Skip to content
Gymlab
Create your personal plan

Gymnastics

Pommel Horse Side Travel

Pommel Horse Side Travel moves you laterally along the horse through continuous legs-together circles. It develops coordinated hand support, shoulder endurance, and trunk control.

Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.

  • Advanced
  • Compound
  • Higher injury risk
  • Rest 2 min

How to do it

  1. Place your hands on secure grips near your starting section of the horse.
  2. Rise into front support with your legs together and your chest facing the horse.
  3. Swing your joined legs into continuous circles around the horse.
  4. Transfer your weight onto one arm as your legs clear the hand you will move.
  5. Replant the free hand a short distance toward your destination.
  6. Repeat the hand transfers through successive circles until you reach the target section.
  7. Finish the last circle in front support, with your legs together and your chest facing the horse.

Form cues

  • Stay tall between your shoulders.
  • Keep your knees long.
  • Keep each circle's tempo even.

Common mistakes

  • Folding at the hipsMaintain a long body line rather than pulling your thighs toward your chest to clear the horse.
  • Starting travel too soonEstablish several controlled stationary circles before introducing lateral movement.
  • Bent-arm supportKeep your supporting elbow straight rather than dipping onto a bent arm during the transfer.

Safety

A missed hand placement or collapsed supporting arm can cause a fall onto the horse or floor. Repeated transfers can strain the wrists, elbows, or shoulders when fatigue reduces control.

  • Check that the horse and handles are secure, with landing mats covering the surrounding area.
  • Practice only in a supervised gymnastics setting after mastering continuous circles and a controlled exit.
  • Check the travel path for unobstructed hand placements before mounting.
  • End the attempt before support weakens or hand placement becomes unreliable.

If you have wrist, elbow, or shoulder pain or instability, get advice from a physiotherapist or doctor before attempting this skill.

Muscles worked

Front
Back

Primary muscles

  • Abs
  • Front Delts

Secondary muscles

  • Hip Flexors
  • Serratus Anterior
  • Triceps

Equipment

  • Gymnastics Landing Mat
  • Pommel Horse

Sets and reps

Sets
3–5
Target
1–2 reps
Rest
2 min

Count one completed lateral travel to your chosen destination as one rep; keep the distance short while learning.