Showjumping - Different type of fences

Trot_On_Dressage

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Hello Everyone

Im currently studying for my ITT and am trying to find info on the different type of fences you would get in different BS classes, British Novice to Foxhunter. Had a look on BS website but it didnt go into any detail. My knowledge of competitive jumping is fairly low as i am dressage minded!

Any help gratefully received. Even if you could just point me in the right direction!

Thanking you
 

spacefaer

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What do you mean by different types of fences?

Do you mean uprights vs spread fences? Ones with fillers, gates, planks, a wall?

Or do you mean at what level are different types of fences eg water trays, introduced?
 

Trot_On_Dressage

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Sorry. I guess what i mean is what would the difference be in the courses. For example British Novice being made to be more friendly, would it have mainly uprights, a few spreads and a double?

But yes to both your questions! Would you find gates and planks at British Novice? When does a triple come in? Assending oxers, water trays?

And would there be more related distances in the higher classes?

As you can tell my knowledge of competitive showjumping is rubbish! I just about made it round my stage 4 jumping (think luck was on my side!)
 

ann-jen

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Sorry. I guess what i mean is what would the difference be in the courses. For example British Novice being made to be more friendly, would it have mainly uprights, a few spreads and a double?

But yes to both your questions! Would you find gates and planks at British Novice? When does a triple come in? Assending oxers, water trays?

And would there be more related distances in the higher classes?

As you can tell my knowledge of competitive showjumping is rubbish! I just about made it round my stage 4 jumping (think luck was on my side!)

You would find all these things from British novice onwards.
All BS courses will have a minimum of two combinations which may be two doubles or I suppose a double and a triple. Water trays, planks and gates certainly feature in British novice. And yes also related distances and dog legs too. I'd say an average course round here would be 50/50 spreads to uprights in a course.
The difference is mainly in the height and the technicality as you go up the ranks. British novice is 90cm and goes up to 1m in the jump off, discovery starts at 1m and goes up to 1.10 in the jump off. When I moved up to discovery I found the main difference was the fences coming up quicker, big spreads coming on a short distance out of a corner requiring more accurate riding for example! My bottle goes after 1.15 so can't comment personally on going up to newcomers.... Think when you get to crazy levels like fox you are expected to tackle open waters too, which isn't included in the lower levels.
 

Puffin

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At BS at least half the course will be spreads, many will be square and most of the fences at max height (unlike BE where usually only a couple are max) spreads are also nearly as wide as they are high.
As you move up the things that change mostly are technicality and size (again not just height - the spreads get wider) Size is fine, generally people seem to worry about an extra 5 cm when that doesn't matter much to the horse, but the increase in difficulty does.
You will get more water trays/water and combinations but mostly its technicality that increases - it isn't the fences themselves its how they relate to each other.
Imagine doing a flying change. On a straight diagonal thats ok, but now imagine pirourette to flying change, thats harder, or med canter to change, or a half pass zig zag.
Its that idea.
The distances may not be spot on (which they should be at brit novice although often aren't) you'll get nastier dog legs, or the classic tripple bar/v wide spread to a tall upright, possibly to another spread. If the course builder is decent they'll use the space too to make it harder so you'll get things tight off corners or into the crowd or to/away from the collecting ring etc. Anything to break your rhythmn/balance. Its the same as dressage really, you still have to maintain Rythmn, balance, line while doing harder and harder shapes, just the shapes are 3 dimentions not two :)
Hope that helps.
 

HBM1

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Have a look on you tube as well. You can search British Novice, Discovery rounds etc and you will see the jumps used.
 

Rosesandhorses

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The biggest difference as a rider I would say is as you go up the levels the turns become much tighter and more technical. I would say with a straight forward horse you could go around a BN fairly easily as a novice-y rider but when you move up the levels you need to be prepared for the fences to come thicker and faster with less room for error.
 
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