Show jumping obstacle types: vertical, oxer, water, ditch and combinations (FISE)

A show jumping course is not made of identical fences: each obstacle type asks the horse for a different effort, and the regulation sets its shape and dimensions. Here we explain, with the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition), how vertical, oxer, water jump, ditch, banks, combinations, closed and alternative obstacles are built, and why those measures serve both technique and safety.

In short

• General rule (Art. 149): maximum height 160 cm and maximum width 200 cm (triple bars up to 220 cm); the topmost jumpable element is wooden and must fall on contact.
• The vertical (Art. 150) has all elements on a single plane; the oxer/spread (Art. 151) on several planes, asking for height and width.
• The water jump (Art. 152) is a stretch of water cleared in extension: front at least 400 cm, length from 250 to 400 cm, take-off element no higher than 50 cm.
• The ditch (Art. 153) is at most 200 cm wide; combinations (Art. 155) have elements 7 to 12 metres apart.
• There are closed (Art. 156) and alternative (Art. 157) obstacles, with their own rules on exit and elimination.
• Source: FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition).

The general rule: what an obstacle must be (Art. 149)

Before the individual types, Art. 149 sets the common principles. Every obstacle has solid side standards (the wings) and a jumpable front, marked by the flags, made of elements that, when the horse hits them, must fall without significant resistance. The topmost jumpable element is wooden. Rails must be neither too light (they would fall at the slightest touch) nor too heavy (they could bring the horse down): resistance to contact should be as uniform as possible across the course.

Maximum dimensions (Art. 149.3): except for power, six-bars, high-jump (elevation) and long-jump (extension) classes, no obstacle exceeds 160 cm in height and 200 cm in width, not even in a jump-off; triple bars reach 220 cm in width and the water jump up to 400 cm. Two safety details the public often misses: rail cups have a concave seat 18-20 mm deep (Art. 149.4), and for the back rail of a spread and for the second and third elements of a triple bar the double-piece "safety cups" are mandatory, easing release on contact (Art. 149.5). There is also a small building tolerance: up to 5 cm in height and 10 cm in width do not count as exceeding the limit (Art. 149.6).

The commentary. The philosophy of Art. 149 is all here: an obstacle must test the horse yet forgive the error. Wooden rail that falls, calibrated concave cup, safety cups: choices designed so that a contact becomes a knockdown, not a fall.

Vertical and spread: upright versus oxer (Art. 150-151)

The vertical (Art. 150) has all elements on a single vertical plane seen from the side the horse jumps; ground-line elements resting on the ground do not count as a second plane. It demands precision: the horse must lift "straight up" at the right point.

The spread or oxer (Art. 151) instead has its elements on several vertical planes, so the jump is height and width together. It comes in variants (square oxer, filled oxer, ascending oxer, up to the triple bar as a three-plane spread). The effort differs: the horse must "open up" and cover ground, not just rise.

The commentary. Vertical and oxer train opposite qualities: the first sharpness and accuracy at take-off, the second scope and boldness in the air. A good designer alternates them to read the whole horse.

Water: the water jump and the ditch (Art. 152-153)

The water jump (Art. 152) is a stretch of water cleared with a jump in extension, with no obstacle before, in the middle of or beyond the water. It may only have a take-off element on the near edge (hedge, low wall, rail) no higher than 50 cm, counted in the overall width. Length runs from 250 to 400 cm, the front measures at least 400 cm, and the landing edge is marked by a lath or tape: touching it with a shoe or hoof counts as a knockdown (Art. 152.5). Rails may be set over the water as a vertical up to 120 cm, not beyond the centre line and with safety cups; in that case, though, the obstacle is no longer judged as a water jump (Art. 152.7).

The ditch (Art. 153) is different: a stretch of water (or a mat simulating it), at most 200 cm wide, which may be preceded, topped or followed by an obstacle. It can never be placed after the jump: at least part of it must sit under the front of the rails.

The commentary. The rule on ditch placement is not formal: a ditch set on the landing side, beyond the rail, would fool the horse's eye at the worst moment. Keeping it under the front makes it readable at take-off.

Level changes, combinations and special cases (Art. 154-157)

Banks and talus (Art. 154). These are obstacles with level changes to climb or descend. They are treated as combinations when the elements to jump are no more than 12 metres apart, unless they are considered completely closed. A bank with no obstacles, or with a single rail, may be cleared in a single jump without penalty. Before the class, the plan must state whether the obstacle is closed or not.

Combinations (Art. 155). A combination (double, treble) is made of two, three or more jumps no less than 7 and no more than 12 metres apart, measured between inner faces (in Table C and for fixed obstacles even less than 7 m). They are jumped separately and consecutively; a triple bar can only be the first element. If the horse disobeys inside the combination, the rider must re-jump all the elements, on pain of elimination (except closed obstacles), and the middle element can never be removed. The treble is allowed only as an alternative to the double, with no more than two spreads in a row, and is banned in Young Horse classes.

Closed obstacles (Art. 156). These are combinations whose boundaries can be crossed only by jumping, marked as such on the plan. A rider who enters and leaves on the wrong side is eliminated; after a refusal inside, the rider has 45 seconds from the first refusal (and in any case no more than two refusals overall) to leave in the direction of the course, otherwise elimination follows.

Alternative obstacle (Art. 157). Two obstacles with the same number, jumpable as alternatives, each with its own flags. After a disobedience on one, the rider is free to jump the other.

The commentary. Combinations and closed obstacles are where the regulation turns strictest, and for good reason: they are the situations where a management error can put the horse in trouble. The 7-12 metre distance, the 45 seconds, the ban on trebles for young horses are all guardrails around the same idea: ask only what the pair can truly deliver.

Related deep-dives

To see how these obstacles come together into a track, read the guide to show jumping rules.

Source and disclaimer

Content verified against the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition), Arts. 149-157 (general rules and obstacle types). Verified on 15/09/2026. Independent, informational guide, unofficial and not affiliated with FISE: in competition the regulation in force prevails, and it updates by season.