05/07/2026
I see hundreds of young horses every year in this country, and the U.S. is breeding exceptional horses. Full stop, Victoria Lustig writes.
As a handler for the Young Horse Show Series, I travel around the country handling yearlings through 5-year-olds at liberty and through a jump chute, and watch many of them compete under saddle. Beyond that, I start, develop, and show dozens of young horses every year for clients out of my own base in Lexington, Kentucky. Young horses make up the majority of my business, and it gives me a unique glimpse into what breeders are producing year after year. The quality of horses that are being bred in this country is quite high.
At every show I attend, I see young horses I would stake my professional reputation on as being true prospects for the highest levels of sport, whether as hunters, jumpers, dressage horses, or eventers. The U.S. horse industry talks about wanting to improve the quality horses in this country, but it’s time to change that conversation. The problem is not the horses we are producing; the quality is here. The problem comes when it’s time to shape that potential into real talent. The U.S. lacks the infrastructure to develop young horses.
Venues
Let’s start with the venues. That includes shows, but we need so much more than that. Not all horses bred in the U.S. are going to be show horses. In fact, most horses will never step foot in a rated show ring, but those horses still need off-property experience. The U.S. needs more venues that allow people to affordably jump a course, ride in a large group, practice an obstacle course, and gain those life experiences that don’t happen at home.
If we focus on horses destined for the show ring, there are even more problems there. For those who have never forked-over an entire paycheck to go to a rated show, you should know showing is expensive. No matter what discipline, no matter how old your horse is, showing can cost an arm-and-a-leg. With the recent increases by USEF to the already significant cost, I think everyone would agree that the current system is unsustainable.
📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/04/30/from-the-ground-up-developing-the-next-generation-of-u-s-bred-horses/
📸 © Sarah Schaaf Photography
