Full Circle Vaulting · Cloquet, Minnesota
Gymnastics on horseback, here in Cloquet
Vaulting is the sport where kids do gymnastics on a moving horse — guided the whole time by a trainer who controls the horse. No riding experience needed. No horse of your own needed. Just leggings and soft shoes.
What happens in the first session
Meet the horses and the coach
Say hello to the ponies and see how a class works. Our horses are calm, steady, and chosen for the job of taking care of children.
Start on the practice barrel
Every move is learned first on a padded practice barrel with handles, before it is ever tried on the horse.
A first turn at the walk
The trainer guides the horse on a long line, in a steady circle, on soft footing. Your child only has to think about balance, confidence, and fun.
The sport
What your child actually does in vaulting
Built safe from the first minute
The trainer controls the horse
A trained lunger guides the horse the whole time. Your child never has to steer — their whole attention stays on themselves.
Everyone starts on the barrel
Beginners learn each move on a stationary practice barrel first, and only move to the real horse when they are ready.
The horse walks first
New vaulters work at the walk. The trot comes when they are ready, and the canter only for experienced vaulters.
Landing well is a skill
From the very first lesson, children are taught to dismount and land safely — Equestrian Vaulting USA describes vaulting as the safest of the equestrian sports.
Intro to Vaulting Session
$75 one-time
- Saturday, July 25 · 10:00–10:45 AM
- Barrel practice and a first turn on the horse at the walk
- Parents stay and watch — no membership required to try
- Wear leggings and soft-soled shoes, hair tied back
Questions parents ask
Is vaulting safe?
Vaulting has a strong safety record — Equestrian Vaulting USA describes it as the safest of the equestrian sports, and a published medical study of vaulting clubs found an injury rate comparable to non-contact sports. The horse is controlled by a trained lunger, not by the child. The horse moves in a steady circle on soft footing. Kids start on a stationary barrel and progress to the walk before anything faster. And from the very first lesson, children practice how to dismount and land safely.
Does my child need riding experience?
No. Vaulting assumes nothing — no riding, no gymnastics, no time around horses. It is one of the easiest ways for a child to start with horses, and it builds the balance and confidence that make riding easier later.
What should my child wear?
Leggings or fitted athletic pants, a snug shirt that can tuck in, and soft-soled shoes — gymnastics slippers, water shoes, or clean tennis shoes are fine to start. Long hair tied back. No jeans, no zippers, no hoodies, no jewelry — loose things can catch on the equipment, so snug is the safe choice.
Why don't vaulters wear helmets?
This is the question every parent asks, and it deserves a straight answer. Across the sport — including at the international level — vaulters do not wear helmets while vaulting. A helmet's rigid shell and strap can catch on the equipment or interfere with the safe, trained rolls vaulters use to land, which makes a helmet more dangerous, not less, for this particular sport. Vaulting's safety comes from the lunger controlling the horse, the soft footing, the slow progression, and dismount training from the first lesson.
Does my child need their own horse, or any equipment?
No horse, no tack, no gear. The farm provides the horses and all the equipment. Your only purchases are leggings and soft shoes your child probably already owns.
The first session — see if your child lights up
Intro to Vaulting Session · Saturday, July 25 · $75 · 2512 Big Lake Road, Cloquet, Minnesota
Book a first session