick and hazardous. And the surcingle area has to stay free of sweat crust and friction sores. On the lunge, a horse holds long, steady circles under a rider for the best part of an hour, so the same patches of skin take the pressure, session after session, week after week. Get the basics right, and the horse works through it in comfort — the vaulters trust exactly what they’re standing on.

A Different Kind of Contact

Most disciplines keep a saddle, a numnah and a rider’s seat between horse and human. Vaulting strips nearly all of that away. A vaulter’s bare calves press straight against the barrel on a mount, palms close around the mane or the surcingle handles, and at some point in most sessions a bare foot lands somewhere on the back or quarters. A patch of grease that a dressage saddle would quietly hide becomes obvious the second skin touches it. A dusty coat means dust on kit, dust on hands, dust straight onto a leotard. This isn’t show-ring shine. It’s function first and shine second, every single session. Even the lunge work matters here — a horse holding steady circles for the best part of a session needs a coat that stays comfortable under sweat and constant handling, not one that merely looks presentable walking into the arena.

Washing for a Genuinely Clean Coat

A vaulting horse in regular work needs a proper wash more often than most, simply because the coat stays in constant contact with people rather than tack. Use warm water wherever you can get it, especially through the fetlocks and behind the elbows, where horses feel the cold first. Wet the whole horse thoroughly before any shampoo goes on — a dry coat just beads the lather on the surface instead of letting it work down to the skin. Dilute Revive Shampoo in a bucket rather than pouring it neat onto the coat; a capful or two in warm water goes a long way, and it rinses out far more easily than a heavy neat application ever will. Let it sit for a minute or two on the barrel and quarters before you start rinsing — that short dwell time is what actually lifts the grease, not extra scrubbing — and plan the whole wash so there’s still time afterwards to dry the horse off properly, rather than rushing it out to work damp.

• Start at the lower legs and work upward, so the horse gets used to the water before it reaches the sensitive girth and flank area.
• Wash it in sections — near-side barrel, off-side barrel, quarters, then the back — rather than sloshing product on everywhere at once.
• Rinse until the water runs completely clear, then rinse once more. Whatever residue stays in the coat now sits against skin later.
• Run a sweat scraper over the horse right after rinsing, lifting the bulk of the water before it can run into the mane or under the surcingle line.

Mane Care Built Around Grip, Not Just Looks

Plenty of disciplines pull or plait a mane down to almost nothing. Vaulting runs the other way: most vaulters want a full, thick mane to hold onto during compulsory moves, so the usual show-ring finish — slick and product-heavy — actually works against you here. A mane loaded with conditioner right at the roots turns slippery fast, and slippery is the last thing anyone wants under a hand mid-canter. Detangle from the ends upward with your fingers first, working out the worst knots before a brush comes anywhere near it, and keep any leave-in product to the mid-lengths and tips rather than massaging it into the crest. A light mist of Release Spray Conditioner on dry, dusty ends before a session cuts down flyaway hair and static without leaving the base of the mane greasy. On wash days, a small amount worked through once the shampoo has rinsed out helps prevent breakage from daily handling — just rinse it out properly rather than letting it dry in. The goal is simple: a mane soft enough that it won’t tear out in a vaulter’s grip, and clean enough that it leaves no residue on their hands. A wide-tooth comb or your fingers, worked in small sections from poll to withers, does far less damage than dragging a body brush straight through a full mane. It’s worth running that check the evening before a big session, not five minutes before warm-up.

Looking After the Surcingle, Sweat and Recovery

The band of skin under the surcingle takes more repeated pressure in a shorter space of time than a girth usually does in ridden work — vaulters mount, dismount and shift their weight through that same area constantly across a session. Skin that’s clean and properly dry before you tack up copes with that far better than skin still slightly damp, or still carrying sweat salt from the last session. Take the time to towel-dry the girth and shoulder region properly rather than leaving it to air-dry under a rug, especially in cooler weather. Once a session ends and the horse has cooled, a thin layer of Repair Cream over any area that looks a little pink or feels tight helps soothe the skin barrier before it turns into a real rub — a comfort measure, not a cure. A patch that’s already broken or infected needs your vet, not a tub of cream. Pay particular attention just behind the elbow and along the lower edge where the roller sits — those spots take the most repeated pressure from mounting and dismounting, and that’s usually where a rub starts first.

1. Loosen and remove the surcingle as soon as you reasonably can once work is done, rather than leaving it fastened while the horse cools.
2. Sponge down whatever worked hardest — girth line, chest, between the hind legs — with plain water first.
3. Scrape off the excess water and sweat rather than letting it dry into the coat, then walk the horse until its breathing settles and the coat is no longer damp to the touch.
4. Finish with a body brush over the whole coat, lifting any dried sweat marks and checking the skin underneath as you go.

Tail and the Final Once-Over

The tail carries none of the grip responsibility the mane does, so there’s more freedom with it. Most vaulting yards keep it clean, detangled, and often plaited or bagged, simply so it stays out from underfoot and clear of a dismount. Wash it with whatever’s left in the bucket after the body wash, then follow with a light spray of Release Spray Conditioner worked through with fingers before brushing — that keeps it manageable without adding weight or grease near the top of the dock, where a lunge line can catch. Before the horse goes out for a session, run your hands over the whole animal one last time — barrel, back, both sides of the mane, under where the surcingle sits — checking as much by feel as by eye. A groom’s hand picks up a damp patch, a lump or a rough spot that a quick glance would miss, and for a discipline built on direct contact, that last check matters more than almost anywhere else. If the tail needs a trim to keep the bottom neat, do it well before a competition rather than the same morning — freshly cut ends can feel slightly different underfoot, and that’s one less thing to think about on the day.