“Jumps for Hunters and Jumpers will be made of 1-1 1/2″ schedule 40 PVC piping or other suitable light-weight material with jump cups, not to include pegs, nails, bolts, etc.  All jumps must be a minimum of five (5) feet wide… Jumps thirty-two inches (32) or more in height must have a second rail added.  All post and rail jumps must have a ground pole.  Uprights are to be a maximum of forty-eight (48) inches in height. …Any decorations or jump wings must not protrude more than twenty-four (24) inches from the uprights.”

Supplies

• ??— 10′ length of Schedule 40, 1.5″ diameter PVC pipe (Use the underlined totals in the directions to calculate how many 10′ lengths you will need according to how many jumps you want to make, and which height of uprights you want–hunter and/or jumper.)

  

• 2-4 — 1.5″ PVC caps (2 for hunter uprights, 2 for jumper uprights)
• 2– 1.5″ PVC T connectors
• 2-6– 2″ PVC T connectors (For jump cups. 2 for hunter uprights, 4 for jumper uprights because jumps over 32″ in height must have a second pole added to keep horses from running under.. trust me, I had it happen at a show once when the rule wasn’t followed!  I like to have a cup/D-ring on both sets of uprights so I don’t have to change them out when I switch from hunter to jumper)
• 4– 1.5″ PVC Elbow connectors
• 2-6– D-rings (To hold jump cups. 2 for hunter uprights, 4 for jumper uprights. I like to have a cup/D-ring on both sets of uprights so I don’t have to change them out when I switch from hunter to jumper)
• 12– 1″ Sheet metal screws
• Saw
• Drill and bits
• Screwdriver

Directions to Build Mini Horse Jumps

1. Cut the 1.5″ diameter PVC into the following lengths:

• Long side of base and jump pole length: 5′ (x3 for hunter, x4 for jumper) = (15′ of PVC used for only hunter, 20′ if doing jumper for an extra jump pole)
• Short side of base length: 10″ (x4) = 40″= (3.33′ of PVC used)
• Jumper uprights: 4′ (x2) = (8′ of PVC used)
• Hunter uprights: 3′ (x2) = (6′ of PVC used)

2.  Now it’s time to assemble the base!  Attach one 10″ piece to each of the two opposite ends of the T (x2) to form the sides of the base.
3.  Attach the elbows to the open ends of the 10″ pieces that are attached to the T (x4), with the open end of the T facing straight up so the uprights can go in later.
4.  Use two of the 5′ lengths to attach the two ends of the base and complete the rectangular base.
5.  Place the uprights in the T on the jump.  Put a cap on the top of each jumper or hunter upright pole.
7.  Use your measuring tape to mark where you will drill holes on the uprights:

• Hunter: By AMHA rules, hunter jumps have a minimum jump pole height of 18 inches and maximum of 28 inches, so I recommend starting with a hole at 18 inches, and ending at 28.
• Jumper: By AMHA rules, jumper jumps have a maximum jump pole height of 44  inches, so you don’t need holes past 44 inches from the ground.

8.  Time to drill holes for the uprights!  Grab a bit that’s bigger than the peg of the D-ring you’ll be using.  It’s hard to get the holes aligned perfectly through the upright and through the cup later, so you’ll want some wiggle room.  Get them as straight through both sides of the pvc as you can.
9.  Now onto the jump cups.  Take your oversized Ts and cut out a little more than half of the  section that branches out (see below).  You want it to be a little over half gone so it makes it easier for the jump pole to fall down.  That way your jump doesn’t get broken when a horse hits it!  Then drill a hole through both sides for the D-ring to go through.

10.  To keep the base together, I recommend that you use sheet metal screws.  You DON’T want to use PVC glue, because if any piece gets broken, you’ll have to cut it off and splice it together.  With the screws, everything stays together but if something gets broken, you can take it off without cutting.  We use screws at every connection point on the base except where the uprights go in.

11.  The final step is to put the jump cups on the up uprights, pins in, and adjust the length of your jump poles.  For measuring everything out, it’s easiest to use 5′ for jump poles, but for them to fall out of the jump easily, they need a few more inches taken off.  Just put the poles in the cups and see how much you want taken off, it should be at least two inches.

12.  Congratulations!  You’re now finished and can enjoy your jumps!  To learn how to make striped jump poles, visit our other blog post, How to: Paint Obstacle/Jump Poles.

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project and decided I’d use it to enhance our obstacle/jump course, and figure out how to paint horse obstacle/jump poles.  Since then, I was given three more cans of paint (one that’s fluorescent yellow!), so I’m now working on some more jump poles and figured I’d share the main way I go about painting them, as well as a few other options for having decorated obstacle poles. These make a great addition to your practice course at home; I know the miniature horses on our show string have benefited from using them!

Supplies

• • • PVC pipe of the diameter and length you want
    • Spray paint suitable for plastic surfaces (one or more colors)
    • 1″ masking tape
    • Several feet of string (length of the pole or could use a measuring tape instead)
    • A pencil
    • Two plastic bags (I use bread bags)
    • A sandwich bag or regular plastic bag (to protect your hand while spraying)
    • Two clothespins
    • A couple of paper towels or an old sponge
    • Scissors

Instructions to Paint Horse Obstacle/Jump Poles

1. Read the directions on your spray paint can to make sure it’s an appropriate day for painting!

   

2. Wet a paper towel or  and clean any dirt off of the PVC pipe that is to be painted.

   

3. ***For if you want to have a base color instead of white.  If not, move on to question number four*** shake up the paint and then put the sandwich bag on your hand to keep the paint off and spray away!  I hold one end of the pole up while I spray.

   

4. Get a piece of string and cut it to be the same length as the pole.  Decide on a width/spacing for your stripes, then use the string to measure even spaces/stripes by folding in half and marking it with a permanent marker or tying knots in the string at appropriate spots.  You could also use a measuring tape instead and skip this step, I just find the string to be foolproof, I have a tendency to mess up numbers!

   

5. Use a pencil to mark the appropriate spots along your rope or measuring tape.

   

6. Run masking tape around the pipe along the outer-most side of each stripe’s pencil marks (My pictures end here because I realized that previous poles that I had painted with this paint were fading because the paint was NOT for plastic!  Make sure you use paint that is for plastic.)
7. Make a hole smaller than the pole’s diameter in each of the bread bags and pull them onto the pole, stopping at the middle of the masking tape.  You don’t want any paint to leak past the tape, so use a clothespin to secure each bag and keep it out of your way.
8. Follow the directions on your spray paint can to get it ready.
9. Prop the pole up or just hold one end up with a hand.
10. Put the sandwich bag on the hand you’ll be spraying with!!  You could also use a rubber glove or bigger plastic bag.  Trust me, if you don’t use something, you’ll end up looking like you have chickenpox or something weird going on with your hand for several days.  I learned this the hard way after doing my first poles in red!
11. Apply second coat after around 10 minutes (or whatever your directions say), if you want.
12. Allow it to dry, then move the bags to the next stripe to be painted!

    

–Lauren Greaves

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