voltige

equestrian act

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "voltige" refers to a specific equestrian movement. It describes a gait where a horse moves sideways while making a turn around a central point, or the circular path traced by the horse during this maneuver. The word originates from French and Italian, ultimately stemming from Latin words related to turning and rolling.1

While "voltigeur" in French military history refers to a type of light infantryman or sharpshooter, the equestrian term "voltige" is distinct and pertains solely to the horse's movement.2

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circus
Equestrian acts
…divided into three main groups: voltige, in which a rider vaults onto and off a horse’s back; trick riding, in which the standing rider performs somersaults and pirouettes or forms human pyramids with other riders on one or more horses; and high school, a spectacular form of dressage in which…
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…divided into three main groups: voltige, in which a rider vaults onto and off a horse’s back; trick riding, in which the standing rider performs somersaults and pirouettes or forms human pyramids with other riders on one or more horses; and high school, a spectacular form of dressage in which…
Read More