i love the blox…
me personally… i’m poor and cheap, and use cement blocks. NOT fun to haul in and out, but they are sturdy and everywhere, and come with three convenient placements for your poles :winkgrin:
What do you do when a horse raps a pole that is set through a hole in a concrete block?
and I do think that when people talk about jump standards they mean more than a 2 ft jump per the blox. etc.
DH made me a set of standards using PVC fencing 4x4s in 5’ lengths.
They had lots of finial choices - including horseheads - that we glued on using plumbing/PVC glue.
Bases were standard wood, but he made them so the uprights could be slipped out and carried separately.
We used 8’ lengths of PVC plumbing pipe - 4" diameter - for rails & later fancied them up with colored tape from Dover (could use duct tape now that it comes in colors).
Drilled holes at 6" intervals starting 1’ from the base & used standard plastic jump cups with pins.
I can carry two standards, 2 bases & a rail at one time.
15yrs later I’m still using them.
If you decide to make them from wood, here is a step by step tutorial on how I did mine. I agree with the drill press or drill guide ideas, it is really hard to drill them straight!
http://thepitchforkchronicles.com/step-by-step/58-building-schooling-standards
While wood is generally heavier to move, I agree that if you keep the standards 4’ or under, it is much easier to move. Make sure you don’t drill the holes all the way to the top or the jumps will be too top heavier and fall easily.
I think PVC posts tend to be too lightweight and break more easily. I love PVC for fillers, though.
A tip for saving your body when moving jump standards and poles.
An ordinary hand truck works quite well for moving a standard or
a rail. I prefer the ones with larger diameter wheels. That type
will roll easily over rough ground and even indoor arena footing.
[QUOTE=babecakes;7883096]
What do you do when a horse raps a pole that is set through a hole in a concrete block?
and I do think that when people talk about jump standards they mean more than a 2 ft jump per the blox. etc.[/QUOTE]
WELL, they learn – thats what THEY do! :winkgrin:
they can only be set at 2" off ground, 6" off ground, or like 4"… so it’s not anything substantial. I use them for cavaletti work, not jumps.
Ditto, beowulf, I have a couple of these. The “rails” I have in them though are either small diameter scrap wood or salvaged bamboo poles. Anything much more than a tap & it will snap in half anyway. Built-in safety feature of poverty…
[QUOTE=wildlifer;7883970]
Built-in safety feature of poverty…[/QUOTE]
love it!!
After spending a good amount of time drilling out my standards yesterday, here’s my method:
- Lay 4x4 on cinder blocks or something close to ground. Use another cinder block or heavy object on one end to keep it from swinging around.
- Use jump cup to line up where hole goes and color in hole using a pencil. I use the bottom hole (the one that’s more centered) as my marking point.
- Drill a shallow pilot/guide hole (doesn’t have to be deep, mine are maybe 1/4" deep) using regular drill bit.
- Use a spade bit (3/8" works well – Colorado Horse Jumps say 1/2" but I find that too loose) to drill actual hole.
- Go in and out – e.g., drill about 1/2", reverse out, blow off wood shavings, drill down another 1/2", rinse, repeat. It takes forever but it’s easier to keep the drill steady when you’re only going a little bit down each time.
Do NOT drill all the way through on the first try! It’s tempting but 99% of the time you’ll end up crooked.
Once I drill through all the holes, I flip the 4x4 over and clean up the opposite side with the drill as there’s usually some splinters sticking out.
Try to do it so you can look on the side and from the top while you’re drilling to see if you’re straight or not. (Hence the low-to-ground blocks.) Also you can use your foot to hold the 4x4 down when you get to the trickier part (last 3 holes).
There is a very easy way to drill good post holes: simply mark the post ON both SIDES with hole marks 3 inches apart, starting 18" from the bottom. Be sure that you are accurate and in the middle of the post(1 3/4" on a 4x4). Drill halfway from one side, flip and drill through from the other side. Nice clean hole, usually quite straight. Just be very accurate with your measurements and recheck before drilling. You are more likely to drill a good straight hole halfway into a post rather than all from one side 3 1/2 inches.
We bought Coyote Run plastic jump standards about 10 years ago. They are great. Despite years of use by pony club and use in the local park, they are in perfect condition. They are so light weight and easily moved.
I am a little apprehensive about PVC standards. A neighbor had them. One shattered and our horse got a puncture through the sole of his foot and up to his pastern from one of the shards. He is ok, but was on IV antibiotics for many weeks.
