What Kind of Horse Jumps Are There?

Eventing and show jumping with your horse can be an exhilarating experience. Before you enter a show, you'll need lots of practice. Once you have gained a familiarity with the different types of horse jumps you're most likely to encounter, you can begin training your steed appropriately.

  1. Jumps for Beginners

    • Also called pole jumps, vertical jumps are simple, easy and widely-encountered. Thin vertical jumps are essentially a fence with poles stacked to create the appropriate height. Most riders consider these the easiest type of jump. Filler jumps are a variety of vertical jump where something is placed under the pole. Common items in fillers include flower boxes and gates. More challenging jumps are created by combining more than one vertical jump in a series. Sometimes called a Spread, Oxer jumps are a series of two vertical jumps placed together so your horse's jump will have to span both the height and width of the jump. Other varieties of Oxer jumps exist, but for a beginning jumper, only a Square Oxer, where both poles are the same height, should be attempted.

    Jumps for Intermediate Horse and Riders

    • Wall jumps may look imposing, with what appears to be stacks of bricks held together by masonry, but in reality they are constructed from lighter-weight material that will come apart if your horse's legs hit it hard enough. Your horse won't know this, and may be hesitant about wall jumps the first few times it encounters them. With some encouragement, it may be coaxed to take on a wall. Ascending Oxer jumps, with a lower pole in the front and a higher one in the back, are a natural transition for most novice jumpers looking to move up. Once the ascending Oxer has been mastered, move on to the descending Oxer, with a higher pole in the front and a lower one in the rear. Another is the Swedish Oxer, with two poles that slant in opposite directions to form an "X" shape.

    Jumps for More Advanced Horse and Riders

    • Not all horses are able to tackle advanced jumps. Hogsback Jumps, for instance, have unevenly placed poles, usually the highest one in the center. Essentially a type of Oxer or Spread jump, Hogsback Jumps are familiar for this reason but are considered a bit trickier because of the unevenness of the poles. Combination jumps are a series of two or three jumps in a row, with only a few strides in between. Your horse must complete all the jumps in a row or will be expected to go back and repeat them all.

    Jumps for Very Advanced Horse and Riders

    • Some horse and rider teams become proficient in more advanced varieties of jump and still need a new challenge. For advanced horses and riders only, Triple Bar Jumps are a variety of Oxer that includes not two but three vertical jumps in a row for an extra width challenge. Over water jumps require your horse to either jump or land in a small, shallow pool of water. Many horses are terrified of water, so this type of jump requires careful training.