Practicing at home is what makes equestrians ready to shine in the show ring; and a key factor of that is practicing over jumps similar to those you’ll see at the horse show. This prepares both horse and rider for any challenge that may present itself during competition.
Many riders and barns are trying to get ready for more than one ring– between hunter, jumper and equitation– so it's vital to be prepared for all of them. Here’s everything you need in your schooling ring to be get ready for any discipline at the show:
Aluminum Schooling Standards
Aluminum jump standards are a schooling ring must! These easy-to-move standards are simple, yet effective. Aluminum standards are more cost-effective than traditional show standards, but still allow you to practice everything you need to at home. They can be used for anything: verticles, oxers, etc.
DJC offers both aluminum stick standards and aluminum picket standards. Both options are super lightweight– most people can carry two standards at a time– and come in a rainbow of colors.
Pro-tip: Have a variety of different color standards to make sure your horse will be used to all the bright colors they can encounter in the show ring. It’s always great to have a few white and black standards, but add a pop of color with red, blue, yellow or any other color.
Horse Show Standards
It’s a good idea to have a couple pairs of hunter and jumper horse show standards in your home ring. This way, horse and rider can be prepared for the standards typically found in the show ring. DJC has both hunter horse show standards and jumper horse show standards. These also add a fun pop of color and artistic flair to your ring!
Like our aluminum schooling standards, DJC horse show standards are light and easy to move.
Jump Poles
Every horse jump needs poles. We suggest having a variety of pole designs at the ready in your arena: solid, natural colored poles for the hunters; turf poles for the hunters and equitation; different striped poles for equitation and jumper practice; and other specialty poles, like the eye-catching spiral rails. Don’t see the kind of jump pole you are looking for? If you can dream it, we can build it!
Pro-tip: Add 8’ poles to your course so you can practice skinny jumps.
Hunter Filler
Hunter horse show jumps are known for their solid build that includes small walls, flower boxes and more. Since these are seen in virtually every hunter course, make sure you practice them at home first. We suggest having several pairs of flower boxes, and a few different hunter walls. Versions of these fillers are also seen in equitation jumps.
Pro-tip: Use your small hunter walls as standard-less singles to practice straightness, or stack them on each other to build a DIY wall.
Jumper Filler
Jumper fillers can often add a spooky dynamic to a jump. Make sure to have a few unique ones of your own to get your horse use to them before the show. Although these are mostly seen in the jumper ring, equitation riders should be ready to jump them and they can be used in hunter schooling too!
Pro-tip: Create your own custom logo filler to represent your own brand in the ring.
Jump Gates
Jump gates are seen in all three rings in various forms. Most hunter jumps have a ladder-style gate, and these are seen in equitation classes as well. A great gate to practice for hunters, jumpers and equitation is the Rivera gate. These have been used in all types of classes and have a unique shape that may be new to some horses.
We recommend having several different gates and planks to practice– many of these you can customize to add your logo too!
A Wall
Walls are becoming increasingly common obstacles in all three rings. These large, solid jumps can often cause issues for both horse and rider. Although there are different kinds of walls in all the rings (turf walls in the hunter ring vs. colorful hand-painted walls in the jumper ring) you can usually just have one wall to practice at home. The 4-in-1 jumper wall is a must as you can build it exactly as you want– with or without standards, or take out a piece of it to make it airy (airy walls are commonly seen in the Big Eq classes).
Pro-tip: Incorporate your brand logo on the wall to represent your brand and get your horse used to jumping jumps with small details and words on them (like the sponsor jumps you see in the show ring).
Cavaletti
Cavaletti are a great addition to any schooling ring as they are a horse training staple. These raised ground rails are commonly used by top horse professionals to practice jumping grids and strengthening exercises at home. Check out our YouTube channel for cavaletti exercise demonstrations by several top showjumpers.
Pro-tip: If you are practicing over ground rails, use cavalettis instead. If the horse hits them with their feet, the cavalettis won’t move as easily.
Jump Cups
Don’t forget about the jump cups! These attach to the standards and hold up the jump poles and gates.
Contact DJC today, or browse our product catalog, to purchase your three ring schooling jump course!