Lightweight DIY Jump standards/poles - help!

[kashmere]

I’ve tried searching old threads, but I have no luck - please feel free to link if there are other threads on this topic!

I am often just a one-woman operation when I train, and I do not have a space where I can permanently leave jumps up. I’m looking for all of your ideas, plans, suggestions, dos/don’ts on building some jumps.

My wants are:

Lightweight (in my head I’m seeing things that are stack-able and break-down-able). I’d ideally like to be able to set up and break down a small course or gymnastic line(s) on my own without being too tired to ride afterward (I’m fit! but work smart, right?)

Made of widely available materials - I don’t care about aesthetics! If you can help me build safe jumps out of plastic buckets and duct tape I will be PUMPED!

Made of relatively cheap materials See above - do not care about the looks.

Do not require much specialized building knowledge - I can hammer, and saw, and screw things in, and I am not afraid of duct tapes and various adhesives and am pretty game for anything. I am not, however, an expert in any of it.

Thoughts? Experiences?

[Ambitious_Kate]

I don’t know if you can see it, but I always liked this cheap inexpensive way to make a jump cup rather than buy them: Its on eventingnation page but I googled this: https://www.google.com/search?q=building+inexpensive+lightweight+horse+jumps&biw=1024&bih=637&tbm=isch&imgil=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%253BfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fhomemadehorsejumps.weebly.com%25252Fstandards.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%252CfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%252C_&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D&ved=0CCwQyjdqFQoTCOuC47C1x8gCFYKgPgod0BwAHw&ei=hiYhVuunGoLB-gHQuYD4AQ#imgrc=SctRWfIiN77cDM%3A&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D

[Ambitious_Kate]

I don’t know how safe these are, but it seems like a good idea for cavaletti:

https://www.google.com/search?q=building+inexpensive+lightweight+horse+jumps&biw=1024&bih=637&tbm=isch&imgil=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%253BfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fhomemadehorsejumps.weebly.com%25252Fstandards.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%252CfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%252C_&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D&ved=0CCwQyjdqFQoTCOuC47C1x8gCFYKgPgod0BwAHw&ei=hiYhVuunGoLB-gHQuYD4AQ#imgrc=NFOHWTJzI0CjOM%3A&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D

[Ambitious_Kate]

I would think if you look at these which this guy is carrying with a handle, you could get a really good idea about how to make them cheap cheap

https://www.google.com/search?q=building+inexpensive+lightweight+horse+jumps&biw=1024&bih=637&tbm=isch&imgil=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%253BfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fhomemadehorsejumps.weebly.com%25252Fstandards.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%252CfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%252C_&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D&ved=0CCwQyjdqFQoTCOuC47C1x8gCFYKgPgod0BwAHw&ei=hiYhVuunGoLB-gHQuYD4AQ#imgrc=Qr1VUJa9WM3YnM%3A&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D

[Ambitious_Kate]

Cheap? Find these materials in the woods: https://www.google.com/search?q=building+inexpensive+lightweight+horse+jumps&biw=1024&bih=637&tbm=isch&imgil=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%253BfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fhomemadehorsejumps.weebly.com%25252Fstandards.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%252CfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%252C_&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D&ved=0CCwQyjdqFQoTCOuC47C1x8gCFYKgPgod0BwAHw&ei=hiYhVuunGoLB-gHQuYD4AQ#imgrc=mtH2grkyb-C7gM%3A&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D

[Ambitious_Kate]

The last think I will post is this picture:

https://www.google.com/search?q=building+inexpensive+lightweight+horse+jumps&biw=1024&bih=637&tbm=isch&imgil=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%253BfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fhomemadehorsejumps.weebly.com%25252Fstandards.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%252CfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%252C_&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D&ved=0CCwQyjdqFQoTCOuC47C1x8gCFYKgPgod0BwAHw&ei=hiYhVuunGoLB-gHQuYD4AQ#imgrc=fJPc1m8ehhdITM%3A&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D

You can go to a craft store like Michaels and buy long blocks of styrofoam and plastic flowers and leaf things and stick them in the styrofoam to fill out a jump.

