If you were buying a set of showjumps...

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kit279

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... what ones would you go for and why? Currently debating what to get - wooden wings vs plastic jump stands (Jump for Joy etc), number of jumps etc. Wooden are more effort to move to move but less nickable and less expensive. What would be a good number for a 60x20 arena? Any thoughts?
 
Personally, I'd go for Jump for Joy stands/wings and fillers, but wooden poles. Plastic stands etc easier to move around and low maintenance. Wooden poles less expensive (i painted my own) and horses a bit more respectful of them! In a 20m wide arena (wish ours was x60!) I found the stands you can hang on the arena fence useful. (ordered the plastic strips and made our own). The J4J stands that have 2-3 sets of holes are good for saving space too. Quantity wise, don't think you can ever have too many! I can only persuade OH to buy one set of J4J fillers at a time without him having a trauma about the price! He was more impressed with the cost of using 3x hexagonal cement mixing trays from Wickes etc as water trays!
 
I don't like j4j. I don't think they last very well and customer service quite poor. Look at Top Jumps, much better quality and I think better value. Midland Equestrian are uk agents I believe.
 
We have jumps for joy in the outdoor and wooden in the indoor. The outdoor isn't floodlit so in the winter when we are riding indoors mostly after work boy do I miss the J4J! We have to set out and put away every time we jump and time is a factor after work so moving light weight J4J is a blessing as I can carry 2 poles at a times, both wings etc. The wooden ones are so heavy.
I'd get a selection of poles if you can. We only have the light ones so they can be knocked down very easily. If you have a horse that hates having a fence down like mine, that's a bonus as it makes her more careful the next time but for horses less honest I think a couple of heavier poles would be useful.
I've found the quality to be excellent tbh and had no problems with them at all and zero maintenance. We also have one set of poly jump fillers and the feet fell off within the first year which I think is fairly naff as they didn't get a huge amount of use whereas the J&J fillers still look like new.
 
Can't comment on J4J wings as don't have any but do agree with the comment about having wooden poles, horses have far more respect for them, I have seen to many horses work out that they can bosh out a plastic one and become careless.

Also if space is an issue in your arena go for 10' long poles rather than 12' it all helps.

Happy shopping
 
I'm not allowed to advertise on here but pm me if you are local to Kent. I'd go for wooden ones as they stand up to the wind alot better than plastic ones do. You can get ones with removable feet which makes them easier to move around and store. Definitely agree with the comment on plastic poles. I've seen many a horse work out that hitting them doesn't hurt and add to that they are more likely to be knocked further and become caught up by the horses feet easier I'd go for wooden every time.
 
I have j4j and I like them I have the competition poles. Very handy to use in a 20x40 as they are multi directional ie two jumps off one wing etc. safety cups are available too and I use this for the top rail.
 
J4J are great and do a good basic set which I've had for over 15 years and add to when I can. The competition weight poles are much better than the training ones.

I got the training ones at first as my daughter was diddy and put jumps out herself with help for the wings. I like their multi-directional stands too as they give loads of different possibilities as well as the telescopic ones - all things that you don't get with wood.

Some of the (15 yo!) training poles are faded and a couple are cracked but nothing that a bit of duct tape can't sort out.

I do have the metal cups whereas now they all seem to be plastic.
 
Would definitely have J4J stands (rather than wings). The heights rubbed off mine too, but i've put them back on with indelible pen. I can't stand light poles so either have the J4J BSJA-weight poles (expensive) or wooden ones and I'd also go for 10' if poss. Saves expense and room. I do have some plastic lightn poles but save them for groundlines etc.
 
We have Jump4Joy and I wouldn't have anything else. We have had the set for 5 years, all looks brand new still and nothing has broken (yet!!!), used by all the liveries. Wooden sets have to be maintained and are a lot heavier to move.
 
I wouldn't have jump for joy either, apart from the odd triangular block. I think they look a bit cheap and my friend's have faded like mad in the sun and wind (they are about five years old, but have been faded for the last couple of years).

I have plain working hunter wings, which we creosote once a year when we do the stables, they are about 15 years old and still look great. One snapped in high winds when it was blown over, but my husband easily fixed it - which is another plus point. We have wooden poles (again working hunter, so plain) but we put pole roles on them (plastic sleeves with coloured stripes on them), they keep the rain off the wood and protect them, and I like that they slightly flap in wind, making the horses de-spooked when it comes to poles!
 
I've got 10 pairs of unijump stands, they were cheaper than j4j, came with cups and are just as versatile. Just given them a wash with power washer last week and they look like new after about 7 years.
Wooden poles that are painted. Can't stand plastic poles ;) Got 3 plastic planks tho' and various home made fillers.
 
AnShanDan said:
I've got 10 pairs of unijump stands, they were cheaper than j4j, came with cups and are just as versatile. Just given them a wash with power washer last week and they look like new after about 7 years.
Wooden poles that are painted. Can't stand plastic poles ;) Got 3 plastic planks tho' and various home made fillers.
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Can't say I like altering the heights of unijump stands as it is a real pain and the often with me the upright pole comes away from the base. However, the lower ones that come to about 3ft are easier and great for corners.

In the past, I have bought a relatively cheap and cheerful wooden jumps from Bargain Jumps for the cost of a couple of J4J jumps and our RC have a set of their WH jumps but they are heavy to shift compared to the J4J jumps.
 
Gamebird said:
Would definitely have J4J stands (rather than wings). The heights rubbed off mine too, but i've put them back on with indelible pen. I can't stand light poles so either have the J4J BSJA-weight poles (expensive) or wooden ones and I'd also go for 10' if poss. Saves expense and room. I do have some plastic lightn poles but save them for groundlines etc.
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ditto this, mine have lived outside for 8 years or so are are still in good condition. Similar age wooden poles have rotted
 
I'd say go for J4J plastic stands/wings, much easier to move - but would definitely advise wooden poles rather than plastic ones; much cheaper (can always paint your own!) and horses respect them more!
 
I had wooden wings for years and more recently have bought plastic. I would not buy wooden again. I also use wooden poles.
 
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