BO and I are plotting and scheming to potentially build a small xc course in one of the cow pastures. The jumps would need to be “safe” in case the cows decide to investigate them, though I don’t foresee them really disturbing them that much. So far we have planned out a tire jump with a bunch that I have laying around. Also have another boarder looking into getting us a couple of telephone poles. Looking for other ideas that won’t cost a fortune to build.
Don’t build something they can back under to rub :lol:
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We won’t be building anything that high, haha! Think starter level jumps. We also don’t want to dig any ditches in case they ever need to move them and for the safety of the cows.
You can buy wooden fence panels at the building supply places and cut them in half to make a coop or small table. Gramps used wooden pallets and screwed the boards length wise into blue plastic barrels to make ‘wooden barrels.’ They can also be used as a standard; as well as rolled on their sides, put do use a holding board to keep them from rolling out under foot if they are hit.
Coops are easy to build and pretty cheap. Stack firewood as a jump. Barrels, 1/2 barrels. That corrogated black plastic drainage pipe comes in various sizes. I have seen silver corrogated pipe.
We used to have jumps in a field with cows. They definitely walked through, rubbed on, and pooped on everything. The safest of course were logs in any configuration. Tire jump was never a problem. Barrels always got moved around and pooped on. Vertical palisades (with no gaps) were fine - we were careful not to make any jumps that the cows could get their feet or heads stuck in. We had a picnic table for a long time - the gaps were large enough I guess and no cow ever carried it off 
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Where do you go to buy the drainage pipe? I can’t find it on Home Depot or Lowes
Look for landscaping or excavating companies or places that supply them.
Edited to add - look for places that rent larger equipment like tractors. People rent them to put in driveways and they need the pipe as well.
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They both carry it. If they don’t stock it, you can order online for free to-store delivery.
Hmm, any chance you have a link? I’m totally not seeing any
This is from google search “home depot culverts” - <http://www.homedepot.com/p/Advanced-Drainage-Systems-6-in-x-10-ft-Corex-Drain-Pipe-Solid-06510010/203298656?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D26P-Plumbing|&gclid=CjwKCAjwmK3OBRBKEiwAOL6t1KYR16yq8Cu-m4d2XjJqbfF8B7e-alr7wtgBAaZkkNB4_mkciJgZXxoC7EcQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CNujre3CxdYCFckSgQod8R0PdQ>
And from “Lowes culverts” - <https://www.lowes.com/pd/ADS-15-in-x-20-ft-Corrugated-Culvert-Pipe/3526584>
Both links from google search “home depot culvert” and “lowes culvert”.
Anything that stands up off the ground will get knocked over, anything pvc will have a very short lifespan even if it is just laying on the ground, cows dont care much, what they don’t rub up against and knock over, they step on/in and pvc doesn’t stand a chance. If you do go for a culvert, go for the shiny corrugated material, shovel some dirt into it to stabilize it so it won’t get rolled off by cows or your horse.
Coops are pretty much indestructible if they are solid and painted white. Logs, tree trunk sections or railroad ties can be stacked or used alone to create a very low jump, a half round will work. I would avoid standards. Cow bulldozing targets and you don’t need them if you have good steering. If it’s not dead flat, you can incorporate gullies and undulating terrain to make low jumps more interesting and useful for schooling. Likewise if there’s some trees,you can look for fallen branches or deadfalls to build a track around.
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Both the Lowe’s and Home Depot search engines suck. You need to search in something like Google to find it. They probably can order the larger diameter pipe for you.
Grainger has the larger 15 in stuff but it isn’t cheap and is 20 feet long. You likely need to go to a non-box store local supplier. I have never purchased it myself but have seen it in various sizes on local XC courses and I have the silver corrugated under my driveway this is more like 24"
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How about thinking of portable jumps? They can be moved to new places to create different courses and could be moved into shelter so as not be a temptation to cows who love rubbing and chewing.
Portable fences are commonly used in the UK - the one PARAMOUNT rule is that they must be SECURELY fixed in the ground.
Advice from the Pony Club http://www.pcuk.org/index.php/sports/eventing/eventing_officials/portable_cross_country_fences/
Some ideas to look at and adapt
http://www.countrysideshowjumps.co.uk/shop/mobile-cross-country?_vsrefdom=p.16090.c.37696
