Do jumping horses know not to knock the fences over?

Definitely. Horses are very good at picking up when their rider is pleased and displeased. And, of course, hitting a pole is kind of annoying. A good jumping horse will do his level best to leave all the poles in place.

Of course, I swear some horses knock them over on purpose...

Can draft horses jump?

You might hear that they can't. Actually, draft horses are perfectly capable of jumping and some draft crosses can be really good at it. Pure draft horses tend not to be very good at jumping, but many will give it a try anyway. They tend to jump a bit awkwardly (draft horses, cobs and some ponies will kind of go up, across, down rather than forming a proper arc) but they certainly can.

Of course, you don't want them hitting your jumps - they're rather more likely to break the equipment than a light horse.

Can horses jump from a standing start?

Not very well or very high. They can to a point, but horses generally find it much easier and smoother to take a good run at it, and anything high (in relation to the horse) they need to. Mules, on the other hand, can and do jump their own height from a standing start.

Do horses like to jump?

I may have answered this before, but it seems to keep coming up.

The answer is: It depends on the horse.

Some horses like jumping. Some are pretty indifferent to it. And some absolutely hate it.

Most of the high end show jumpers you see like jumping because if they don't it's just hard to impossible to train them to that level. They seem to think it's a fun game to play with their rider. And I've known lazy horses who perk up a lot when they see jump standards.

So, yeah, depends on the horse (and I personally think it's mean to make a horse jump that actively hates doing it).

How does a side saddle rider cue her horse?

So, if you see somebody riding side saddle, you'll realize something. If legs are used to control the horse, what do you do when you only have one on one side?

The answer is a ladies' whip. It is longer than a normal riding crop and more like a dressage whip, and is used to replace the leg cues on the right side. Ladies' whips normally have a flapper like crops, rather than a short lash like dressage whips. It is never used to hit or discipline the horse. Victorian ladies' whips were often fashion accessories as well.

A lady jumping side saddle, you can clearly see the whip in her right hand. Image source: Wikimedia commons.

What is jumped off?

As in what almost happened to me this week.

We say a horse "jumps the rider off" if the rider falls during or immediately after the jump because of a lack of coordination between the horse and rider. It's usually caused by a disagreement over when to take off or by the horse jumping far higher than the rider expects. Needless to say, it's highly embarrassing.

What is a collecting ring?

The collecting ring is the area at a horse show where horses and riders wait to go into the main arena. It may also be the area in which riders school or warm up their horses before competing, depending on the configuration of the show grounds or barn. (At many barn shows the warm up area is a good distance from the arena used for actual competition and the "collecting ring" may be a designated part of the stable yard).

What is a Trakehner?

One of two things, actually.

1. A breed of Warmblood horse that originates in Germany.

2. A fence consisting of a rail over a ditch, often quite frightening for the horse and a test of bravery.

The two terms appear to be a weird coincidence, but this isn't true - both originate from the Trakehnen area of East Prussia.

The Trakehner fence originally referred to fences built in drainage ditches, common in this wetland area.

The breed originated at the Main Stud Trakehnen in the same area.

A kid and a pony jumping a trakehner fence. Image source: Timdnz via Wikimedia Commons.

What is a sunken road?

A sunken road is a cross country fence that's designed to simulate crossing a rather typical English country road.

The horse jumps down a drop, then up a bank a few strides later. There may or may not be rail on one or both sides of the road. It's considered a difficult obstacle, especially with rails.

What is an oxer?

An oxer is a horse jump with two rails set a distance apart. Sometimes there is "filler" in the oxer, such as brush. The rails may be the same height or different heights, but the front rail is never higher than the back rail, as this messes with a horse's vision and causes them to knock the fence down. A lower front rail is considered more inviting.

In the UK, an oxer where the two rails are at the same height is called a "parallel."

An oxer with three rails is a "triple bar."

The horse is jumping a parallel rails or parallel oxer, with a regular ascending oxer in the background. Image source SGBailey via Wikimedia Commons.

What is a drop fence?

A drop fence is an obstacle where the landing is at a lower level than the takeoff. They are particularly difficult because the horse cannot see the landing and has to trust his rider. Also, it's easy to get too far forward over one and end up going over the horse's head.

What is a corner fence?

A corner fence is seen on the cross country course. In show jumping, a similar idea is called a "fan." The fence makes a V shape, and you're supposed to jump as close to the apex of the corner as you can without missing it.

What is a standard or a wing?

A standard or jump standard is an upright pole which supports a fence.

When the standard is wide and has multiple upright poles, either the same length or sloping away from the jump, it is called a wing. Many riders prefer wings when training horses because they discourage the animal from running past the jump more than standards. They are often used in shows because the broader surface means more space to put sponsor logos.

What is a combination?

In jumping, a combination is any number of fences that have to be negotiated as a single obstacle. Combinations have, generally, no more than two or three strides between jumps. In stadiums, the jumps often look identical. Double and triple combinations (two or three jumps) are the most common.

What is a brush fence?

A brush fence is a hedge with brush built on the top. The horse is supposed to jump through the brush. If the fence is high enough that the horse cannot see the other side (an exercise of trust in the rider), it is called a bullfinch.

Brush style fences are common in steeplechasing.

Japanese steeplechasers jumping a brush fence. Image source: The colonel of the lamb via Wikimedia Commons.

What is a bank?

A bank, usually, is a jump that involves going up or down from one level to another, either as a single step or a "staircase." Mostly banks are seen in cross country, but some permanent stadiums also have them. The famous Hickstead bank in England is a permanent part of the All England Jumping Course, is a single bank that is 10ft 6in high.

Michael Whyte and Highpark Lad negotiate the Hickstead bank. (The person sitting down at the side of the bank is the jump steward watching to see if they knock down the fence immediately after the bank, which falls more than any other jump on the course). Image source: Owain Davies via Wikimedia Commons.

What is a coffin?

No, it's not something you bury a horse in. A coffin is a specific combination of cross country fences. The horse jumps a rail, a ditch, then another rail. The ditch may or may not have water in it. The coffin is designed to make a horse and rider pair slow down and focus.

What is a bounce?

A bounce is two jumps set so closely together that the horse is unable to take a stride between them, but rather has to land from one jump and then immediately take off again. Bounces are often used when training horses to help develop their strength and flexibility over fences. They are seldom seen at higher levels in show jumping, but are more common in cross country.

What is "walking the course"?

Walking the course is inspecting, on foot, obstacles you intend to traverse on horseback. It's usually seen in show jumping, hunting and cross country. You might also walk a trail course.

Why do showjumpers "post" the canter?

If you watch a dressage rider you'll see that they sit deep when cantering. Show jumpers however, come out of the saddle each stride, almost like posting. Why?

The reason has to do with the mechanics of jumping in the modern forward seat. When a horse jumps a large fence, the rider leans forward to go "with" the motion of the horse and free it to jump - this is what the forward seat was designed for.

In order to do that more easily, jumpers ride with shorter stirrups. This in turn makes it harder to sit the canter, so a lot of jumpers do the "posting" thing because it's simply more comfortable.