At international levels, saddle pads are usually white and square in shape, allowing the pair to display a sponsorship, national flag, or breeding affiliation. (In contrast, riders in show hunters and equitation often use “fitted” fleece pads that are the same shape as the saddle.) Girths vary in type, but usually have a contour to give room for the horse’s elbows, and many have belly guards to protect the underside of the horse from its shoe studs when the front legs are tightly folded under.

Bridles may be used with any style of cavesson noseband, and there are few rules regarding the severity of this equipment. The figure-8 cavesson is the most popular type. Bits may also vary in severity, and competitors may use any bit, or even a “bitless bridle” or a hackamore. However, the ground jury at the show has the right, based on veterinary advice, to refuse a bit or bridling scheme if it could cause harm to the horse.

Boots and/or wraps are worn by almost all horses, due to the fact that they may easily injure their legs when landing or when making tight turns at speed. Open-fronted tendon boots are usually worn on the forelegs, because they provide protection for the delicate tendons that run down the back of the leg, but still allow the horse to feel a rail should it get careless and hang its legs. Fetlock boots are sometimes seen on the rear legs, primarily to prevent the horse from hitting itself on tight turns.

Martingales are very common, especially on horses used at the Grand Prix level. The majority of jumpers are ridden in running martingales, as these provide the most freedom over fences. Although a standing martingale (a strap connecting directly to the horse’s noseband) is commonly seen on show hunters and may be helpful in keeping a horse from throwing its head up, it can also be quite dangerous in the event of a stumble, restricting a horse from using its head to regain its balance. For this reason, standing martingales are not used in show jumping or eventing. Breastplates are also common, used to keep the saddle in place as the horse goes over large fences.

A showjumping saddle

In reality the best way to help your horse jump higher and slower is to increase their control, balance, flexibility, position and centeredness both going into the jump, impulsion and the landing. With increasing athletic ability and mental focus on the jump your horse can and will become better and better.

Gymnastic jumping is a simple and very low cost addition to your jumping routine that will achieve all the goals listed above. By placing ground poles, short jumps and obstacles specific distances from each other the horse and rider too, are forced to focus on balance and position to hit the pole or jump correctly aligned. It also allows the horse to gain confidence in his or her foot position and allows them to reposition their weight on the move for a more effective jump.

In most basic terms gymnastic jumping allows the horse to actually shift or rock back on his or her haunches, providing more impulsion and launching the horse higher. This in turn allows the speed to and over the jump to be more controlled, since the horse isn’t scrambling to try to make the jump. The centeredness of the rider through gymnastics helps to establish the cues that help the horse in the arena for those beautiful, showy jumps.

• Vertical or upright – a jump that consists of poles or planks placed one directly above another with no spread, or width, to jump.

• Oxer - two verticals close together, to make the jump wider.
• Square oxer (sometimes known as Box Oxer): Both top poles are of an equal height.
• Ascending oxer (usually called a Ramped Oxer): The furthest pole is higher than the first.
• Descending oxer (usually called an Offset Oxer): The furthest pole is lower than the closest.
• Swedish oxer: The poles slant in opposite directions, so that they appear to form an “X” shape when seen head on.

• Triple bar – Is a spread fence using three elements of graduating heights.

• Cross rail – not commonly used in sanctioned horse shows, and sometimes called a “cross-pole,” two poles crossed with one end of each pole is on the ground and on jump standards so that the center is lower than the sides. Used at small shows and for schooling purposes to help the horse jump in the center of the fence.

• Wall – This type of jump is usually made to look like a brick wall, but the “bricks” are constructed of a lightweight material and fall easily when knocked.

• Hogsback – A type of spread fence with three rails where the tallest pole is in the center.

• Filler – This is not a type of fence but is a solid part below the poles, such as flower boxes or a rolltop. It can also be a gate.

• Combination – usually 2 or 3 jumps in a row, with no more than 2 strides between each. 2 jumps in a row are called double combinations, and 3 jumps in a row are triple combinations. If a horse refuses the second or third element in one of these combinations, they must jump the whole combination again, not just the obstacle(s) they missed.

• Fan: the rails on one side of the fence are spread out by standards, making the fence take the shape of a fan when viewed from above.

• Open water: a wide ditch of water

• Liverpool: a ditch or large tray of water under a vertical or oxer

• Joker – a tricky fence comprising only a rustic (or unpainted) rail and two wings. The lack of filler makes it difficult for a horse to judge their proximity to the fence as well as the fence’s height, making it a tricky obstacle usually found only in the upper divisions, and illegal in some competitions.

Any rider that competes in show jumping has at one stage or another had the experience of a horse refusing to jump an obstacle. This can be extremely distressing and worrying, particularly if you are unsure as to the reason the refusal arose.