[Ambitious_Kate]

Okay, one more. These I have used, and are really easy and versitile to have.https://www.pinterest.com/pin/492370171736120321/
Not only can they be any height cavaletti, you can stack them for a bar jump and they are light enough you can move them out of the ring or to the side but heavy enough that they are stable when stacked. Instead of a heavy 2x4 in the middle, you could screw in a PVC pipe or other plasticy bar in the middle.

[kashmere]

haha! Thank you for the google-flood I’ve been squirrelling away ideas through many many searches as well.

[tangledweb]

They fail on your cheap test, but PVC jumps meet your other requirements.

If you can recycle materials from somebody on craigslist pulling down a garden fence made from it you could DIY them cheaply.

http://www.jumpsusa.com/WingStandardsPVChorsejumps

[IPEsq]

[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;8361016]
I don’t know how safe these are, but it seems like a good idea for cavaletti:

https://www.google.com/search?q=building+inexpensive+lightweight+horse+jumps&biw=1024&bih=637&tbm=isch&imgil=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%253BfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fhomemadehorsejumps.weebly.com%25252Fstandards.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=k4vXJsbfJUWmNM%253A%252CfyOJeW8pEo-K_M%252C_&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D&ved=0CCwQyjdqFQoTCOuC47C1x8gCFYKgPgod0BwAHw&ei=hiYhVuunGoLB-gHQuYD4AQ#imgrc=NFOHWTJzI0CjOM%3A&usg=__IIKr5Q0CKkX39sWH34E4azNE9jo%3D[/QUOTE]

:eek: For dog agility stuff, maybe…horses, no way.

PVC are easy but IME, if you are in a windy area, you want to fill the standards bases with some sand, which eliminates the lightweight convenience somewhat. Horses also can learn to hit the rails unless you put a skinny wooden pole inside the PVC pole (now not even remotely cheap and not light).

For cavaletti, though, I think those PVC stackable blocks are a good option.

[StormyDay]

Lightweight poles: PVC pipes from lowes or home depot. They come in 8, 10, and 12 feet lengths.
Cheap poles: 8 ft landscaping posts from lowes/home depot. They are like 4$ a pole, and flat on two sides, but round on the other two, so they are really safe for ground poles and jumping.
You can also just build your own jump standards. I built my own, and they were cheap, but they are heavy.
For a cheap lightweight jump standard, I have seen people get those plastic rain barrels and cut circles in the sides so it has built in jump cups.

[tbchick84]

I would not used PVC poles in any weight. I’ve seen even the heaviest ones shatter if a horse hits them just right. I think the lightest weight you’re going to get while still being safe for horses is to cut a 4x4 in half and make a pair of simple jump standards out of it. Light and horses just don’t seem to mix well.

[SolarFlare]

I’m actually building jumps for the new barn I’m at (there are only two of us that ride so we’re splitting costs and getting help with the building).

I used 4x4s in 8’ lengths, cut in half, to make 4’ schooling standards. They are obviously lighter than 5’ or wing standards, and they are easier to carry around.

We also bought jump tracks with pinless cups, and used barrels (left behind by previous property owners, so free!) to make standards. Just screwed in the jump tracks and voila.

I’ve so far built one pair of brush boxes by cutting a skid in half (also free from the property) and adding feet so they stand upright (used scrap wood, also free).

If you buy 2’ x 6’ or 8’ boards (8 or 10 foot length) and cut a square out of the ends so that you have a hanger on each side, you have a plank.

Cut a 4’x8’ sheet of plywood in half lengthways so you have 2 pieces that are 2’ x 8’. Screw brackets onto the ends, or sandwich the plywood between two 1" x 3" boards, and you have a hanging panel.

I do also use the mini railway ties (I think they’re called landscape timbers in the US), especially for trot poles as they don’t roll if nudged. I don’t like how they sit in the jump cups, but I’m finding it very hard to get reasonably-priced round poles to use.

I’ve used PVC in the past and don’t like it at all. It’s way too light, horses learn to rub it, it rolls dangerously if knocked off, and they DO shatter in the cold (I’m in Ontario and they don’t do well at all in the winter). Would never use them as trot poles. I did pick up one pair of 10’ System 636 PVC poles which are much thicker than regular PVC, and are meant for all-weather use…but they were priced incorrectly and I got them for about $14 each. They should have been $40 each so no more of those for us.

