What happens if a rider jumps the wrong fence or misses one out?

• The course: "the track that the mounted Athlete must follow" from the start to the finish.
• Numbered: obstacles are numbered in the order in which they must be jumped. A combination has one number, with letters for its parts.
• Free or fixed track: arrows on the plan mean the rider chooses their own line between fences. A continuous line must be followed precisely.
• A deviation: not following the plan, missing a compulsory turning point, jumping out of order or in the wrong direction, jumping an obstacle that is not on the course or omitting one.
• Passing a flag on the wrong side: the rider must retrace their steps and pass correctly, or be eliminated.
• Uncorrected: "An uncorrected deviation from the course will result in Elimination".
• No way back: jumping an obstacle out of order, in the wrong direction or one not on the course is on the list of compulsory eliminations.
• The finish: the rider must cross the finish line between the flags after the last obstacle before leaving the arena.
• The clock: "not stopped in the event of a deviation from the course".
• Length: a course may never be longer in metres than 60 times its number of obstacles.
• Crossing the lines: unless the plan says otherwise, the start and finish lines may be re-crossed during the round without penalty.

The glossary has the course walk, the obstacle, the combination, the related distance and elimination.

The course is the test, and each rider must answer the same one. Learning it on foot beforehand is part of the skill, since the horse has never seen it. Eliminating for a wrong fence looks harsh for a lapse of memory, but a fence jumped out of turn cannot be undone.