Three Forks in the Road: The Dressage Horse's Journey From Green to Grand Prix

Steve Wolgemuth
Jul 1
5 min read

One of the most striking differences between European and American dressage culture is the focus on strategically managing a dressage horse's career. In the United States, only a few savvy dressage professionals think this way, but in Europe it's commonplace—and a significant contributing factor to their success in producing top horses for sport.

This topic encompasses several subsets: managing the first 2½ years of a foal's life, the careers of young stallion candidates or breeding mares, and managing the show careers of top competition horses. In this post, we'll focus exclusively on the dressage journey from backing to Grand Prix debut.

While we can speculate about a horse's suitability for dressage when evaluating foals and even through the 2-3 year old period, it's not until the horse is backed that we gain real insight—especially regarding its canter quality, overall temperament, and rideability. This marks the first fork in the road.

Fork #1: The Initial Assessment (Just Under Saddle to Five Years Old)

The critical question: Does this horse want to be a dressage horse?

If a horse proves complicated or shows reluctance toward dressage work as a three, four, or five-year-old, don't make excuses or assume it simply needs more strength—even if it boasts top breeding, a spectacular trot, or stunning conformation.

Horses with prohibitive attributes in movement or temperament will always present challenges, and these issues will resurface at every level. A poor rider can't train them successfully, and a good rider shouldn't waste time trying.

Complicated vs. Difficult: Understanding the Difference

"Complicated" differs fundamentally from "difficult." Many of the world's best horses were difficult as youngsters due to hotness or lack of confidence. Don't abandon difficult young horses prematurely, but be quick to part ways with complicated ones.

Complicated horses possess inherent training handicaps:

Slow, clumsy hind leg action
Unnaturally quick or slow rhythm
Downhill movement pattern
Overly difficult connection from back to front
Strong tendency toward lateral movement in walk or canter
Lack of work ethic or high anxiety paired with low intelligence

Taking any dressage horse through the levels requires tremendous effort and many years. Why begin with a horse that will take longer and may never reach its potential? Why train a horse that starts with a handicap? Why disadvantage yourself compared to peers who are more selective about their investments?

Common Pitfalls

Compassion-driven riders often say, "We owe it to the horse to figure it out," or "We need to find another way to unlock its potential." They purchase new bits, float teeth, consult farriers, and administer endless therapies. Years later, any minimal progress proves insufficient reward for the effort. One-tenth of that same effort invested in a better-suited horse would yield ten times more satisfaction, happiness, and potentially positive financial returns.

Ego-driven trainers declare, "I can fix this horse!"—emphasis on the "I." Ultimately, no one cares about such heroics. Most observers consider such trainers foolish for attempting the impossible rather than heroic for making marginal progress.

Successful professionals adopt the discipline of brutal honesty about their own horses. If a horse isn't overwhelming suited for a dressage career, find it an appropriate home with someone who doesn't share the same competitive aspirations.

Fork #2: The Mid-Level Assessment (2nd to 3rd Level)

If the horse demonstrates the qualities needed for a dressage career, it will soon be schooling Second to Third Level—typically in its fifth, sixth, or seventh year. This brings us to the second critical fork in the road.

The critical question: Does this horse want to advance to Prix St. Georges?

Experienced dressage professionals have witnessed this scenario repeatedly: the promising young horse that impressed at First Level ultimately peaked at Third Level, despite quality training.

Sometimes this occurs due to:

Difficulty with flying changes
Struggle with initial collection and extension requirements
Lack of inner toughness for demanding dressage work
Simple dislike of increasingly difficult work

When you observe a horse struggling with this career milestone, don't let pride or ego interfere. Never push a horse beyond the career it wants or suits. The majority of US dressage riders compete at Third Level and below—a horse trained to this level may find its perfect match with a rider whose potential aligns with the horse's capabilities.

Promising Signs for Advancement

Hopefully, your horse shows promise by:

Accepting degrees of collection and extension
Executing single flying changes
Demonstrating aptitude in half-pirouettes
Clearly progressing toward its first Prix St. Georges test

Horses with excellent canters often experience their best years at Prix St. Georges. These horses can prove quite valuable, even without talent for further advancement. Depending on their competitive league, they may become popular and command high prices as young rider mounts.

Fork #3: The Grand Prix Assessment (Prix St. Georges Level)

When the horse successfully shows Prix St. Georges, it reaches the final milestone in our discussion—the third fork in the road. Will its career plateau here, or will it progress to Grand Prix?

The critical question: Is this a potential Grand Prix horse?

Does this horse demonstrate talent for piaffe, passage, smooth transitions, and one-tempi changes? Some horses hint at innate ability for these movements as early as five years old. While I don't advocate asking five-year-olds to perform piaffe and passage, some offer these movements voluntarily. My stallion Graf Goetz, for example, demonstrated lovely libido-driven piaffe at horse shows as early as five years old—completely unsolicited!

Assessing Grand Prix Potential

Piaffe and Passage: A skilled trainer can eventually teach most horses these movements given sufficient time, but the question remains: will it be worthwhile? Some piaffes appear listless and earthbound unless motivated by whip or excessive spur. Other horses come alive, offering expressive piaffe with consistent rhythm, active hind legs, and appealing knee lift.

That marginally lazy hind leg you've managed to this point may become your nemesis at this milestone, as may insufficient knee bend in the horse's natural technique.

When some horses passage, their natural technique and expression are breathtaking. Others never achieve this quality despite additional time and training. While passage can be improved, the horse's core technique and competency become assessable at this stage.

Transitions: The technique horses employ in passage versus piaffe affects the difficulty of transitions between movements. Horses that sit deeply in piaffe but not in passage sometimes struggle with these transitions.

Tempi Changes: Most horses successful at Prix St. Georges will learn two-tempi changes. Some master one-tempi changes easily; for others, this movement can stall their career and delay Grand Prix debut by a year or more. Generally, any horse capable of two-tempi changes can learn one-tempi changes—the question is duration.

Final Thoughts: Managing with Clarity and Purpose

At this crossroads, honest assessment and wise evaluation of the horse's career potential become paramount. Like previous milestones, owners and trainers must prioritize the horse's best interests.

Dressage competitors tend to be focused, determined individuals. Their skill in improving equine movement and athleticism can have a dark side when it forces horses to exceed their natural capabilities.

"Each fork in the road represents a decision point. The right call at the right time makes all the difference."

In Europe, this career-focused thinking represents the norm. Young horses are developed strategically, redirected when necessary, and guided along realistic career paths. The United States would benefit from adopting this mindset—not just for competitive results, but for equine welfare and rider success.

Dressage is a journey that unfolds over years. At every stage, honesty and objectivity serve as the rider's greatest allies. Make thoughtful decisions, and the results will speak for themselves.

Quick Reference Guide

Fork #1: Just Under Saddle to Five Years Old

Focus: The T's—Technique and Trainability
Trainer insight: "We'll need to be careful with this one and avoid pushing because it offers so much already."

Fork #2: At Second-Third Level

Focus: The C's—Collection, Consistency, and Changes
Trainer insight: "This horse can really collect and extend in all three gaits!"

Fork #3: At Prix St. Georges

Focus: The P's—Piaffe and Passage
Trainer insight: "The horse becomes more animated when asked for increased collection."

Author: Steven Wolgemuth

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