Pommel horse

The pommel horse, also known as the vaulting horse or hobble horse, is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. It is used by male gymnasts to perform skillful movements and strength tests. The traditional version was made of a metal frame with a wooden body and a leather cover, but today it has a metal body covered with foam rubber and leather, with plastic pommels (handles) for grip.

This apparatus helps gymnasts build upper body strength and balance while performing spins, swings, and other complex moves around the handles. It is a key event in gymnastics competitions, showing the athlete’s control and skill. A similar piece of equipment used in physical education classes is called a vaulting buck.

Apparatus

The pommel horse is an old gymnastics tool. It started with the Romans who used wooden horses to help people learn to ride horses. Later, it became part of the ancient Olympic Games. In the 1800s, a German man named Friedrich Ludwig Jahn helped create the basic moves we use today.

The size of the pommel horse is set by the Fédération internationale de gymnastique (FIG). It is about 115 centimetres tall and 160 centimetres long on top. It has handles (pommels) that are 12 centimetres high and spaced between 40 and 45 centimetres apart.

Routines

A pommel horse exercise has moves with one leg and two legs. One-leg moves can look like scissors. Two-leg moves are very important. The gymnast swings both legs in a circle, either clockwise or counterclockwise. They do skills on all parts of the equipment. To make it harder, gymnasts might turn, spread their legs, or hold the handles or the leather while moving up and down the horse.

Routines end with a dismount. The gymnast swings over the horse or does a handstand to land on the mat. The pommel horse is one of the tougher men's gymnastics events. It focuses more on technique than strong muscles. This is because routines are done from the shoulders in a leaning way, and moves don’t need to be held. This means less stress on the arms.

Olympic pommel horse medalists

See also: Pommel horse at the Olympics

Great Britain's Max Whitlock is the most successful Olympic pommel horse gymnast. He has won three medals, including two gold medals. Two other gymnasts also have three Olympic medals: Romania's Marius Urzică and Great Britain's Louis Smith. Three other gymnasts have won two Olympic gold medals each: the Soviet Union's Boris Shakhlin, Yugoslavia's Miroslav Cerar, and Hungary's Zoltán Magyar.

Pommel horse medalists at the world championships

See also: World Artistic Gymnastics Championships – Men's pommel horse

The pommel horse has been part of the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships since they began. Some gymnasts have won three world titles, which is the most by anyone. Three gymnasts who also won two Olympic gold medals, Miroslav Cerar, Zoltan Magyar, and Max Whitlock, each won the world title three times.

Max Whitlock is the most successful gymnast in this event’s history. He has won many medals at major competitions. Two other top gymnasts, Xiao Qin from China and Kristian Berki from Hungary, each have won several medals from the World Championships.