I have 3 pairs of the PVC blocks and they’re great for cavaletti, but they’re not cheap. Light and weather-resistant though.

Oh - and I also have a few poles that appear to be cedar fence posts (not as thick as the actual fencing ones though). Got them from a friend secondhand so not sure where they came from, but our TSC sells cedar poles so could have been there. They are 8’ long and aren’t even thickness end-to-end but great for schooling.

[HungarianHippo]

cavaletti: Make cavaletti from PVC poles and 5gal plastic buckets with tight-fitting lids as your cavaletti bases. (picture the utility buckets you can get at Home Depot). Turn them upside down (so the lid is on ground) and I used a dremel to cut out a 3" hole at about 12" off the ground. Do this both sides of the bucket and slide a 8 or 10ft PVC pole through the bucket. Bind the pvc to the buckets on each side by drilling a small hole in pipe, another hole in bucket, run a zip tie through them to bind together. I put a few rocks in each bucket so the bases are bottom-heavy. You could use water too, but I figured that would breed skeeters so went with rocks.

Best part is you can move these around by just picking up at the center of the pole, and I’ve managed to carry four at a time. Though DH said I looked like walker Calder mobile. :lol:

When the buckets are set with their lids and on the ground, your cavaletti poles are a nice 12" off the ground. For true ground poles, just tip the buckets down on their sides. And you can stack two buckets on top of each other to make a small 2ft jump.

[normandy_shores]

Not cheap and not DIY, but just saw these on my FB feed…

http://www.coyoterunequestrian.com/about.html

[Jim_in_PA]

While many folks use PVC pipe for jump poles, they are not really a good choice for two reasons…they can shatter from weathering over time or cold which is dangerous and they don’t provide any real feedback to a horse that’s not picking up his/her feet. They should never be used as ground poles, too. Inexpensive landscape poles/timbers or 4x4 PT with the corners shaved to make an octagon are a better choice. Yes, they weigh a bit more than PVC pipe, but they are safe to use and do things that are necessary. And you can also safely use them for ground poles.

Making “jump standards” allows for much creativity…found objects included.

[Robin]

I am getting older and don’t find it very easy to move jumps around any longer. One trick that works for me is to use a hand truck to move the standards and jump poles. If you get one with fairly large wheels, it will roll over grass or sand footing without too much difficulty. If it has an extra long foot plate, I can load two schooling standards on at a time or 3-4 jump rails. Still takes a couple trips from storage to each jump but at least I am not exhausted after set up.

[clanter]

My wants are:

Lightweight

from our experience lightweight jumps cross bars just taught the horse how to plow through the jumps as they learned fairly quickly that they could knock them down

Our eventers could clear a cross country course without coming close to touching a hazard but stadium jumping was a frustrating endeavor as they knew those jumps wouldn’t hurt them as slopped through a course

[Bluey]

Two points here, one already mentioned, plastic railing and standards may be light to handle, but shatters into shreds that cut like a knife, so not really that safe.

As far as jump cups, try not to use loose pins, but attach them permanently somewhere.
Loose pins are lost pins and where you ride, a serious hazard for horses that may step on them.

One good light jump cup is using a stiffer wire doubled if necessary, you can use the first part as a pin, double it back and down and make a double or triple weave as cup holder.
You can shape the holder part as shallow or deep as you need and change it for the next jump you set.
Those are fairly safe, painted light colors easy to find if dropped and in a wreck, the wire will bend and turn loose of the poles quicker than something solid and you can bend it back to reuse it.

For years we had a whole set of those we made out of the end of a roll of plain, barbless fencing wire.

What do you know, someone makes them commercially:

http://www.statelinetack.com/item/dapple-equine-jump-cups-for-round-rails/E010197/

A little pricey, wow, but you get the idea of what I meant.

[Linda]

Agree with the posters who said that lightweight poles keep the horse from respecting the poles. If they can just knock them out of the way, why bother to pick up their feet and jump. I want my horse to know that if he hits that pole, he is going to know it and try not to do it again.