What Is the Highest Cross Country Fence?

Cross country jumping has been an integral part of the equestrian sport known as eventing for over a century. Cross country is held in fields and wooded areas, with anywhere from 24 to 36 jumps. Horses can jump as high as 8 feet, but it takes a world-class champion to clear such a railing, and even in Olympic show jumping, fences are no higher than 5 feet, 6 inches. In cross country eventing, the maximum allowed fence height is 3 feet. 11 inches. Creating a cross country fence or jumping system is not just for Olympic contenders; backyard horse enthusiasts can create fencing for hobby eventing. When designing cross country fencing, safety for both the horse and the rider is a priority.

  1. Cross Country Fences Designed for Training

    • Horse and rider begin with the basics when training for jumping. The backyard enthusiast can help the riding team to develop balance, heightened leg stance and lengthened stride by creating a series of cavaletti bars. These bars can be as simple as 2-by-4s held up 4 to 6 inches from the ground by setting the ends on bricks. About 6 bars are spaced a few feet apart (the actual distance is a function of the horse's stride); the rider begins by walking his horse across the cavaletti, then trotting. When horse and rider are comfortable tackling the cavaletti course, they are ready for more challenging cross country fences.

    Cross Country Fences Created for Depth

    • A number of cross country fences challenge the equestrian team's scope. A table jumping fence can is similar to a wooden picnic table; it has fairly low height (usually no more than 30 inches) and a depth --- or width --- of up to 5 feet. Oxers are another version of the table jump; they can be set up with two wooden rails separated by 1 or more feet. The oxer rails can be set at the same or differing heights.

    Cross Country Fences Designed for Multiple Levels

    • Jumps that incorporate steps up or down (known as banks), usually through a series of wooden retaining walls and soil, require the equestrian team to negotiate heightened and lowered elevations over a few short yards. Such cross country fences serve as good practice for pleasure trail riding, especially if it entails contending with steep hills or ravines.

    Cross Country Fences Designed for Height

    • Cross country fences designed for height can be created from low-lying natural elements in the backyard, like an old log, or a ridge of soil or bushes. Intermediate-height jumps can be made from a row of barrels laid on end, a string of old tires stood up side-to-side, or hay bales lined up end-to-end. For cross country jumps 3 feet and higher, check out websites such as Equisearch for building instructions. Whenever horse jumping, the rider must always wear protective head gear, scan the field for any potential dangers to the equestrian team and be sensitive to the horse's ability and confidence levels.