A to Z of showjumping

If you’re in need of a little extra assistance understanding the terminology used in showjumping, we’re here to clear up the confusion. 

From doglegs and triple bars to jump-offs and grids, our A-Z has you covered. Prepare to further your knowledge of all things jumping related right here.

A is for angles

Angles, as the name suggests, are fences jumped at an angle that can save you valuable seconds in a jump-off, so they’re worth practising at home.

For a simple exercise to familiarise your horse with angles, build one small upright fence in the centre of your arena. Begin by approaching the fence head-on, then gradually open up the angle and practise riding over it on a figure of eight. 

B is for bascule

In simple terms, bascule is the name given to the correct shape a horse should make over a fence. He should lift up through his back and stretch his neck forward and down (picture a dolphin jumping out of the sea).

The stronger your horse’s hindquarters, the more he will be able to push and lift over fences, so regular flatwork training and exercises using poles and grids will make a big difference. Ask your jump coach for ideas or try out some of the exercises in this feature.

C is for combination

This is the term used to describe two or three fences that are placed in close sequence (no more than two strides apart) yet count as one fence. Therefore, if you have a run out at the second or third part of a combination you must jump all the elements again to avoid elimination. The various parts of a combination are usually labelled as A, B and C.

Did you know?

Showjumping course designers must undergo training and are classified at five different levels, with level 1 being the first and level 5 the highest qualification.

D is for dogleg

Posing a challenge to both horse and rider, doglegs are two fences that are set on a curved line, with both designed to be jumped straight through the centre, rather than at an angle.

When you walk the course you’ll need to break each fence down into two straight lines, with a turn between them.

E is for elimination

Nobody wants to get eliminated, which is why it’s wise to know how to avoid it where possible. The main reasons you’ll be eliminated during a showjumping round are…

• having two or three refusals (the number depends on whether the class is being run under British Showjumping rules)
• you or your horse fall
• jumping the wrong course or missing out a fence
• starting before the bell
• failing to go through the start or finish
• displaying behaviour deemed inappropriate towards your horse, fellow competitors or the organisers

F is for flying change

Teaching your horse to do flying changes will help him to stay balanced around a showjumping course without needing to change canter leads through trot.

Unlike dressage, you won’t be marked on the quality of your horse’s flying changes, so it doesn’t matter if they’re not clean (where the hindleg and foreleg change perfectly together). However, if you want to make your round as smooth as possible, it pays to train the flying changes correctly.

Top tip

You should be training at a higher level than you are competing at. So if you want to compete at 1m, make sure you’re comfortably jumping at least 1.05m at home.

G is for grids

Gymnastic exercises for horses, grids are made up of several fences placed in a row. They can include a mixture of cross-poles, uprights and spreads, and are usually set at bounce, one-stride or two-stride distances.

H is for height

If you’re considering stepping up to affiliated level, be aware that courses are likely to be much more up to height compared with unaffiliated competitions. 

Not only this, but fences will be much wider, too, which will make doubles and combinations trickier and more technical.

Did you know?

In a jump-off, the height of the fences can be increased by up to 10cm from the upper height limit of the first round. 

I is for impulsion

Another word for energy, impulsion is an essential part of any discipline – if your horse isn’t working actively forward, he won’t be able to perform at his best. 

Be careful not to confuse impulsion with speed, though. You want your horse to be actively stepping forward from his hindleg, remaining in balance, rather than rushing onto his forehand.

It’s worth noting that for showjumping, canter is the most important pace to develop, and a good jumping canter is one with plenty of impulsion and lift.

Top tip

Work on adjusting your horse’s canter by riding between the gears in this pace. That way, you’ll have much more room for error when it comes to your approaches.

J is for jump-off

Showjumping classes are usually split into single phase and two-phase formats. In a single-phase class, each rider jumps a first round and, regardless of whether they incurred faults, each competitor goes through to a timed jump-off course.

In a two-phase class, riders who jump clear in the first round go straight into a jump-off against the clock without stopping. The fastest clear round or rider with the fewest faults takes the top spot.

K is for knock down

If your horse knocks a rail, you’ll clock up four faults, which will be added to your total penalty score.

L is for light seat

Showjumpers often like to ride in a light seat – when they take their body weight out of the saddle – so the horse can move better and more freely underneath them. 

To ride in a light seat, you’ll need to take the weight into your heels with your lower leg underneath you so that when you stand up, you can stay in good balance over the horse’s back. Being able to maintain a light seat requires plenty of strength and practice.

M is for metres per minute

Did you know that most showjumping courses are designed to be ridden at a rate of 325–350 metres per minute? You need to be travelling at around this speed to avoid incurring time penalties. The good news, however, is that until you’re competing at the higher levels, the time allowance is quite generous.

N is for novice

The various classes in showjumping all have a name, and British Novice classes (up to 0.90m) are generally the lowest height held at affiliated national shows. After that comes Discovery (up to 1m), Newcomers (up to 1.10m) and Foxhunter classes (up to 1.20m).

O is for oxer

Another fence commonly found in a showjumping course is an oxer, which features two verticals placed close together to form a spread. If both top rails are the same height, the fence is known as a square or parallel oxer.

P is for placing pole

Designed to help your horse arrive at the correct point for take-off, a placing pole is usually set one canter stride (roughly 3m) away from the take-off point. Placing poles can be really useful for riders who need help seeing a stride or for horses who rush into fences, as the pole encourages the horse to back off slightly.

Q is for questions

Jumping courses – both showjumping and cross-country – include several different technical elements and you’ll often hear the various challenges out on course referred to as questions.

R is for related distance

In a nutshell, a related distance is where two fences are set at a specific number of strides away from each other, starting at three strides and usually ending at eight or nine.

S is for seeing a stride

Ever wondered how top riders always appear to meet fences on the perfect stride? If you ask them how they do it, they’ll tell you it’s all down to the canter rhythm, as well as plenty of practice. 

First and foremost, make sure your horse is working actively forward in an energetic rhythm (see I is for impulsion), then practise riding over poles on the ground to develop your eye.

T is for triple bar

Comprising three sets of wings and poles, the poles are placed in ascending order with the first rail being the lowest and the last the highest.

U is for upright

An upright fence, also known as a vertical, comprises at least two poles or planks arranged vertically on the wings.  

V is for V-poles

Two poles placed in a V shape either on the floor or resting on a rail of the fence can be used to encourage your horse to jump straighter and cleaner, therefore improving his jumping technique. 

W is for whip

January 2020 saw a major change to the rules surrounding the types of whips allowed to be used in British Showjumping competitions. In an effort to promote horse welfare, whips must be no less than 45cm and a maximum of 70cm long, plus the padding must be smooth. For more details on whip criteria, check out the BS handbook, available online.

X is for X pole

As a training aid, cross-poles encourage straightness and teach the horse to pick up his feet over fences, so they’re ideal for horses who tend to jump a bit flat.

Y is for yes

The key to achieving a ‘yes!’ moment and jumping a perfect clear round is to ride forward and positively. Avoid holding your horse back and changing anything when you’re a few strides out from the fence, otherwise you’ll run the risk of gaining faults. 

Z is for zip

If you’re a keen showjumper, you’ll be familiar with the benefits a technical show jacket can bring. In recent years, the zip fastening (hidden by buttons) on jackets has grown in popularity. Stretchy materials have offered more freedom of movement and ultimate comfort in the saddle, too, leaving you to focus, unrestricted, on the task in hand.