09/29/2025
Foundation foundation foundation
In the United States, it’s not unusual for a child to walk into their first riding lesson and be labeled a “hunter rider” by the end of the week. Trainer David Reichert believes this early specialization is one of the biggest flaws in our system.
“What unfortunately happens a lot in America is early specialization,” he explained. “You go to a riding school, and that typically happens to be a hunter riding school. After day two of being in that school, you’re considered a hunter. And then you stay in that hunter path forever. You don’t get proper dressage education, and you may not even touch [the jumpers] until way later.”
The result? Riders develop in a silo. They may be polished enough to compete in the short term, but they lack the cross-discipline foundation that makes truly competent horsemen.
Reichert grew up in Germany, where every rider learns dressage and jumping before choosing a specialty. To even enter a recognized show, young riders must first pass two “riding badges.”
- Badge I: A training-level dressage test, a 75 cm jumping round judged on style, and a theory exam.
- Badge II: A first-level dressage test, a 95 cm style-jumping class, and a more advanced theory exam.
Only after proving competence across disciplines are riders allowed to compete. By then, most young Germans have schooled second-level dressage and jumped 1.10–1.20m, regardless of whether they later pursue hunters, jumpers, or dressage.
“For us, it’s completely normal to grow up in both dressage and jumping,” Reichert said. “It doesn’t matter which discipline you end up choosing. If you can ride the horse, you can ride the horse.”
In the U.S., the lack of structure leads to a different kind of pressure. Parents often want quick results. Trainers feel the need to keep clients happy. And the system rewards ribbons rather than correct basics.
“If somebody comes to our riding school with a 7-year-old daughter and asks, ‘How long until she’s successful at shows?’ I have to be honest,” Reichert said. “It’s going to take five or six years. First, she needs to spend years learning how to walk, trot, canter, and jump correctly. Then she needs more years at home before she’s ready for 70 or 80 cm courses. Only then can she really start competing.”
That answer doesn’t sit well with everyone. “Some parents hear that and decide to go to another trainer who promises success in six weeks,” he said. “But then the child learns shortcuts instead of fundamentals.”
Without a patient, progressive structure, early competition can become counterproductive. Courses and expectations often outpace what beginners need, and classes can reward rushing and speed over equitation.
“The trainers are under pressure to produce winners quickly,” Reichert explained. “But if you chase ribbons in the 70, 80, 90 cm classes by riding fast, you’re not going to become a 1.30m rider later. You’re missing the foundation.”
For Reichert, that foundation must be rooted in balance, rhythm, and equitation—not tricks or short-term strategies.
At the UDJClub which Reichert founded, the system is designed to reward correct riding. Early divisions focus on gymnastic questions and style over speed, aligning judging with correct riding rather than quick rounds. Riders can be “successful” at 70 or 80 cm by demonstrating good position, control, and feel… not by cutting corners or galloping past the competition.
“You shouldn’t have to beat the system in order to develop a kid correctly,” Reichert said. “We need a system that rewards doing the right things.”
Early specialization and quick-win culture may produce short-term success, but they fail to create horsemen. By adopting a broader, slower, and more thorough model, one that values dressage, jumping, and equitation basics before specialization, the U.S. can build riders who last.
As Reichert put it: “At some point, you can say, ‘I’m thoroughly educated, and now I choose hunters or jumpers or dressage.’ But first, every rider needs a solid base. That’s what makes real horsemen.”
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