Jump Rails

[Stitch_In_Time]

I know this has probably been covered, but the search function is failing me at the moment.

Where is a good place to buy jump rails from? The closest place that I’ve found that sells actual jump rails is over 200 miles away and the shipping cost would be more than the rails themselves.

Do you think a local sawmill would have something? I’ve looked at the Lowes and Home Depot websites and I don’t see anything that would work.

We are trying to upgrade from using split rail fence posts as rails, but finding a source for wooden rails has proven difficult.

ETA: I’m in SW PA

[flashwhitelock]

[QUOTE=Stitch In Time;8075327]
I know this has probably been covered, but the search function is failing me at the moment.

Where is a good place to buy jump rails from? The closest place that I’ve found that sells actual jump rails is over 200 miles away and the shipping cost would be more than the rails themselves.

Do you think a local sawmill would have something? I’ve looked at the Lowes and Home Depot websites and I don’t see anything that would work.

We are trying to upgrade from using split rail fence posts as rails, but finding a source for wooden rails has proven difficult.

ETA: I’m in SW PA[/QUOTE]

Try calling Stockton Fence and Lumber in Coatesville. They used to do round 12 foot rails and jumps but you had to call. It’s still not in your bailiwick but it’s at least closer.

[Nestor]

Does it have to be wood? Home Depot sells 10’ and 12’ PVC rails. They also sell rounded off 4x4s, I can’t remember what they’re called but two sides are rounded, that would work for rails.

[2DogsFarm]

[QUOTE=Nestor;8075377]
Does it have to be wood? Home Depot sells 10’ and 12’ PVC rails. They also sell rounded off 4x4s, I can’t remember what they’re called but two sides are rounded, that would work for rails.[/QUOTE]

I think you mean landscape timbers - sold in 8’ or 10’ lengths.
Bonus is most are treated lumber so they can be left outdoors.

Personally I love my PVC rails - they come in different diameters(thickness), are lightweight.
I have a set that is probably 15yo and looks nearly new.
Customized with the colored tape Dover sells:

http://equestrian.doversaddlery.com/saddlery/jump-tape

[Stitch_In_Time]

[QUOTE=2DogsFarm;8075427]
I think you mean landscape timbers - sold in 8’ or 10’ lengths.
Bonus is most are treated lumber so they can be left outdoors.

Personally I love my PVC rails - they come in different diameters(thickness), are lightweight.
I have a set that is probably 15yo and looks nearly new.
Customized with the colored tape Dover sells:

http://equestrian.doversaddlery.com/saddlery/jump-tape[/QUOTE]

I’ve only ever found the 8’ landscape timbers (we use these for ground lines), if I could find 10’ that would probably work.

We have a few PVC rails now. The problem is there are a couple horses at the barn that don’t respect the PVC, they just plow right through them (not a problem for me, I ride a redheaded mare, she doesn’t like to touch anything!)

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

[gumtree]

Oxford Feed and lumber in Oxford PA carried nice jump rails last year. $20 per rail. Esch Fencing used to stock nice jump rails but their supplier stopped making them. They found another source but they were a bit bigger in diameter, heavier pressure treated. I bought a few but they tend to warp easily. Last fall they told me they are looking for another supplier. So it may be worth checking with them.

Personally I don’t use PVC for the same reason, horses don’t respect them. I definitely wouldn’t use them for horses just learning the drill.

Woops, I thought you were in SE PA,long drive to my area.

[Jumper_girl221]

If you are willing to do 8’ home depot/lowes sell round fence rails.

I just use 4x4’s with rounded corners though, cheapest option and fairly painless.

I don’t like PVC for jumping.

[Jumper_girl221]

http://www.lowes.com/pd_550418-432-FRAIL8T25SO_4294612393__?productId=50106916&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

The round rails I"m talking about.

[babecakes]

I like 10 fts easier to handle and store. Can you find a local person who can cut a 4x4 for you?

[whitney159]

I don’t know where you are. Here in NC I bought all my jump poles (12’ round) at General Timber in Sanford. About as cheap as you can go. If you pay a bit more, Southern States actually carries poles and fencing posts etc which they buy from General Timber. I bought a few different poles through them in the past.
My old trainer bought 12 foot 4x4s and set a circular saw blade at a 45 degree angle and cut the corners off. So you end up with Octogonal poles, which is great for those who don’t like their poles to roll. It’s actually not as hard to do as you would think and if you have a table saw it would be super easy.

