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  Discussion on Jump Course In Small Arena
Author Message
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 11:39 am:

We have a small (80 by 110 feet) indoor. Anyone have suggestions for jump courses for such a small place? We have two single diagonals right now, with a one stride on the outside and a single on the other outside. I am thinking of trying to add another jump to one of the single diagonals to make a two stride. Any other suggestions?
I want hunter type courses, and definately need lines, but jumper type stuff will be OK too.
Thanks,
Alicia
Member:
Althaea

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 2:03 pm:

I would run a 2 stride in & out on an angle and a simple upright at the opposite angle. Set the single upright at near center of the two stride distance in between the in & out. For the in & out I would use a simple upright to a simple parallel oxer. Don't kick out any ground rails - but you can leave a rail directly beneath the outside rails - this way you can take the fences from any direction. Won't hurt the horse in that tight an area - but be careful not to over excite him by spinning into the line. Do that a few times and you'll have a former hunter that is ready for jumper classes. lol
I don't know what height fences you are schooling over, but I wouldn't go above 3' for any of the fences.
Member:
Althaea

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 2:07 pm:

>>>Set the single upright at near center of the two stride distance in between the in & out.>>>>

Obviously you set it off to the outside of the in & out - not directly in the middle between the in & out. My text read like I wanted it in between the fences. Didn't want to cause anyone heart failure.
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 2:14 pm:

Althaea,
Sounds like what we are setting up, except we will have three more jumps.
Why wouldn't you jump more than 3'? I show at 3', so I school at 3'6", and in the indoor!
Alicia
Member:
Althaea

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 3:19 pm:

If you add up the numbers it just gets too tight when you are over 3' in that area. Consider - (if I remember my geometry correctly) - you have about 90' down the diagonal line. Shave off the edges (no one can ride that far into the corner!) and you have about a usable 85' down the line. Now add what you need for a line of a dead parallel and an upright at 3'6" (2 strides to the 1st fence, take-off/landing distance, two strides in between, and take-off/landing distance for the second element, and 2 strides afterward) [this is 24+8+24+8+24 = 88'] as opposed to [24+6+24+6+24 = 84') Not a huge difference - but when you are talking either running full tilt into a wall or having to pull up or turn very sharp - every foot counts. Green horses tend to over jump a tad - very little margin for error. At that height I would stick to two separate elements in three uneven lines and forego the in and out. Would work though if you are thinking of using him as a Handy Hunter! The one major thing you want to avoid with a good hunter is changing their rhythm. Two relaxed strides before and after the fence is the least I would attempt.
I know what you are going through - an eon ago I was training jumpers in the same sized indoor - could only manage one fence and it was still tight. Schooling the prelim & intermediate horses was always an adventure lol.
Try it and see how your hunter likes the distances. Make sure your footing is super too - not too deep with those turns!
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2003 - 3:39 pm:

Althaea,
I see what you are talking about now. I don't add footage for higher than 3'. If I was doing a 3'6" line, I would make it 24 feet for an in and out, and 36 for a two stride, with an added 24 on each side for take off and landing, which would give me 72 for an in and out and 84 for a two stride, which would fit happily on either the long side or the diagonal. I could even go up to a four stride on the long side, since I have 115 feet. I don't think we have ever done that in the indoor, though. Our outdoor is larger, and we can get 4s there easily. I don't plan on doing 3'6" in competition for a few more years, and I don't know what they set them at in the larger competitions, but in the lower level shows around here, they expect the 2 foot and 3 foot horses to all do the same distances without resetting the fences, which is why my short strided mare does much better in the 3 foots!! I haven't jumped my gelding over a 3 foot course away from home yet, and he does have much larger stride, so we may have problems. Don't know.
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