Jump cups are essential to every horse jump. But why are there so many different kinds? Each jump cup has a purpose, highly related to keeping horse and rider safe, and to how a pole comes down when hit.
Here’s a breakdown of all the jump cups, their purpose, and why you would want each in your ring. These jump cups are specifically made for key-hole tracks on horse jumps, which is what every DJC jump is designed with:
The Safety Cup: Breakaway Jump Cups
What it is: A two-piece jump cup that releases itself from the jump, letting the pole fall, when too much pressure comes down on it, essentially ‘breaking away’ and preventing severe injury to horse and rider.
Why you want it:
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Safety first: If a horse hits a jump hard, a breakaway cup lets the rail drop cleanly instead of holding firm, reducing the risk of injury to horse and rider.
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Show-ready compliance: At horse shows, breakaway cups are required on back rails of oxers— so you’ll want them on your home setup too to practice what you see at the show.
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Peace of mind: You can school with confidence, knowing you’ve got a built-in safety release if something goes wrong.
The Careful Cup: 18mm Jump Cups
What it is: Shallow jump cups–18mm– are commonly used as the cups for top rails in high level competition. The shallow lip means the poles come down easily; then the flat side is used to place the tricky planks on.
Why you want it:
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Prepares your horse for show-ring conditions: High-level competitions often use shallow cups on top rails — meaning a light rub can send the rail down. Training with the same setup helps your horse learn never to “lean” on rails.
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Encourages precision: Because the hold is light, riders must jump with accuracy and correct form — great schooling for technical courses or high jumps.
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Good for plank or flat-rail setups: The underside of these cups is flat, which works nicely when using planks or gates as this is how they are set at the show, again encouraging carefulness.
The Standard Cup: 25mm Jump Cup
What it is: The “everyday” cup — medium depth, sturdy enough for typical schooling jumps or lower rails on competition fences.
Why you want it:
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Great for regular schooling: These are solid for daily practice jumps, grid work, and less technical fences. Rails sit securely but still fall cleanly if knocked.
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Balanced hold: Not so shallow that rails fall at a light touch, not so deep that they stay stubbornly in place — a dependable middle ground.
The Deep Cups: 38mm Jump Cup
What it is: A deep-lip cup designed to hold poles more firmly than standard or shallow cups.
Why you want it:
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For “set-and-forget” fences: If you want poles to stay put — even when hit — this cup gives that added security. Good for schooling when you don’t want rails falling at the slightest tap.
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Useful if you want stable rails for ground-pole exercises or repeated jump train circuits where rails get knocked but you don’t want everything breaking down.
See the Jump Cups in Action
Horse jump expert and DJC owner, Javan Dalman, explains with visual representations of all the jump cups here:
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If you still have questions on jump cups and which kind you may need for your ring, don’t hesitate to reach out to the experts at DJC. If you know which cup(s) you want, you can purchase them directly on the DJC website!