How Is Horse Vaulting Scored? A Parent's Guide to the Numbers
Jul 4, 2026
Your vaulter just finished a round, the scores go up, and you're staring at a number like 6.325 with no idea whether to cheer. This guide explains how equestrian vaulting is scored, in plain language, so the numbers actually mean something.
The 0–10 scale
Every vaulting score sits on a 0 to 10 scale, where 10 is theoretically perfect and most real competition rounds land somewhere between 4 and 8. A round is broken into scored elements, each judged on that scale, and averaged into a final number. Higher is better — but context is everything, which we'll get to.
Compulsories vs. freestyle
Vaulting competition is built from two very different tests:
- Compulsories — a fixed set of required exercises performed in order: mount (vault on), basic seat, flag, mill, scissors, stand, and flank/dismount, depending on level. Each movement is scored individually, so compulsories tell you exactly which skills are strong and which are costing points.
- Freestyle — a choreographed routine set to music, scored on artistic and technical dimensions (difficulty, execution, and a general impression / harmony-with-the-horse score), minus deductions for falls and errors.
A vaulter's overall score combines these. On AfterComp, you can toggle between Overall, Compulsories, and Freestyle to see each trend on its own — because a vaulter can be climbing in freestyle while a single compulsory movement holds the overall back.
What the judges are actually scoring
In compulsories, judges score each required movement for form, control, and correctness. In freestyle, they're weighing how hard the routine is, how cleanly it's executed, and how well horse and vaulter work together — then subtracting deductions. Falls and breaks cost points directly.
Because each movement (and each judge) is scored separately, the detail is rich — it's just never shown to you at the competition. That per-movement, per-judge data is exactly what AfterComp surfaces over time.
So what's a good score?
The honest answer: it depends on the level and the field. A 6.0 in an entry walk class and a 6.0 in a canter class are worlds apart. The single most useful way to read any score is to put it next to the field it was earned in — 3rd of 14, top 20%, 0.2 from the podium. That's the number that tells you how the ride actually went.
That's the whole idea behind AfterComp: every score comes with its field, and every movement comes with the class median and the average of the top three finishers — so "work on your flag" turns into "your flag is 0.9 below the medalists; that's where the next tenth of a point is."
Look up any vaulter's scores
Want to see this in action? Search any EVUSA vaulter by badge number and you'll get their entire scoring history — trends, movement breakdowns, and field context — pulled from the official public results.
FAQ
- What is a good horse vaulting score?
- Vaulting is scored on a 0–10 scale. In most club-level competition, rounds in the 5–6 range are solid and competitive, 6–7 is strong, and 7+ is excellent. Scores are relative to the level: a 6.0 in a canter class is a very different ride than a 6.0 in a walk class. The most useful way to read a score is against the field it was earned in — placement and percentile matter more than the raw number.
- How many judges score a vaulting round?
- Depending on the level and competition, a round may be scored by one judge or a panel of several. Each judge scores independently, and the marks are combined into the round score. On a panel, comparing judges can reveal how consistent a performance read across the table.
- Where can I look up vaulting scores?
- Official results are posted on horsesport.pro, the platform used by Equestrian Vaulting USA. AfterComp aggregates those public results into a searchable career view — enter a vaulter's EVUSA badge number to see every score over time.