7 Common Horse Jumps - Show or Stadium Jumping

The first jump you may ever jump will probably be a cross rail. They’re not usually seen in any competition but you may see them at a schooling show, or in the warm-up ring. They’re inviting to the horse and rider because they help both focus on jumping the middle part, which is the lowest place.

A vertical is a deceptively simple jump, but can be one of the most difficult to clear.  It’s usually comprised of parallel rails or boards between two jump standards, although other decorative elements may be used. These jumps can be made to look 'airy' and easy to knock down--and hard for the rider to make a horse give its best effort. Verticals are often used in combinations of jumps. Verticals, and many other jumps may have wings, used to help focus the horse into the center of the jump. There is often a ground rail placed in front of most jumps, to help the horse and rider judge distance and height. Lack of either can make the jump more difficult.

An open water jump is a rectangular square of water that challenges the horse and rider to jump wide, rather than high. There is no fence that the horse must jump. although fences might be used to mark the sides. If the horse touches the water, or edge of the jump with any foot, it is considered a fault for scoring. There is often material at the edge of a water jump that will show the horse’s hoof print if it hits it. That or a splash will indicate a fault, equivalent to a knock down of any other jump.

A liverpool is a type of water jump. It is similar to an open water jump, but includes a fence before, over or on both sides of the water. The horse must clear both the fence rails, and the water. It’s usually not as wide as an open water jump.

Walls are often decorated to look like real stone or brick. But they are constructed to be light weight and fall down easily. They look intimidating, so they present a mental challenge, even though they might not be the highest or most difficult jump on the course.

A combination is a line of two or more of any type of jump. Combinations test the horse and rider’s control and precision. Often, the jumps are placed close together, so that there is only room for one or two strides between.

A triple bar makes the horse jump a wide jump, made up of three sets of jump standards beside each other. Jumps that make a horse jump wide are sometimes called spread jumps. The first bar of a triple is usually the lowest. A variation of the triple is the hogsback. In this type of fence, the middle pole is the highest. Another variation is a fan, in which the three bars are on separate standards, so when viewed from above, the fence is the shape of an un-furled fan. Jumps like this present a mental challenge, as well as physical.