Cascade Vaulters -- Cali

Our nationally competive, high preformance, vaulting horse.

Alyssa on Cali at BTSP Demo

Cali is full draft mare who stands about 16 hands. We believe that she is a Shire / Percheron cross and is at least 18 years old and probably in her early twenties. She joined the Cascade Vaulters just after the 2005 AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships in Denver, CO where she carried vaulters, competing both individually and as teams for both compulsories and freestyle routines.

During the 2006 competitive season Cali regained all of her conditioning and more. She preformed very well at several competitions and other events. She even marched in the Redmond Derby Days Parade. In competition she consistently scored in the low to mid sixes.

Over the 2005-2006 winter Cali lost much of her conditioning due to several factors including her transition to Mecca EC, transition from the "cocktail" onto LMF Showtime, and adapting our club to consistently training a horse. During February and March 2006 Cali we were finally able to establish a regular training routine with sufficient work to get Cali back into condition. Her weekly work out routine primarily consists of two vaulting practices, Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and a lunging practice (no vaulters) on Friday mornings. She has also been used in various riding lessons and other under saddle work.

Cali with "C" Team

Cali spent most of 2005 working with the Vaulters of the Northwest composite "C" team freestyle, practicing three or more times a week. In the run up to Nationals a typical practice session would start with a stretching routine and several minutes of trot / canter warm-up. Next Cali would canter continuously for five to seven minutes while carrying as many as three vaulters at a time preforming the team freestyle routine. After resting / walking for about five minutes she would usually be able to carry a second practice run continuously cantering for an additional five to seven minutes. Then she would, after a few minutes rest, often also carry one to three, 60 second individual freestyle routines at trot and/or canter. Finally her practice would finish with a long cooling out period at walk. On non-vaulting days Cali's work would typically include light to moderate riding. When not working, Cali would normally have access to a large paddock or small pasture and a stall or shelter.

Anna on Cali

Through the winter months Cali's activity level will likely be a bit less intense, with vaulting practicing only twice a week and only a few individual canter routines as well as several individual walk and trot routines. In the spring we hope to again ramp up her activity level in preparation for taking another "C" Team to the 2006 AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships in Southern California.

Her previous trainer / owner, Tammy Denault of Dreamswept Farm, experimentally developed a variation from Dreamswept Farm's standard feeding program that maximized Cali's athletic abilities. As best as I have been able to define, Cali's feeding regiment leading up to the 2005 AVA/USEF National Vaulting Championships was as follows:

I'm still trying to track down the the exact contents of Tammy's Grain Mix and/or it's nutritional break down. So far what I've got is Tammy's best recollection of it's components, which are as follows:

The photos below show a few days worth of Cali's flax, selenium, and Vita-Stress as well as the containers of her liquid supplements leading up to Nationals 2005.