Homemade Jumps/Handmade Jumps...any experiences?

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charli_

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Seems strange, but at 25, it feels weird to have a 13 year old sister! Anyway, she began learning to ride a few years back on my two, and has been doing really well. Also helps that she is very confident, though not big headed. Anyway, she is learning to jump higher fences now, and we have made the decision to get her own pony. We have been looking and have found the perfect one, which will be arriving December 20th (as it is her christmas prezzie)

Anyway, bottom line is, I have a lot of the plastic jumps like these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Classic-Showjumps-Pro-Jump-Sloping-Block/dp/B007YZQ6LG and whilst she tolerates them, I know she absolutely loves the classic white and coloured striped poles with coloured wings. Since I am contributing to this pony, I would like to get her some of these, but Jumps are so bloody exspensive!) So for this reason I am looking at building some jumps myself and having mum paint them and varnish as she is brill at that and it will look almost professional, but the building side is up to me. I am quite handy, but will need a decent set of instructions.

Has anyone had any experience at making hand made jumps before? I was thinking of the wings having four feet, spiralling out, like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4ft-Show-...t=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item4d149f9797 (hope that link works!)

anyway any stories, designs or prices would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Also, what is the average size pole? Mine are pretty long so would be pretty hard to come by. Was thinking around 2.5m?
 
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I bought 6-8ft fence posts (the circular ones and about 4-5 inches in diameter) from my local timber yard for about £3.00 each. I cut the pointed end off then primed and painted.

I also got some white guttering downpipes from B&Q for £6.00 each.

Chopped a big tree in half that fell during the gales.

Bald tyres form the local tyre shop, stack them up or cut them in half and stand them on their ends
 
I used to use pallets a lot as fillers

Find a pallet and turn it over, on the back there are usually 6 blocks with wood strips joining them

Cut either side of the middle two blocks, this should give you two small fillers each with an end which means they can be stood up
 
Go to a farmer and ask if he has any spare tyres!! ;) (Most farmers have a huge pile, and it saves on them paying to get rid). Same applies to any barrels.
PS I have just gloss painted jumps in the past, so not sure if you really need to varnish??
 
My dad made some awesome jump wings for us when we were little. He got 2 by 4 timber from B&Q, cut them to 5' lengths, then drilled holes down the side at 3" intervals fro 6" up to 4", using a jump cup as a guide for how far in to go. Then he filled a tyre with quick-crete and plonked the bit of wood in, and me or my sister held it straight while it dried. Then we painted them and had awesome jump stands which were easy to move because of the circular base.
 
Just a quick idea... Not sure how big she is jumping but I made a few filler type jumps for my little cousins and their ponies last year using pallets...
Dont have a picture which is a pain but can try and explain; I put the pallets on their end so they stand up and you can cut them down to the size you want (little cousins only have 12HH ponies so three slats were tall enough and i could get one filler from each end of the pallet doing this!) Good thing about it is you can paint them how you want and have a variety - then because they are wood just varnish and away you go! Ours are still going strong after a year and are left out in the school permanently. I got the pallets from where I get my feed - they tend to have a lot and dont mind giving two or three of them away... usually. Or maybe even buying them for a few quid each - still cheaper than buying!

Hope this is inspiring! Bek x
 
If you've got the equipment or can borrow it, spray paint them (not cans but a machine one like air compressor) is way quicker. Also would deffo use undercoat, worth it for longevity. These style jump wings http://www.jswhorseboxes.co.uk/product_info/380_addington-professional-show-jump-wings--32h-by-pol although more time consuming you can do a really lovely personalised design on them. A bit of advice I have heard is don't use the pole wraps/sleeves, apparently they don't last well.
 
charli_ said:
Sounds great. As for materials, would it just have to be a B&Q job? I am thinking this will be best bet.
Click to expand...

try a local timber merchant wood will be much cheaper b and q for ply wood for fillers works out cost effective, before painting make sure wood is treated or they will rot quickly even when paintec
 
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