Cross Country Course Decoration

Yes, there are things to read about decorating and proper cross country course design. It's not all word of mouth!

• USEA Cross Country Course Design and Frangible Guidelines This is a PDF, free on the USEA website, that is regularly updated with changes to the specifications and requirements of the eventing levels.
• USEA Schooling Cross Country Course Guidelines (PDF free printout, and (NEW) 2019 Convention video HERE
• USEA Jump Judge video set, and Number 3, "Taking Charge of Your Fence" features USEF R Course Designer Jeff Kibbie explaining what the frangible devices are and how they work
• From the USEF - hunter course PDF (free) and jumper course design PDF (free)
• Decorating Cross Country Courses I and II and Decorating Show Jumping Courses by Holly Covey, originally published at Eventing Nation
• Link to the videos of the 2019 ASPCA Maclay Finals course designer walk and video of the rides (fascinating - watch!) From Horse & Country, a video of the final here  and here's more from The Chronicle of The Horse - the first round course map, and the second round course map. Here's another: walking the course with designer Bobby Murphy (from Facebook Live)
  
• How horses see jumps from British Eventing
  
• Human vs. Horse vision

Decorating obstacles changes how they look to the jumping horse. Decoration should make the obstacle easier to see, easier for the horse to recognize and make the horse jump better.
Below are some photos of jumps with some retouching done to create a visual difference with regard to a groundline.

Below are photos of all sorts of decorated jumps! Use these ideas for your courses!
Remember it has to be SAFE around the feet of a JUMPING and GALLOPING horse!!!
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