A jump-off is the deciding extra round in show jumping, ridden by the combinations that finish the first round clear or on an equal score. Where walking the course for the first round is all about distances and jumping clear, the jump-off is about something else: gaining time without losing control. This guide covers that tactics — choosing lines, cutting corners, and pacing your speed.
What a Jump-Off Is
A jump-off is a shorter version of the course — usually a selection of the same obstacles, sometimes in a slightly different order — ridden against the clock. Anyone who completes the first round clear, or ends up tied, starts again. In that second round, jumping faults still count for the most, but when the fault score is tied, time decides.
That changes the task. In the first round, the question is: can I get around clear? In the jump-off, the question is: how fast can I get around clear, given what my horse and my own experience allow? The exact scoring and time rules differ by division and class; check knhs.nl (the Dutch equestrian federation) for the current regulations.
The Core of Jump-Off Tactics
Gaining time in a jump-off comes down to a few levers you can pull, and you work all of them out during the course walk:
- Shorter lines. An inside turn is shorter than a wide outside turn. Where the first round invites you to approach wide, in the jump-off you look for the shortest safe path between two obstacles.
- One canter stride fewer. On a line that rode in five strides during the first round, a slightly longer canter stride can sometimes make it four. That saves more time than cutting a few meters off a corner.
- A higher, controlled pace. More speed on the straights and the wider turns, without the horse losing its balance.
Every choice comes with the same risk: a tighter turn or a higher pace increases the chance of a knockdown or an unbalanced approach to a fence. Time gained at the cost of a rail pays off nothing — a jump-off with four faults almost never scores better than an unhurried clear round with a slower time.
Going All Out or Riding Safe
Not every jump-off calls for going all-out. That trade-off depends on a few things:
| Factor | Favors going all out | Favors riding safe |
|---|---|---|
| Combination's experience | Rider and horse know the course pace well | First season at this level or with this horse |
| Position in the standings | Little to lose, needs to make up time | Already a good position, clear is enough |
| The horse | Sharp, agile, rides easily on a short line | A bit stiffer in the turns, performs better wide |
| What the competition is doing | Fast times already ridden, only time still wins | No one clear yet, a clear round is already a win |
For less experienced combinations, going clear is often worth more than a gamble on time. A second place with a clean round builds confidence; a four-fault jump-off after too tight a turn costs exactly that. As you ride more jump-offs, you get a better feel for where your horse's limit lies.
Planning Ahead During the Course Walk
You don't work out your jump-off tactics only once you know you're riding it — you settle them during the course walk, before the first round. At most shows, you're told in advance which obstacles make up the jump-off and in what order, so you can already walk that route alongside the route for the first round.
During that second walk, pay specific attention to:
- Where an inside turn is possible without approaching the obstacle at an angle. Keep your approach as square as possible, even in a tight turn — a crooked approach raises the risk of a knockdown more than the turn saves you in time.
- Which line can be one canter stride shorter and whether that means you need to ride into that line with more pace.
- Where you don't need to change anything — not every obstacle in the jump-off lends itself to gaining time, and on some lines the safest route is also the fastest.
Execution: Canter, Focus, and Turns
A jump-off isn't won or lost on the straight lines, but in the turns and transitions. A few points that help:
- A carrying, maneuverable canter. Your horse needs to be able to both go forward and turn quickly, without the pace becoming unstable. Rushing without balance ultimately costs more time than it gains, because a bad takeoff means a fault or a moment lost to recovery.
- Looking ahead to the next obstacle. Your focus determines your line. Aim it at the next fence as soon as you're over the current one, so the turn is already underway before you think about it.
- Starting the turn right after landing. Most of the time gained isn't in the jump itself, but in how quickly you bend toward the next obstacle after landing. Waiting until you're "straight" before you turn costs unnecessary meters.
In Short
- A jump-off is the deciding extra round: when the fault score is tied, time decides, not the number of points.
- You gain time with shorter lines, sometimes one canter stride fewer between two obstacles, and a higher but controlled pace.
- Weigh going all out against riding safe based on your horse, your experience, and the standings in the class — going clear is often worth more than a fast time for beginning combinations.
- Plan your jump-off lines during the course walk, before the first round, and keep your approach as square as possible even in a tight turn.
- Start the turn right after landing and ride a carrying, maneuverable canter — rushing without balance costs more than it gains.
See also: Walking a show jumping course · Your first show jumping course: course walk, lines, and distances · Level: First competitions · Jargon