Adults can absolutely start vaulting and many do so successfully. The core physical qualities that vaulting demands — body tension, flexibility, and upper body strength — can be developed at any age, and adults often have advantages in focus and the ability to absorb coaching that younger vaulters lack.
The primary physical challenge for adult beginners is typically flexibility, because many adults arrive with tighter hips, hamstrings, and lower backs than children who begin vaulting early. Targeted flexibility work done consistently off the horse can address this over time, but adults should expect that certain positions may take longer to develop than they would for a flexible young child.
Many adult vaulting programs exist specifically for older beginners and recreational vaulters, and some adults find that vaulting is an excellent cross-training discipline that improves their riding in other disciplines by developing core stability, balance, and feel for the horse's movement. The American Vaulting Association has adult divisions at the competitive level.
