Science & Equine

  • Logo Mono
Written by Els Smet

Image by: ericlamaze.com

The Physics of Show Jumping

This article describes the basic forces produced by the horse in top level show jumping. This understanding can help horse owners adapt their training schedule to ensure the horse is not overloaded but progressively trained as well as fully appreciate competition at this level.

When combining these factors with physics, it is found that the forces on the horse are 16 000 N (equal to approximately 1600 kilo) when landing after jumping a 1.60 meter jump. When the horse comes too close to the jump, these forces are drastically increased (20 000N)! It was also found that a water jump produced slightly higher forces on the horse (17 000N) due to the longer distance. These forces acting on the horse, even if only for a brief moment, are stressful and should therefore be managed well.

Expert opinion by Els Smet

Although these calculations may not be exactly the same for every horse, the author hopes an understanding of the huge stresses on the horse will increase the enjoyment of watching this top sport.

> From: Stinner, The Physics Teacher 52 (2014) 202-206. All rights reserved to Research Gate. Click here for the online summary.

Image by: commons.wikimedia.org

About the author of this summary:

More summaries from this author