A Horse Rookie's Guide to the Show Jumping Course Walk

Course Walk: The What and the Why

One course. Ten jumps. Hundreds of things galloping through your mind.

“How will I remember where to go?”
“What if my horse refuses?”
“What if I lose my stirrup?”
“Does the jump-off come right after the first round?”
“That oxer off the short turn looks huge!”
“What if I cross the start line before the buzzer?”

And on and on…

Navigating an entire course of jumps, especially in a new setting, can be overwhelming. Some riders thrive on the charged competition atmosphere, adrenaline honing their focus. For others, competition cranks up anxiety and challenges concentration.

Regardless of where you are on that spectrum, knowing what to expect at a show and what practical steps you can take upon arrival to best prepare for the start buzzer empowers you to make the most of each round.

You have invested a lot into competing, from endless hours developing your canter to cramped fingers scrubbing your tack.

This article will help you not only optimize your course walk, but get you started with mental preparation strategies that can help give you an edge going into the arena.

More knowledge creates more confidence—and a better competitor.

So what’s the point of a course walk?

We’ll explain what a course walk includes and which riding disciplines allow them at competitions. We will cover how the walk helps riders plan their rounds, including key things a savvy competitor can learn during a course walk to help develop the best plan for their ride.

What is a Course Walk?

A course walk is an opportunity to navigate a course of jumps on foot (without your horse) prior to your ride time.

Doing so provides all kinds of information gleaned from an educated view of the jumps, the arena, and the route, from the ground, as opposed to simply looking at a course map, or sussing out your course from a position outside the arena.

Walking your course with your trainer or a more experienced rider is an excellent way to learn how you might improve your ride.

In the Hunter/Jumper world, most shows build in time for riders to walk their course between every course change or height change throughout a show day. In some cases, the course walk will be offered every few classes to alleviate time constraints. Most shows also allow Equitation riders to walk the course.

Typically, Hunter competitions do not allow a course walk. The distances in the lines are posted on the course diagram, so, theoretically, there is no need to walk between the jumps.

Why Do a Course Walk?

The course walk is a key opportunity to not only get familiar with the order of the fences, but also to create a comprehensive plan that increases your likelihood of success.

The course walk can help you determine:

The best path, or route, between jumps
The ideal pace for each part of the course
Your specific horse’s ideal striding between jumps
The most advantageous spots to turn to approach fences
What the course designer is asking in different sections of the course
The start and finish line location
The location of the judge
Potentially spooky jumps
Potentially spooky parts of the arena (or just outside the arena)

Why So Much Preparation?

Gathering information during the course walk—and knowing how to put that information to use—will give you a distinct advantage over competitors.

Preparation leads to confidence and confidence leads to success. Understanding what the course designer is asking and how those questions will influence your horse makes it more likely you will answer successfully!

How to Learn the Course

Sometimes, just finding the right course map at a show can be a challenge! Once you’ve got the correct map, you must translate it into a ride plan for you and your horse.

You will also need to look out for things in and around the arena that may not be on the course map.

Early is On Time

Preparation for a course walk typically begins the afternoon or evening before your class. If you ride with a trainer, you will typically receive instructions then about who will be available to walk the course with you.

If you work on your own, many shows publish ride times or class times (including course walk times) the night before.

Be sure that you know which horse show software your show uses and how to check the next day’s schedule online.

If you have a morning class, budget enough time for the following:

Your horse chores
A trip to the show ring to confirm with the ingate steward that the day’s schedule remains the same as previously published
Time to locate and learn the course
Time to spend ringside visualizing your round

Completing all of these steps is possible even if you ride first in the arena in a class starting at 8 AM.

Source: Canva

Locate (and Save) the Course Map

When you arrive at the show ring, locate your course map first. They are always posted at least one hour prior to the start time of the class and are typically on a standard or a specialized sign board just outside of the arena in-gate.

There are often multiple classes that utilize the same course throughout the day, so sometimes just finding your class number can be tricky! Knowing the height you are jumping may not be enough, as there may be multiple classes at, for example, .90m, offered that day in that ring.

Check and recheck that the course map you are reading is the correct date and the correct class number as the one you intend to ride!

Tip: Keep a copy of the day’s time schedule in your pocket or on your phone for quick reference, especially if you are riding multiple horses.

Photograph the Course Map

Next, snap a picture of the diagram with your phone for future reference.

Course Map Components

The course map will typically have the following components:

Show Name
Arena Name
Class Number
Date/Time
Table/Format
Height/Level
Speed
Length
Time Allowed
Time Limit
Obstacles
Efforts
Jump Off
Jump Off Length
Jump Off Time Allowed
Jump Off Time Limit
Ingate/Outgate
Vertical
Oxer
Triple Bar
Liverpool
Start/Finish Line
Jump that is only in Jump-off
Jury Stand
Course Designer

Understanding the Course Map

Now it’s time to locate a few key elements of the course map: the obstacles, the table/format and Fence #1.

Source: Canva

First, it is important to know how many numbered obstacles will appear in the first course.

The course map will say numbers 1-X (X is the total number of jumps in the course) in the first round. The course map will also indicate which jumps, by number, are included in the jump-off course, usually separated by commas or dashed lines.

Next, find Fence #1. It can be helpful to familiarize yourself with the entire course at this point, knowing that you will return to analyze it in more detail in the next step. Just casually locate all of the numbered jumps in the first round in the actual arena.

The number on the course map will be printed on the side of the fence that you approach from.

Skip the jump-off (if applicable) for now. Return to Fence #1 with the goal of deciding exactly what track you think is correct for the approach. You may decide to change this slightly once you enter the arena on foot and really see how things look from a different perspective.

Now, using the course map as your guide, create a sensible and flowing path through all of the jumps in the first round.

Source: Canva

Decide, to the best of your ability, exactly where you think you should ride between the jumps and in the turns. Take careful note of which jumps are wider and where any combinations or spooky fill might be lurking.

Tip: Plan where you will ride after crossing the finish line, as you often can turn in either direction.

Now, go through the pattern as many times as it takes to commit it to memory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you walk the course before a show jumping round?

Yes, a course walk is an important part to jumping a successful round. The course walk will allow the rider to figure out the best (and fastest) way to navigate their particular horse around the jumps, maximizing the team’s strengths for the greatest chance at a clean round within the allotted time.

Do you walk the course before a cross country trip?

Yes, walking the cross country course is a very important part of preparing for your ride! Some riders will walk the course multiple times.

How many feet is a horse’s stride?

A horse stride (for jumping purposes!) is twelve feet. You also must account for takeoff and landing distances.

Parting Thoughts

If we do not know what the question is, it is very difficult to answer it correctly. Use this article to help understand your courses, prepare well and conquer your goals.

In subsequent articles, we will dig into course design basics and find out what types of challenges the course designer includes in different types of courses. We will also explore how courses vary for different jumping disciplines.

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A Horse Rookie’s Guide to the Show Jumping Course Walk