Raised rails are something simple you can make which will add a lot of versatility to your riding and jumping. I have made them by simply using left over wood from when I am building a pair of jump standards. I don’t want to waste wood, so I figured out a way to use the excess wood I had building up from build 5 and 6 foot standards for people.
Not only can you use them as a part of the jump to make the jump appear full for your horse, which will encourage him to jump, but it also can act as a guide, showing you which direction you should be going when going over the jump. This will help in the future when you are at a show.
But you can also use raised rails as a training tool. They help to get your horse to lift his feet, and they can help your steering. By using smaller raised rails when setting up a grid, it will be more of a challenge to make sure your horse is going straight over the rail.
You can set up a gymnastic, and use the raised rails for trot poles, and you can also use them to set rails on, which will also add yet another training element for you.
If you want to have an extra use, you can drill some holes into the rails, and then you can put in some silk flowers. Now your raised rails have become flower boxes. This would be great for getting your horse ready for the hunter ring, or if you just want to make sure he is ready for anything he may see at a horse show.
To build raised rails all you need is some landscaping timbers (about $4.00 at Home Depot) and a 2 x 4. Since I tend to have a lot of these pieces left over from building jumps, all I do is wait until I have 5 or 6 3 foot pieces, and some scrap 2 x 4 wood, and then I build a set of raised rails. I like the 3 foot sections, because I can use 2 or 3 of them in front of a jump. You can make then as long as you like, but the 3 foot sections are easier to move, and are really versatile.
I use 4” long pieces of 2 x 4 and screw them into the bottom of the rail. Then I sand it, and add holes if I want to use it for a flower box. Then comes a coat of Kilz primer, and then whatever color of paint I have.
These rails are an excellent and economical way to add fill for your jumps. They are simple to make, even if you don’t have a lot of carpenter skills. So if you are thinking about making some jumps, or adding to your jumps, a set of jump rails would be a great first project for you to try.
