Pegasus Eventing

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You don’t need big fences to build a better jumper.

Olympic show jumper (and former equitation finals competitor) Aaron Vale shares his go-to ground pole and cavaletti exercises—including the famous “circle of death”—and explains why over-fences education for horses and riders at any level doesn’t need to be complicated or involve big fences.

Dive into his practical training advice via the link in comments — available with a Chronicle subscription.

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When American buyers look for their next jumper or dressage horse, they often turn to Europe. The breeding isn’t necessarily better overseas, says trainer and rider David Reichert. The problem lies in the pipeline.

“The breeding is good in the U.S.,” Reichert explained on The Plaidcast. “The problem’s not the breeding. The problem is what are we doing with these horses when they’re four, five, six, seven years old?”

In Germany, where Reichert grew up, young horses move through a deliberate, accessible development system. In the U.S., he argues, the system doesn’t exist in a meaningful way and that gap shows.

In Germany, the structure is simple and consistent:

- Four-year-olds go to about 10 shows, competing in 70–80 cm classes.
- Five-year-olds compete in 1.00–1.10 m classes at 15–20 shows a year.
- Six-year-olds step up to 1.20–1.30 m, again in 15–20 shows.

By the time a horse is seven, it has seen 40–50 quality, confidence-building classes. Importantly, these shows are designed for development: shorter courses, fewer fences, and judging based on performance rather than time.

“You trailer to the show, you ride the class, and then you go back home,” Reichert said. “You don’t keep the horse at the show for weeks and weeks. And it’s judged on the performance of the horse. It’s not timed, it’s not 13 jumps, it’s seven, eight, nine jumps built fairly to give the horse confidence.”

This repetition, he explains, is what makes German seven- and eight-year-olds so competitive and why American buyers so often import them.

Try to replicate that model in the U.S., and the numbers are staggering. With shows costing $1,000–$1,500 a week, giving a young horse 40–50 starts can run $50,000–$70,000 before the horse even turns seven. By then, an American-bred horse would have to sell for over $120,000 just for the breeder or trainer to break even.

“That’s why we’re not competitive,” Reichert said. “The young horse has to cost double or triple just to cover the expenses. In Germany, the same horse can cost $50,000 or $60,000 because the cost to get it there is so much lower.”

Course design compounds the problem. In the U.S., many so-called “young horse” classes are just watered-down versions of standard divisions: long tracks with 12–13 jumps, two combinations, and questions designed for much older horses.

“At the big A shows, the same course gets labeled as a young horse class,” Reichert said. “And then you’re supposed to take your five-year-old in there. That’s not development. That’s not giving the horse a positive experience.”

Local shows don’t always solve the issue, either. While some offer thoughtful courses, many are plagued by inconsistent footing, poor warm-up areas, and classes that don’t reflect the careful progression young horses need.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/09/10/fixing-the-young-horse-pipeline-why-the-u-s-falls-behind-europe/
📸 © Heather N. Photography

Taz is all settled in in his new home in Missouri! This was a special 5 yo homebred Trakehner/TB! He did his first USEA event in March and has already done 2 Training level ones by May! He has the best brain and we look forward to watching him grow in Julie Wolfert’s program with the LaCarrubba Family!! Congratulations!!

*** DOES HAVING A TRAINER IN THE WARM UP RING, HELP OR HINDER?! ***

Some Friday night musings/opinions!

I’ve never had anyone to warm me up in my 35 years of competing, bar a couple of times at the National Dressage Championships. I truly believe a trainer in the warm up can often be detrimental, especially at the lower levels.

Your training is achieved at home, and not in the ten or so minutes before you compete. I’ve often seen riders at the lower levels (which I’m currently competing at, before anyone gets offended!) have intense training sessions in the warm up arena, and then go in and it all fall apart. Other than offering some positive “good”s, I think riders are far better off concentrating on how they feel their horse is going, rather than being shouted at by a trainer. Obviously in a jumping warm up, you need someone doing the jumps, and ideally someone that knows your routine. But personally I don’t believe that having a training session in the warm up arena helps one bit. I’m not talking about eyes on the ground before a rider goes into a GP test, as certainly from a dressage point of view, someone just to comment that the horse needs to be a little more up/forward, can be helpful.

Maybe it helps with a rider’s nerves? As I said, I’ve never had anyone train me at a competition, so I don’t know. But I prefer to feel how my horse is going that day, and make my own adjustments. Maybe it’s also because I don’t really train with anyone very often (through lack of time and not being able to pin the good trainers down!). Fortunately, my mum isn’t horsey, so I’ve never had to put up with her shouting instructions at me in the warm up, like I see many poor kids go through!

If it works for you, then carry on having help in the warm up, but if things often fall apart in the ring, then it may be worth having some quiet time with your horse in the warm up, so you can feel what may or may not happen when you get in the ring. Just some food for thought, and an insight into my competition prep. Other than when I’m on Alfred, as that’s a whole different warm up on a severely horse shy horse! 🤠 🫣

Photo of George, jumping huge tracks as a 6 year old! Aiming to be back at that height very soon 🤞

Zara’s full XC round from Rebecca Farm:

021XC Ellen Sebanc on Breakin' All the Rules CCI3* Long Cross Country Rebecca Farm July 2024 021XC Ellen Sebanc on Breakin' All the Rules CCI3* Long Cross Country Rebecca Farm July 2024

The lots we sold out front last summer are having an open house tmrw from 1-3pm! Come be our neighbor ❤️❤️❤️ if you want to stop by, let me know and come over for a drink after! Matt Sebanc

For Sale: 4987 County Road 279, Kaufman, TX 75142 | realtor.com® See home details and neighborhood info of this 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2233 sqft. single family home located at 4987 County Road 279, Kaufman, TX 75142.

I go at 12:42 Texas time today if anyone wants to tune in ave watch Zara do her dressage!! Tmrw XC is at 11:01 ET!!! Link below!

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