Every show jumping course is built from a short list of fence types, and each one asks the horse a different question. A vertical tests whether the horse can rock back and jump up; an oxer tests scope and whether the horse can reach across; water tests nerve. Knowing what each fence asks is how a rider reads a course walk and how a designer decides what goes where.
This is the field guide: every common type of horse jump, what it looks like, what it asks of the horse, how it is ridden, and the dimensions that matter when you set one in your own arena.
What are the main types of horse jumps?
The main types of horse jumps are verticals, oxers, triple bars, walls, crossrails, liverpools and open water, and combinations of two or three fences. Almost everything you will meet in a show jumping or hunter ring is one of these, dressed up with different poles, planks, gates, flowers and fillers.
| Fence | What it is | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical | Poles or planks stacked in one plane, no spread | Accuracy and a round, upward jump |
| Oxer | Two sets of standards and poles, with width | Scope and a forward, even canter |
| Triple bar | Three poles rising like a staircase | Pace and a long, flat arc |
| Wall | A solid face of removable blocks | Boldness; the horse cannot see through it |
| Crossrail | Two poles crossed in an X | Straightness; the low center guides the horse |
| Liverpool / water | A water tray under a fence, or open water on its own | Confidence and focus past the ground |
| Combination | Two or three fences one or two strides apart | Adjustability and rhythm through the line |
What is a vertical jump?
A vertical is a fence built straight up in one plane, with every pole, plank or gate stacked directly above the one below and no width front to back. It is the most common fence on any course and, at height, one of the easiest to knock down, because the horse has to arrive close enough and rock back enough to clear it going up.
Ride a vertical with a shorter, more collected canter than you would use for a spread. The classic fault is arriving flat and long, which makes the horse drop its front end into the top pole. A clear ground line, a pole or filler set at the base, helps the horse judge its takeoff; a vertical with no ground line, or with the ground line pulled behind the fence, is one of the oldest tests a designer has.
What is an oxer jump?
An oxer is a spread fence: two sets of standards placed one behind the other so the horse has to jump both height and width. The front and back rails can be set level or at different heights, and the shape changes how the fence rides.
- Square oxer: front and back rails at the same height. The hardest oxer to ride, because the horse has to reach the top of the back rail at the widest point of its arc.
- Ascending oxer (ramped): the back rail higher than the front. The most forgiving shape, because the horse sees the width and the arc matches the fence.
- Swedish oxer: the rails slope in opposite directions, so the fence looks like an X from the front. The low side invites, the high side tests.
Ride an oxer with a forward, even canter and a slightly longer takeoff than a vertical. Under FEI rules, spread fences may not exceed 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) in width, and in US licensed jumper classes the back rail of every spread has to sit in safety cups that release if a horse hits it hard.
What is a triple bar?
A triple bar is a spread built from three sets of poles rising in height from front to back, like a staircase. It is the widest fence on a course, up to 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in) under FEI rules, but it rides more easily than it looks because the rising shape matches the horse's arc. The rider's job is to bring enough pace and a long enough stride to carry the horse across, then stay out of the way. Arriving deep and short is how a triple bar gets pulled.
What is a wall jump?
A show jumping wall is a solid face of lightweight blocks, painted to look like brick or stone, with the top row set loose so it falls if touched. Because the horse cannot see through it, a wall asks for boldness and trust more than technique. Green horses often back off a wall the first time; give them a low one with a clear ground line before you build it up. The puissance competition is the extreme version: a single wall raised round after round, and the indoor record over it stands at 2.40 m (7 ft 10 in).
What is a crossrail?
A crossrail is two poles crossed in an X between two standards, so the lowest point sits in the middle. It is the first fence most horses and riders ever jump, and it stays useful at every level because the low center draws the horse to the middle and teaches it to jump straight. Crossrails are the standard first element of a gymnastic grid and the go-to fence for a warm-up.
What are liverpools and water jumps?
A liverpool is a shallow tray of water, or a blue tarp that looks like water, set under or in front of another fence. It adds no height or width, only something for the horse to look at, which is the whole test. An open water jump is different: a wide, low ditch of real water with only a small hedge or pole on the takeoff side, and it is jumped for width alone. Under current FEI rules, a water jump may not exceed 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) in spread including the takeoff element.
Ride liverpools with your eyes up and your leg on. Horses that stop at water almost always stopped because the rider looked down or pulled back at the last stride.
What is a combination in show jumping?
A combination is a group of two or three fences set one or two strides apart and judged as one obstacle, called a double or a triple, with the elements labeled A, B and C. Under FEI rules the elements of a combination sit between 7 m and 12 m apart, measured from the landing side of one fence to the takeoff side of the next. A refusal at any element means the horse has to go back and jump the whole combination again.
Combinations test adjustability more than any other fence, because the first element sets the canter for the rest. A one-stride set vertical to oxer is often a touch shorter than a standard one-stride; see our related distances chart for the full numbers in feet and meters.
What jumps do you see in hunter classes?
Hunter courses use the same basic shapes, verticals and oxers, but dressed to look like fences you would meet in the hunt field: brush boxes, coops, gates, stone walls, roll tops and rails in natural colors. The fences are set in flowing lines with standard distances, because hunters are judged on style and rhythm rather than speed. Jumper courses, by contrast, add triple bars, water, bright fillers and technical combinations. Our guide to hunters vs jumpers covers the full difference.
How do fence types change how you design a course?
A designer uses fence types to set the question at each part of the track. Verticals go where the horse arrives off a turn with its hocks under it; oxers and triple bars go where the track opens up and the horse can move forward; the first fence is almost always a straightforward, inviting spread or vertical so the horse gets going with confidence. Combinations and water sit in the middle of the course, once the horse is settled into its rhythm, never as the first question.
The fence tells the horse what to do. The distance tells it when.
How does HorseGrid handle different fence types?
HorseGrid Designer has an obstacle library with verticals, oxers, crossrails, walls, liverpools and combinations, so you can drag the exact fence type onto the canvas, number it in order and label the A and B elements of a combination. The app works out the stride count and distance for every line as you place each fence, in feet or meters. Free to download on the App Store.
Common questions
What is the difference between an oxer and a vertical?
A vertical is built in one plane with no width; an oxer has two sets of standards, so the horse has to jump both height and width. Verticals test accuracy and a round, upward jump, while oxers test scope and a forward canter.
What is the hardest type of jump for a horse?
It depends on the horse, but square oxers at height, verticals with no ground line, and open water are the fences that most often cause faults, because each one removes something the horse normally uses to judge the effort.
What is a Swedish oxer?
A Swedish oxer is a spread whose front and back rails slope in opposite directions, so the fence forms an X when seen from the front. The low side is inviting and the high side is a bigger test, so the rider can choose where to jump it.
How wide can a show jumping oxer be?
Under FEI rules, spread fences may be up to 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) wide, triple bars up to 2.20 m (7 ft 3 in), and water jumps up to 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in) including the takeoff element. Lower levels set spreads well inside those limits.
