Is YardForge really free to use?

Yes. The Free plan includes the full 2D showjumping course designer, stride calculator, and FEI/BS validation for up to 8 courses — no credit card required. PDF export and 3D viewer unlock on Pro; feature gating matters more than course count.

How does the stride calculator work?

YardForge measures the straight-line distance between each pair of jumps and divides it by your horse's configured stride length. It accounts for approach and landing lengths and flags combinations outside the ideal range for your selected competition standard.

Does it validate FEI and British Showjumping rules?

Yes. Switch the Competition Standard to FEI or BS and YardForge checks distances, combination spacings, jump heights and spreads against published tables. Errors and warnings appear in real time as you design.

Can I use YardForge on mobile or tablet?

The 2D designer and 3D viewer work on any modern browser. The AR walk-through works on most Android phones. On iPhone or iPad, place courses in AR using the built-in AR Quick Look.

Can I share courses with my team or clients?

Courses can be shared via a public link which opens a read-only 3D viewer — no account needed for the recipient. School & Venue plans add full yard-wide team sharing.

Can I export courses to PDF or print?

Yes — Pro and School & Venue plans include one-click PDF export with the course diagram, jump list, stride table, and competition info on a single page.

What happens to my courses if I downgrade?

Your courses are never deleted. If you exceed the Free plan's 8-course limit after downgrading, existing courses are locked to read-only until you delete some or re-upgrade.

Does YardForge work offline?

The 2D designer, stride calculator and 3D viewer work offline once loaded — your browser caches the app. Course saves sync to the cloud when your connection returns.

Best Show Jumping Course Design Software in the UK (2026)

Published 4 July 2026

If you design courses for Pony Club rallies, affiliated shows or your own yard, you have probably tried at least two of these: graph paper, a whiteboard photo, a spreadsheet of distances, or desktop software that never quite matched how you think at the arena. Show jumping course design software should do three jobs well: place fences to scale, check related distances and strides, and validate against the rulebook you are actually jumping under — usually British Showjumping or FEI.

This guide compares what matters when choosing a course designer in the UK, without pretending every tool does the same thing.

What the best tools have in common

Regardless of brand, serious course design software should offer:

Scaled 2D arena — you are measuring centre-to-centre, not guessing from a photo.
Stride calculator — related distances update as you drag fences; combinations and bending lines are where mistakes cost rails.
Rule validation — BS, FEI, Hunter or Unaffiliated tables applied live, not checked after the poles are built.
Export or share — PDF master plans for builders, or a link your team can open on a phone.

Anything missing one of those four will feel fine for sketching, but painful on show day.

Free vs paid: what you actually need

A free show jumping course designer is enough for many instructors and DC branches if it includes validation and a reasonable course limit. You need paid features when:

You want 3D walk-through or AR before building in the arena.
You export PDF master plans for builders and judges every week.
Your yard or school needs team sharing across multiple designers.

YardForge's Free tier includes the full 2D designer, stride calculator and BS/FEI validation for up to eight courses — see the full breakdown on our course design software page.

UK-specific checks

British designers should confirm:

British Showjumping rule sets sit alongside FEI — not every international tool includes BS combination tables.
Arena sizes match what you jump on — 40×20 schools, 60×20 all-weather, grass rings with different dimensions.
Mobile use at the collecting ring — a course design app in the browser beats software that only runs on a laptop in the lorry.

Where YardForge fits

YardForge is built for UK riders and course builders who want design, validation and yard operations on one login:

AR walk-through on supported phones — walk the course at full scale before poles move.
Auto-fix validation where the rulebook allows it, not just red warnings you ignore.
All-in-one platform — yard management, horse health records and GPS hack routes alongside the designer.

For a step-by-step workflow, start with our UK course design guide.

Quick comparison mindset

| Need | Look for | |------|----------| | Pony Club / riding club nights | Free tier, BS validation, easy numbering | | Affiliated course builder | FEI + BS, PDF export, combination auto-fix | | Instructor schooling | Stride calculator, grids, shareable 3D link | | Livery yard with shows | Designer + yard tasks + arena schedule in one app |

Next steps

Open the free designer and rebuild a course you jumped last season.
Switch the standard to BS or FEI and note what validation catches.
Walk it in 3D or AR if you are on Pro — compare to how it rode on the day.

The best software is the one your team actually opens on a Tuesday evening — not the one with the longest feature list on a brochure.