Protecting the vaulting horse from injury requires attention to conditioning, equipment fit, workload management, and proactive veterinary care. The horse's back is the primary concern, as it must absorb repeated mounting impacts and support vaulters in positions that distribute weight unevenly across the lumbar and thoracic spine.
Back health is monitored through regular veterinary assessment and chiropractic or physiotherapy treatment, and many programs work proactively with equine physiotherapists between competitions. The saddle pad and surcingle fit are checked frequently because an ill-fitting surcingle can create pressure points that accumulate into significant soreness.
Workload management — including the number of vaulters worked per session, the duration of canter sets, and the ratio of vaulting work to free lunging or flatwork recovery — is carefully monitored by experienced coaches. Most programs also provide the vaulting horse with access to turnout, varied exercise, and regular bodywork as standard components of their care program.