subject: Horse Jumps What Materials Are They Made Of [print this page] Horse Jumps What Materials Are They Made Of
Horse jumps are the equipment used to set up jumping courses either in a show ring or on a trail. The abilities of horse and rider are both challenged. A beauteous animal jumps over a fence and you want to make sure he can clear it and land safely on the other side. Buy your jumping equipment from reputable manufacturer for safety sake.Safety comes first, price comes second. Price is, of course, an important consideration. When you can buy from a company that guarantees its prices are lower than any other seller s, it is your first choice of where to buy your jumping equipment.Regardless of manufacturer, the crucial details and design are crucial. Whether made of wood or PVC, the design might be the same. Wood is susceptible to rotting but PVC, a man made material is not. It can be left out in the rain. Most purchasers are choosing PVC because it is impervious to rain and can be left outside regardless of the weather.PVC is a more expensive material to work with, however, it can now be manufactured more cheaply than wood because of computerized methods. This makes PVC competitive in the market. It is, in fact, cheaper to buy than wood.There are many things about this industry that the average person does not know. There are a variety of types of jumps. Cavalletti jumps are used in dressage exhibitions. The horses trained for dressage, also known as dancing, are different than those used for Western trail competitions for example. Those jumps are similar to natural things found on trail rides, such as logs.Horse show planners know the specifications for each type of jump. A beginner may want to set up a few low jumps to learn with. You can set of your own jumps if you are cautious. Make sure no nails or sharp protrusions exist in the material you use. Try a cross rail jump with two poles of an upright fence meeting at a cross in the center. This trains the horse to aim his body at the center of all jumps.There are oxer jumps and pyramid jumps and an endless number of combination jumps. All require careful measurements be taken. The height is important and the distance between jumps is crucial. Generally speaking, allow twelve feet between jumps for a horse, and ten feet for a pony.Each jump needs to have about twelve feet between it and the next jump. You could measure your own horse s strides as an alternative. Use a tape measure for accuracy. For a pony, use a distance of ten feet between jumps.It is crucial that you do not place a pole behind a jump. It creates a false ground line. That will make the horse perceive the jump to be further back than it actually is. Of course this will throw off his judgement creating a dangerous situation.Open water jumps must conform to specific size regulations for different courses. The jumps can be purchased individually or in packages to be set up on site in various ways. There are also additional accessories that include extra rails, cups, wings and flower boxes to create an attractive jumping course with. Although appearance is not the primary consideration, it definitely enhances the look at any horse show.Horse jumps provide the course for the jumping competition. Spectators love to watch the graceful jumps made by horses. They do not realize how difficult these jumps are. They might not know how much training is involved to accomplish this feat. But, the pleasure of watching their graceful maneuvers over the course is a wonderful thing.
