There are 10 things you really need to have to make the most of your jumping arena. If you plan to jump with your horse there is a lot of equipment you will need. If you have an endless supply of money, or have recently won the lottery, congratulations! But even if you are not extremely wealthy, it’s ok, you can still have a nice area and all of the equipment you will need to have a lot of different options in order to jump with your horse without spending a small fortune.
You can build a lot of the equipment you will need to jump. It does take some time and dedication on your part, but once it is all done, you will have a lot of equipment to keep your jump courses fun and challenging for you and your horse.
This is a list of 10 different things you really need in order to make the most of your jumping time with your four legged partner.
A Dedicated Riding Arena
A dedicated arena is one of the most important things you will need. If you have a riding arena you will be able to do flat work as well as jump. It helps to have a relatively flat area to begin with. You can bring in dirt, or move dirt to make it as flat as possible. You can fence it in, or you can keep it unfenced. But if your riding arena is not fenced, and you have other horses, it helps to be able to keep them penned up, so they don’t interfere with your training.
The larger area you have, the more you will be able to do. In my opinion, for jumping your area needs to be at least 120 feet wide by about 100 feet long. This will make it so you can set up at least two lines of jumps, and adding 1 more line in the center. This will give you a lot of room for your flat work as well.
Jump Standards
These are one of the staples you will need for your jumping. And the more jump standards you have, the more jumps you can make. Ideally you will want enough jump standards so you can build a complete course of jumps including verticals, oxers, and even combinations. You can choose wing standards, or schooling standards, or a little bit of both. You will only be limited by your space, and your checkbook.
You can buy jump standards, or you can build them. I prefer to build them because you will get a lot more standards for less money if you build them yourself. For example, buying a pair of 4 foot schooling standards from State Line Tack and it will cost you $188.00 a pair. Or for about $175.00, you can build yourself 7 pair of 4 foot standards.
Then you will also have to decide if you want wing standards or schooling standards. When you go to a horse show, most likely the rings will be filled with huge wings. These are beautiful, but at home you can get away with schooling standards. Schooling standards are lighter and easier to move, and the cost a lot less to build or buy. Ultimately it is up to you, but if you want to get the most bang for your buck, stick with the schooling standards. Your back will appreciate it too!
Rails and Poles
These are another staple item you will need for creating a course of jumps. There are many routes you can go with your rails. You can buy them, or build them. You rails can be 8, 10, or 12 feet long. Again, the length of your rails will depend on how large your riding arena is. The longer the jumps, the more space you will need.
One little training tidbit I have learned is to keep my rails 8 feet long. The best benefit to this is the cost. I can buy landscaping timbers (which are 8 feet long) for $4.00 each. Meaning you can get 12 rails for about $50.00. And more importantly, if your horse gets used to jumping 8 foot wide jumps, when you go to the show, the 10 and 12 foot wide jumps will be easier for your horse.
Gates
Having fill for your jumps is important because it helps your horse get used to what the jumps will look like at the show. And one way to create fill is to add some gates. Gates are a really fun and easy addition to add to your jumps. To buy a gate will run about $285.00, or you can build one yourself for about 16.00! The photo of the gate above this paragraph was one I made from scrap wood, and it cost me about $5.00 to build it.
You can take a weekend and build 4 or 5 gates, and save yourself about $1000.00! And you don’t need to have outstanding carpenter skills either. You make 1 cut on a 2×4, a few straight cuts on some fence pickets, and bam! You can make a gate!
Planks
Here is another piece of equipment you can make to add some interest for your jumps. Planks are so easy to make, and will cost you about $6.00 per plank. Or if you want to get really creative, you can make wavy planks for the same cost, but they will be a little more labor intensive with the help of a jigsaw. They are not hard to do, and they really do add an extra element of design and style to your jumps. If you want to learn how to make planks, I wrote an article showing you how to do it, and I also made a video about them, because they are so much fun to make!
Raised Rails
I have not seen a lot of people using these when they make their jumps and I always wonder why. Raised rails are so useful. You can put them in front of your jumps to make the jump appear fuller for your horse, making it more appealing to jump, and you can determine in which direction you will approach the jump with the raised rails. And you can also use them as trot rails, encouraging your horse to lift his feet, and also use them to raise rails off the ground when creating a gymnastic. They are incredibly easy to make, and will add so much to your jumping and training. If you have scrap lumber, you can make use of the waste, and create something useful. You can even drill some holes in them and use them as flower “rails”.
Jump Cups
Another item that you will need for jumping is jump cups. You will need a lot of these to hold up all of your rails, gates and planks. I have seen where people make these themselves, but for the labor and cost involved, you are better off to just buy them. Especially when you can get them for about $4.00 a pair from State Line Tack!
If you are making your own standards, you may want to invest in the more expensive jump cups made by Dapple Equine. These are one handed jump cups which means no more lost pins. And they are coated with a material that doesn’t rust. I am actually in the process of changing all of my own jump cups to these. They look nice, are safe, and they fit the standards better than the $4.00 jump cups. I did a review of different types of jump cups showing the difference in cost and construction which you can read here.
Arena Drag
This is not necessarily something you have to have in order to jump, but it will prolong the life of your arena, and will give you good ground, which will save your horse’s legs. You can find these online, or you could make your own. But regardless of how you get one, you really should consider having one for your arena. It will make all the difference in the world for your footing, and it will keep your ground supportive for your horse’s legs while he is working.
I found one on eBay for less than $300.00. It works great, and is easy to hook up. It makes quick work of evening out the ground and providing a level surface. I feel if you are going to be jumping, you really need to have good ground, and having an arena drag will help to keep your ground the best it can be.
Storage for Your Jumps
This is important. You have invested a lot of time and probably money into your jumps. And if you aren’t using them, you really should keep them out of the elements.
It is kind of bittersweet every winter when I pack up my jumps. But it helps to keep them in good shape so when the weather gets nice again, I can pull them out and set up a course of jumps.
It doesn’t really matter where you store them, as long as they are protected. I use my horse trailer which has been used for everything except hauling my horses! (Unfortunately)
A Helper
Friends don’t let friends jump alone!
When you are out jumping, it is a good idea to have someone with you. The biggest reason is for safety. You could have a fall, or something could happen, and if you are alone, who will know? One of my favorite reasons though to have a helper is to have someone there to reset the rails when I knock them down! It makes it nice to have someone there not only to set up my oopsies, but also to take photos or videos as well as letting me know if I am slouching, ducking, or making mistakes.
I am grateful that my husband humors me, and helps me with my riding even though I am sure there are other things he would rather be doing, like watching paint dry for an example.
And there you have it, my top 10 most important aspects to making the most of your jumping arena. What are you most important things to have when you are jumping? Share your comments below, and maybe you will be able to help others who are just getting started with jumping.
Lisa, thank you, I appreciate your attention to detail. Your videos are GREAT and I especially enjoy the written instruction. Most helpful to watch the video then followup by reading your instructions. Again, thank you. I look forward to doing several of these projects.
Hi Marion!
I am so glad you like my videos! That makes my day 🙂 Thank you again! I hope you will enjoy the future videos, I have a LOT of jump ideas in my head that I need to make, so if you have liked the videos so far, I am hopeful you will like the new ones coming out.
Do you recommend the 3-rail fence for the jumper arena?