Show jumping is easy to understand. The challenge is simple and straightforward; jump a course of approximately 15 obstacles up to five feet in height and six feet wide with no penalties. Penalties or faults are incurred if a horse knocks down, refuses to jump or falls at an obstacle or jump. Each course has a time allowed. In addition to jumping faults, penalties can also accumulate if riders fail to complete the course at a certain speed or within the time allowed.

Riders and horses must negotiate the course at the correct angle, height, and speed to clear the fences without receiving faults. Riders must also be think of of the ever-ticking clock. The rider who races too fast may grow careless and knock down a fence; a too cautious rider may have  time faults. The starting order of lineup is determined by a draw before the event so that each rider has an equal chance of attaining a good position. Riders near the end of the starting order have the advantage of seeing how the first riders complete the course.

Riders preview the course by walking it on foot prior to the beginning of the competition. This is the only chance the rider has to study the course "up close and personal.”

Each rider knows the length of his horse’s stride [how long each of her horses steps are], and walks the course accordingly, pacing off the distance between fences and determining how best to adjust the horse’s strides. Riders also take note of the different types of fences offered, their relationship to one another, the footing and any other potential problem areas. They also try to find where a tighter line can save vital time when jumping against the clock.

All jumper classes are subject to the same scoring systems. Horse and rider must take the course in a designated sequence. All obstacles are numbered. Each rider’s goal is to cover the course with no faults within the allotted time period. Style is not considered and doesn’t affect the scoring in jumper competition.

The first time a refusal occurs, the penalty is three faults; six faults are given for the second, and the third constitutes elimination. A penalty of four faults is incurred each time a fence is knocked down and the penalty for the horse touching the water at a water jump is also four faults.

Penalties can also be incurred for exceeding the time allowed to complete the course. The winner is the horse and rider combination with the fewest jumping and time penalties.
Frequently, several horses complete the course without penalty and advance to a jump-off over a shortened course. In the jump-off, the same scoring rules apply, except that in the case of equal faults, the horse with the fastest time will be declared the winner.

The queen of all competitions in many sports is the Grand Prix. In show jumping, the course designer attempts to build a course that only a few of the very best horses and riders can possibly complete without faults. Therefore, no two courses are exactly alike. The designer includes challenging jumps with at least one double and one triple combination of fences. A water jump is optional.