How to Ride a Show Jumping Course

First off, a jumper rider should enter the ring with only one thing on his or her mind: the task ahead. That means that by the time horse and rider step into the competition arena, things like tack, apparel, grooming and training should be in place and there to assist rather than hinder.

Tack should be properly fitting, appropriate, and clean. An ill-fitting saddle or improperly adjusted bridle can get in the way of the performance or even cause injury. Likewise, the rider should be outfitted in comfortable and proper clothing. Jumpers are usually allowed to compete in polo shirts or ratcatchers without coats, as long as they are tucked in and neat. Other than that, riders should have conservatively colored breeches, a belt, tall boots and a helmet.

As for training, jumpers should be schooling comfortable above the height they are showing at. For example, a solid 3' jumper should be able to tackle 3'3" courses at home. That way, he won't be surprised by the fences at shows, and will be able to navigate any new challenges--such as scary fences or tight turns--without having to worry about making it over them. Riders should also be competent at the level at which they are showing so that they are able to confidently ride the course and guide their mount.

As for all showing endeavors, horses should be clean and healthy-looking, with polished hooves, brushed manes and tails, and shiny coats.

Now that all the details are covered, riders should focus on learning the course. Just staring at the posted route and matching up fences won't do the trick; riders should walk the course with their trainer the get a feel for the angles and paths available to them. All related distances should be walked off to determine if lines are short, long, or right on. Jump-off courses should also be carefully walked, and plans made before stepping foot in the saddle. That way, the rider can get on and focus solely on warming up and getting into a good rhythm rather than fretting over the course.

Before entering the ring, riders should warm up their mounts as they usually do at the walk, trot, and canter. Some horses need a little opening up at the canter to wake them up and get them in front of the leg, while others benefit from some circles and slower paces to settle their mind and increase their concentration. Once the horse is supple and ready, the rider's trainer will set a few practice fences to ensure that the rider's eye is sharp and the horse is responding well and jumping handily. When horse and rider feel ready, they can proceed to the in-gate and ready themselves for the performance to come.

Once at the in-gate, riders should keep their horses moving as much as possible. Most riders have a minute or two before they have to enter the arena, and often spend the time going over the course once more or watching the current rider compete. Once the competitor in the ring lands after the final fence, the rider should make sure that their horse is awake, pick up a lively trot, and march into the ring. At this point, horse and rider should be 100% focused on the task at hand.

Usually, riders will trot into the arena, pause in the middle, and then assume the canter when the buzzer rings. Many riders will trot their horses past spooky fences so that the horse won't be as surprised by them when it comes time to actually jump the scary jump. While this is frowned upon in hunters and equitation, it is perfectly fine in the jumper ring.

After the buzzer rings, horse and rider usually have 45 seconds to break the timers, which are placed before the first fence on course. No circles are needed here as they are in the equitation and hunter rings; riders can proceed directly to the first fence, although they should ensure that they have an active, impulsive canter before tacking the first fence. A quick tap of the crop often helps to get the horse in front of the rider's leg and focused.

From that point on, horse and rider must execute the course as planned during the course walk. Riders should maintain a steady rhythm and keep their horse balanced and flowing between fences. Once the rider lands off the final fence, they must canter through the finishing timers. To be clear, riders must have completed the course under the time allowed and kept all the rails up. If this is the case, they have three options for the jump-off:

Table II, Sec 2(a), per the USEF rulebook, mandates that riders exit the ring after their round and wait for the rest of the riders in the class to complete the course. Once all of the riders have ridden the first round, they will re-enter the arena to ride the jump-off course in a pre-determined order (usually reverse of the original).

Table II, Sec 2(b) requires riders to remain in the arena and stop after finishing their first round. If they are clear, another buzzer will sound and they will then commence the jump-off course.

Table II, Sec 2(c) is also known as the power and speed class, requiring riders to ride the first round and jump-off courses as one continuous course. The first round may be jumps 1-10, with the jump-off including jumps 11-14. If horse and rider are clear after completing fence 10, they will continue on to the jump-off without stopping. If they are over the time allowed or have a rail after completing the first round, a buzzer will sound before they reach the first fence of the jump-off and they must stop and exit the arena.

Show jumping takes a lot of planning and preparation, but it is a wildly exciting sport with plenty of thrills and rewards.