Jump High on a Low Budget
The hunter/jumper world is an expensive one, filled with high dollar items everywhere you look. From the clothes, the tack, grooming supplies, and even the little accessories or equipment. If it’s associated with horses, expect the price tag to reflect it. With everything being so costly it can be hard to afford the equipment needed just to practice and successfully prepare for your horse shows. This fact alone has made competitive horse showing a difficult goal for young equestrians.
If you are looking to purchase a full set of jumps for a complete jump course, it can range from the high four figures to the low five figures. These jumps vary in composition from wood to aluminum material, with high quality finishes necessary to withstand weather and wear. Aesthetics play a large part in the cost, and a wide array of designs, shapes and colors are offered to challenge your equine partner.
As a little girl, I can remember the barn clan pulling together to split the cost of adding a new jump to the ring when old umps had reached the point of no return. Yes, the new jump would be beautiful, but so were the jumps we repaired and re-painted each year. That’s right! Each year we would designate a weekend to coordinate a “paint party”. Usually we would create a sign up sheet for each jump, making sure to write down the color of paint we would contribute (to ensure we would have a nice variety). This was a great option if you already had the jumps, but where do you begin if you don’t have anything at all? This is a daunting challenge, especially if you need to practice jumping fences that simulate what you and your horse will face in the show ring.
So, how can you jump high, on a low budget? It’s not that hard as long as you aren’t afraid of a little work. Luckily as an equestrian, we are already well acquainted with getting down and dirty and don’t shy away easily from work. Now, let’s get to what you’ll need to bring your very own jump course to life:
8 square wood pieces 4”x4”x8” treated to withstand severe weather ( ~ $80 )
four wood pieces 2”x4”x8” treated to withstand severe weather ( ~ $20 )
A paint brush variety pack ( ~ $10 )
A roll of painters tape ( ~ $3 )
A painting tarp ( ~$5 )
A tape measurer ( ~ $5 )
An electric sander / sanding paper to fit ( ~$35 or free when borrowed from a friend)
A wood saw ( ~ $40 or free borrowed ^ )
A drill / screws ( borrowed )
About 2 gallons of ValsparPro Storm Coat paint ( ~ $45 )
1 can of metallic spray paint / primer in one ( optional ~ $ 7 )
1 old pallet ( free after discarded from a warehouse or grocery store )
A bundle of greenery / floral filler ( optional )
Two sets of jump cups + pins (4 total) ( ~ $ 15 )
An “ I can do this attitude “ ( free of charge )
First things first, you’ll need to decide realistically how tall you want your standards to be, and what shape. I chose to do an H-shape and cut my 4x4x8 lumber down to be 5 feet tall. Using your 2x4 lumber, you will create the legs of your jump to stabilize the 4x4 up vertically. The singular 4x4 post standards require 4 legs each (8 total for a set of post standards) measuring 16 inches. The H standards require two legs each (4 total for a set of 2 standards) 24 inches long. You’ll also need to cut 8 horizontal 2x4 pieces to connect the 4x4 pieces to form the H. Once you’ve cut all of the necessary wood, assemble your jump standards using your drill and 3 in screws. If you are as fortunate as I was, you’ll have someone handy in your life to assist you (it definitely wasn’t the adorable kitten). Now that your standards are assembled, measure out the jump cup holes to be 3 in apart. I used a 1.5in drill bit to drill the holes.
Once you’ve fully assembled your standards, you can move on to your fillers. For this, you’ll need to mind your fingers. Grab your pallet and cut it in half using your saw. Make sure to hold onto the extra boards across the back if you want to create a top to the brush box. Now, grab your sander and polish those babies back to brand new along with your freshly drilled standards! Once the wood is smooth and splinter free, lay down your painting tarp. Depending on the kind of design you want, take your painters tape and measuring tape to section off your color variances. I personally decided to go for a black, white and metallic silver color combination to match my barn colors / logo.
Not only do I love that these colors represent my team, I also love that black is often one of the spookier colors for our horses, which they will undoubtedly encounter throughout a competition course. Incorporating this color into your jumps will leave your horse better prepared to tackle the challenge of the arena. Hopefully, after making it a regular fence seen at home, the black color will not present needless distraction for your horse. Personally, I suggest doing at least 2 coats over each area, allowing for 30 min - 1 hour of dry time in between each coat. For the spray painted metallic silver accents, I ended up doing 3 coats with less drying time in between. Re-tape, re-paint, repeat.
Once you’ve finished painting, add your optional fillers. You’ll notice along the way I found an old wooden box, commonly referred to as a flower box, which I re-painted and drilled some new larger holes. I filled these with some taller greenery to pop against the white wooden pallet fillers. We also had hooks amongst the spare parts in the shed at the barn that I drilled under the center horizontal bar of the standard. These hooks were placed to accommodate the hanging ferns that I found on clearance at Michaels. The dollar store is also a great place to snag some inexpensive flowers if Michaels doesn’t have an affordable selection. Don’t forget to place your jump cups through your standards to hold your beautiful new poles. By the end of this project, you’ll have crafted a complete show worthy jump for a total of ~ $265.00 . Split amongst your barn mates, it becomes even more affordable. Not to mention, it’s a great way to bond and spend some more time at the barn! Let’s be honest, do we really need an excuse to spend more time at the barn?
I love that I can carry on a tradition from my own childhood, and I hope that the “paint party” is something you might want to make a tradition at your own barn. Painting jumps is much like cleaning + conditioning our tack, the better we care for and maintain our equipment, the better it will look and the longer it will last.
Here’s to jumping HIGH on a low budget!