[SonnysMom]

Do you have a table saw and some saw horses? If so DH took some 4 X 4s and turned them into the hexagon rails. We just did one as a test, but it looks great. He took a scrap piece of 4X4 to play with the angles before he used the full sized one.

He might remember the angles. I will try to remember to ask.

[st_francis]

Our Pony Club buys 12’ 4x4 s at the local building supply store and they cut the corners off at the store.

[goodhors]

[QUOTE=Nestor;8075377]
Does it have to be wood? Home Depot sells 10’ and 12’ PVC rails. They also sell rounded off 4x4s, I can’t remember what they’re called but two sides are rounded, that would work for rails.[/QUOTE]

I strongly suggest NOT using PVC for rails. While teaching horses to lose respect for the jumps, the PVC can get fragile with time, shatter when knocked against. Had it happen with my horse at a Pony Club practice. I yelled WHOA, she stopped dead on landing, which prevented her getting cut up on ALL THOSE SHARP pieces around her feet! I had the kid just hold her still, while I ran over and picked up pieces before she could move. What a mess that was! I hauled my own WOOD rails to practice after. But using those PVC rails, she started hanging a leg, testing to see if the rails were solid or that “knock down stuff” as a terrible habit! She wouldn’t even try to jump, just bulled thru the PVC rails.

You might hire a local Handyman type to make up some rails for you, if you are not handy with sawing things yourself. We just took the corners off the pressure treated 4"x4"s and made them into 8-sided rails. Husband used the table saw and the portable hand saw both, making up rails for the Pony Club to practice with.

I bet with using a local Handyman, Carpenter, he could make quite a few rails for you in only a couple hours of work. No shipping expenses if you buy the wood and bring it home to get the work done there. Price of his labor wouldn’t be that much for just the couple hours or so. You can’t PUSH the wood thru the saw, so they do take a little time to cut, but not hours and hours, unless you want a LOT of rails made up.

We used the 10ft lengths, easier to move, good width to avoid runouts. 12ft are just too heavy for much moving, 8ft rails are too narrow, horses try to avoid them. With the pressure treated rails, let them dry flat, before painting or coloring them. We used the Olympic stain base coat, which is what they add the color too, rails were white for us. It was a latex and dried FAST, with easy cleanup. I was able to get 2-3 coats on in one day, a big time saver. Those rails STILL look real nice after 10+ years outside. I do put them inside the barn storage over winter.

[Jim_in_PA]

While hollow Schedule 40 PVC pipe is “popular” for low cost jump rails, goodhors is absolutely correct that it’s not a good material for this purpose. Cold and/or UV can cause them to shatter when struck and they are just not heavy enough to obtain any “respect” from the horse. (Someone is marketing PVC covered wood poles…albeit I assume not for cheap, and that that would be super because the coating is stable and neat while the core provides the weight and stiffness to do a good job for the intended purpose) PVC cannot be safely used for ground rails for the same reason.

Doing 8-sided poles from PT 4x4s as goodhors mentions is actually a great method for keeping cost down. My BO asked me the other day if I could assist with that process. There are also some landscape timbers that are “rounded” that could suffice for ad hoc jumps, but are likely only available in 8’ which is fine for schooling, but not necessarily what one wants for a show course where 10’ is more common.

[Stitch_In_Time]

I was inquiring for my barn owner. Luckily her husband is pretty handy with tools, so I think I’m going to suggest the 4x4 idea to them.

The PVC rails were actually brought to the barn by a boarder, and we have a few split rails that we use. The plan is to upgrade to wood poles and get rid of the rest.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!

[jumpfreek]

jump rails

we buy the 12’ 4x4s from home depot and use our table saw to trim the square corners off…making an octagon rail…legal to jump and safe for the horses.

much, much cheaper than round rails too

[mjs8]

I second the landscape timbers! We picked up ours at Lowes, I think for somewhere between $3 and $5 per rail. They’re great!

[Foxtrot_s]

Personally, I would not school with PVC poles - horses will lose respect for them.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I have the octagonal pressure-treated poles.

The lumber yard cut them for me for free! While it may be easy to do, why do it if someone else will?

[Addison]

East Coast Jumps in Quarryville, PA is a good place to get rails. You can get them unfinished or pre painted. They are made from solid heart pine and hold up very well.