Different Kinds of Jumps

I really sincerely hope anyone who reads this takes the time to read about different kinds of jumps. When I say jump, I mean an obstacle comprised of a horizontal pole held by standards used to jump horses over. There are different types of jumps used in horse jumping competitions, called horse shows, in order to test the horse's ability to bravely jump any type of obstacle. A jump with a single pair of standards holding poles with no other element is called a vertical. This I find amusing because the pole that the horse jumps over is actually horizontal. A jump with two sets of standards holding poles a few feet apart is called an oxer. An oxer creates depth in a jump instead of height only as is the case in a vertical jump. A liverpool jump is a vertical or oxer with a long, thin pool of water sitting directly underneath, slightly in front of or slightly behind the center of the jump. This type of jump tests a horse's bravery because many horses are afraid of jumping over water. A jump placed exactly 1-3 strides in front of another jump so as to be jumped as a pair is known as a combination. Combinations may be comprised of 2-4 jumps that can be verticals, oxers, or liverpools. A triple bar is a single jump that is comprised of 3 sets of standards holding poles placed a few feet from each other. The first pole is the lowest, the middle pole is medium height, and the pole on the end is the highest. This type of jump tests a horse's depth perception. An average show jumping course used in competition is comprised of 10-12 jumps or jump combinations to be jumped in a specific, pre-determined order. Whichever horse can jump all the jumps in order without refusing to jump or knocking over any obstacle the fastest wins the competition.