Producing top-level jumpers: ‘The most important thing with a young horse is not to mess them up’ *H&H Plus*

Patience and preparation are key, but is there a tried-and-tested route to producing a horse to the top level? Sarah Radford asks the experts

THERE has never been a better time to be a producer of young horses. At the top end of the sport, a burgeoning calendar of five-star shows creates an insatiable demand for big-track jumpers. At the amateur level, horse sales are also booming, with lockdowns prompting unexpectedly time-rich enthusiasts to focus on their passions.

While this may be an attractive market, with big money to be made for the right horse, producing is a long and expensive game that can be riddled with disappointment.

“A lot depends on the end game of the producer – they need to evaluate how good the horse is and what their financial pressure is,” Olympic team gold medallist Peter Charles explains. “You have to learn to judge a horse’s ability to learn and its physical strength.”

You can also read this featutre in the 27 May issue of Horse & Hound magazine.

You might also be interested in…

Producing top-level jumpers: ‘The most important thing with a young horse is not to mess them up’ H&H Plus

4 simple exercises to help improve your horse’s core strength

10 things successful riders don’t do and you should avoid too

Will Plunkett: meet the breaker and trainer whose clients include the Billy Stud H&H Plus

‘We want our horses to be the nicest at an event’: how business is booming for these young horse producers H&H Plus