Whether you are ready to purchase an entire course or just looking to add a new fence or two, you may be wondering if wood horse jumps are better than jumps made of other materials. There are several reasons why wood makes a better choice than vinyl, the other material commonly used to build horse jumps. Wood does a few drawbacks, but overall, wood is the winner when selecting horse jumps.
Durability
Wood horse jumps are just plain tougher than vinyl fences. Even the more expensive vinyl jumps will be lightweight and flimsy when compared to similar wood jumps. This means your wood fences will stand up to plenty of wear and tear that comes from regular use. Wood fences are also sturdier while they are in use. This means the fence is unlikely to blow down if you are trying to school on a windy day. Durability is important not only for financial reasons but for safety reasons as well. Horses quickly learn that vinyl fences are easy to knock down and can become careless in their jumping form.
Appearance
There is no mistaking that painted or natural wood fences create a beautiful course. Whether you are setting up a hunter or jumper course, the consistency, solid build and clean lines of wood jumps are impossible to replicate with the flimsier and cheaper looking appearance you get with vinyl. In addition, sandbags are commonly used to anchor the lightweight vinyl fences in place, creating a less than aesthetic appearance.
Drawbacks
The main drawback to using wood horse jumps is that they do require maintenance. Manufacturers of vinyl jumps often tout their fences as being maintenance free. This is true, they do not need to be painted and require little upkeep. The drawback to this is that when they break, they are truly broken. There is no way to fix a damaged vinyl jump. Of course, you can save the odds and ends of damaged vinyl fences and use them somewhere else, but given that the components were built for a different jump, the appearance will be less than professional.