The reasons why horses refuse at jumps fit into two basic categories. These are:

Any incident of refusal will fit into one of these two categories if you analyse it carefully.

How can you tell whether it is a physical problem or rider error?

Let’s start with injury, as it is important to rule this out before trying other avenues of approach. Back injuries are quite common in showjumpers, and may not reflect in lameness, or any obvious disability.

Ask yourself the following questions relating to the horse;Is this a sudden change in behaviour.

Is it an isolated incident, or something that is happening with increasing frequency.

If it happens frequently, is there a consistent pattern e.g. always on the same rein.

Is my horse showing any other behavioural changes.Another potential physical problem that can exist, is your horse’s innate ability and conformation. Are you making demands that are physically beyond your horse’s scope? Sometimes this is relatively easy to determine, but not always. The horse has amazing courage and scope with the right rider as a partner.

Just like human athletes, horses often suffer from muscular aches and pains. A regular course of massage can help to prevent problems. Frequently horses under perform as a result of muscle stiffness and soreness. Again, this might not present as anything obvious, such as lameness, but your horse may be in considerable discomfort.

Incorrect shoeing and incorrectly fitting saddles are also a major cause of problems. Very often the source of poor performance can be traced to these factors. Check your horse’s feet carefully. Make sure that you use a reputable and experienced farrier. I firmly believe that if your horse is to be expected to jump anything up to and over 1m, he will need to be shod. The impact of landing causes discomfort on landing, and can be a cause of refusals.

There are a number of possible errors and it is important to try to identify which is causing the problem. A brief description of the most common errors:

Approach lacking impulsion – too much use of hand, and not enough leg. The rider must try to soften the hand and ride the horse forward.

Approach to fast and flat. The rider is sending the horse forward on to its’ forehand, without balancing the impulsion with body and a soft, but holding hand.

Approach on an incorrect line. Usually the rider has cut the corner and is unintentionally approaching the jump at an angle, resulting in the rider not seeing the take-off point correctly.

The rider unbalancing the horse by suddenly throwing his body forward in front of the jump. This completely upsets the horse’s balance and concentration.

Over facing the horse. If a horse is not ready for a particular level of jumping it can cause refusals, and a permanent loss in confidence to present the horse at obstacles beyond its’ present capability. This is often seen in over ambitious riders with young and talented horses.

Over taxing the horse physically. Continuing to jump when the horse is tired can force errors and loss of confidence. The golden rule in training horses to remember above all others “RATHER STOP TOO SOON, THAN NOT SOON ENOUGH”.

Step 1

Start with cavalettis, which can be adjusted to various heights. A cavaletti is a simple wooden X that is joined by an 8-, 10-, or 12-foot round or octagonal pole. The pole is nailed to the top of the X, and as you roll the cavaletti the pole either raises or lowers in height. Typically painted white, cavaletti can be used to build a beginner show jumping course. Standards, cups and poles can be either built from scratch or purchased. Painted bright colors, these are combined to create simple obstacles. Adding planks, gates, boxes and fillers will help add color, variety and challenge.

Step 2

Look at your jump materials and decide how many fences you can make. Evaluate the level of rider that will be negotiating these fences. The course should be challenging but not overwhelming. Height of fences is not as important as placement of jumps, as a jump leading away from the barn will be more difficult to negotiate than a huge jump leading home. A typical show jumping course will contain between 8 and 12 fences.

Step 3

Using a piece of paper, lay out your jumping grid. Your first fence should be solid and friendly; a simple oxer (a box-shaped fence) with no filling is substantial and inviting. This jump should lead toward the barn or other horses and allow for adequate circling in front of the fence and adequate room for the horse to land afterward without being presented with another fence right away.

Step 4

Place your second or third fence facing toward home. This fence should be a simple vertical with standards or wings. The horse is not going to want to jump away from home, so you want this fence to be as simple as possible. Avoid any fillers that may fly about and spook the horse.

Step 5

Pay attention to spacing. A typical horse’s stride is 12 feet, and a good course will allow 3 strides for the horse to negotiate the obstacle, 3 strides to land and 3 strides to navigate any corners. Do not place your fences too close together or too far apart. Walk out the strides before allowing riders to practice on your course.

Step 6

Space your double and triple combinations. Consider whether horses or ponies are jumping your course, because a horse’s stride is longer than a pony’s. (A pony’s stride is 10 feet.) Allow for 2 full strides between the fences, after landing, and allow an extra stride for the horse to take off in front of the second element.

Step 7

Ground lines are useful for young horses or inexperienced riders. A ground line is a simple pole placed in front of the element that gives the horse and rider a better sense of the height of the fence and timing clues on when to jump.