While husband is away at work, I am going to occupy myself by trying to build a few jump standards. Can either be wings or schooling types. Will be 4 feet tall using a track system. The lumber yard will do as many straight cuts as I want, but won’t cut angles.
Anyone have some easy to build designs that don’t need lots of angle cuts? I was thinking of using rounded landscape rails for the “feet”.
Prefer designs that wouldn’t require me to counter sink bolts.
Not sure what constitutes a lot of angle cuts to you, but the basic 4x4 post with 2x4s “fanned” around it is probably the easiest design you’ll find. The only angle cuts necessary would be to take the corner off of the top side of the feet (so 4 per standard). I suppose you could technically leave the corners on there, but from a safety perspective I think it would be better to cut it.
Basic schooling standard:
This one has some “fancier” ideas if you want to make some prettier jumps too!
By “sawing off” do you mean you’d be using a hand saw? I wouldn’t want to do that either LOL
Do you have a miter saw? They’re really easy to use, and unless you can’t see well, or have trouble with basic dexterity, you’d have to work a bit to cut a finger off.
You definitely could use the landscape timbers as feet, they’d be standing on their rounded edge so you have the flat edge to drill through
You won’t need bolts, you’ll want lag screws, and the small amount of head sticking out doesn’t concern me.
You don’t need to angle the feet. Here’s a good step by step that’s super simple.
I wouldn’t want to use landscape timbers for feet. They’re too roundy, and heavy in the wrong dimension, and prone to warping in weird ways.
What @Simkie posted is probably the easiest solution. All you will need to do is attach your feet like the instructions show and then attach your track system (instead of drilling holes like the instructions say).
There is a great book, Jumps Etc, that I own a copy of and then gifted one to a coworker who started dating my vet 
that is super basic and breaks down what tools each project will need and gives you a shopping list.
It is terrific, highly suggest.
I use old school hand saws for most everything but ripping sheet goods. In my case, it’s mostly because safety triggers on power tools aggravates the tendinitis in my elbow. But certainly reduces the danger of cutting fingers/hands! I have a nice old Stanley mitrebox I bought from an auction; a $5 plastic one from Lowes works just fine, though.
I agree that you could get by just fine by having the store cut 4 × 4s for the posts & 2 × 4 for the feet. I see a lot of schooling jump standards made of just that. Then all you’d have to do is drill holes for the hardware.
I’m a woman who taught herself carpentry after getting fed up with men trying to rip me off to build things for the farm. Always had trouble with it in the past & thought I must be bad at it. Nope! It’s just a skill like any other & I’d just never been taught the basic how-tos. I bought a book with concise explanations & fun-looking projects at Tractor Supply, of all places, and filled in the gaps with YouTube videos. Turns out I have reasonably good natural aptitude for it!
Eta: If you haven’t checked out the price of lumber lately, might want to sit down before doing so. Lol. Some recent transplant to town posted on our FB community board asking for companies to remove a 3 board fence from his property. He genuinely seemed to not grasp why 15 people were clamoring to come remove it for free. I tried to explain the insane value of his fence because there were unscrupulous contractors circling like sharks smelling big $$ instead of blood. He still didn’t seem to get it – seemed to think I was suggesting removal would be expensive because the fence was expensive. Sigh.
I’d make those standards at least 5’ tall. Not that you are going to have to jump that high to make it worthwhile, but to reduce the possibility of getting high centered on one, if your horse jumps off to one side. Make them high enough that getting one stuck in your horse’s belly should he end up attempting to jump the standard (because it’s low) is more unlikely. Make them high enough that he goes on one side of the standard or the other (either over the jump, or run out the side- hopefully not the second option too many times). Low jump standards are NOT good.
As for construction skills… you will learn as you go. Just be careful and slow, and use a good bench or support to do your cutting on. Skill saw is good. And you can easily make angle cuts with those. Power screw driver to put them together. Deck screws are usually good. Use 2X6 for the feet, they hold strong. I use one long one (3’?) on the inside, and two shorter ones on either side of your 4X4 out the back. Easy to do, once you get the hang of it. Get 10 foot 4X4s and cut them in half for two vertical standards (schooling standards), 5 feet high. Have fun!
I have eight pairs of 4’ tall standards and just three pairs of 5’ tall standards. I even have two pairs of 3’ tall standards (4"x4"x8’ made into 5’ and 3’). Never had an issue, and I really love the 3’ standards for lunging.
Personally I prefer the “four feet fan base” over the "three feet T base. The first set I made in Ohio had the T base, the set I made when I moved to Florida I did the fan base.
I usually use deck screws and treated wood. I made some feet with untreated wood just because it was scrap wood I had laying around, and they’re starting to fall apart after 4.5 years. I definitely recommend 2"xs, not 1"xs for the feet. 2"x4" are my go-to, 2"6" are extra sturdy but also extra heavy. Rounded landscape timbers for the feet is strange to me, and it seems like it’d be awfully difficult to get them bolted or screwed into the post base in a sturdy manner.
Lots of 4’ standards I have encountered in my life… Nothing bad about 4’ standards.
Not that this is related to the original question, but I made all my jumps 10’ wide.
10’ poles, and especially 2x6/8/10 planks are a LOT lighter without the extra 2’.
Jumping 10’ wide jumps at home makes 12’ wide jumps at shows seem shorter LOL
Not to mention the typically huge price jump from a 10’ pole to a 12’ pole. Whenever I’ve needed to make 6’ tall standards, I’ve bought two 4"x4"x8’s and cut off 2’ from each instead of cutting a 12’ in half, because it was much cheaper that way.
I’ve always done 10’ poles for jumps at home, and I agree it definitely makes the jumps at shows seem a bit smaller because they’re so much wider.
I also like to buy the 8’ landscape timbers to use a ground lines, way cheaper than a 4"x4" and you don’t have to rip the corners. Sometimes I use them for the actual jump poles too. No harm in introducing skinnier fences!
Wow, this is actually brilliant for someone who gets a little too “up in their head” about fence heights.
Our indoor jumps are 8’ or 10’ to make fitting jumps in the indoor easier! Our outside ones go up to 12’, but I agree: narrower jumps make show jumps look way less intimidating!
We currently have some 6 foot standards, some plastic 3’6" standards, and some four foot wings. I want to stick to 4’ because they are less weight. I just want to make six more to replace some older ones and so I don’t have to share jumps between inside and out. I think the basic design @Simkie shared is the winner…thanks!
Plus, they take up less room in the ring, which = more jumps 
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