Two new fence designs will be tested at Aintree racecourse this weekend.
The obstacles have been rebuilt with softer cores in a bid to increase safety for the horses.
Clerk of the course Andrew Tulloch told Sky Sports News: "This is something we've been looking at for the last two or three years.
"We've been looking at the timber frames which we've always had on the National fences and we're just trying to come up with an alternative which, should the spruce be removed from them during racing, would provide a slightly softer option if any horses then jumped a bit too low.
"This is one of the things I am more excited about because I think it will, if successful, make quite a bit of difference as when horses leave a leg they are not hitting a timber core and tipping up."
Four horses have died as a result of injuries during the last two runnings of the Grand National.
