Young horses in show jumping: which heights they can compete at by age

A horse is not born ready for a Grand Prix: it grows, and the regulation follows it with maximum heights that rise year by year. Here we explain, with the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation, which classes a horse may enter according to its age and why these limits protect the growing animal.

In short

• The season is split into two periods (Art. 4.1): the first runs to the weekend of the last Sunday in May, the second from the first Sunday in June to year end.
• A 4-year-old may not exceed 90 cm in January-February, 100 cm in the rest of the first period, 110/115 cm in the second (Art. 5.1).
• A 5-year-old stays within 120 cm in the first period and 125 cm in the second (Art. 6.1); a 6-year-old within 130 and 135 cm (Art. 7.1).
• From 7 years the horse tackles any height, except Puissance, High Jump and Long Jump (Art. 8.1); from 8 years there is no height limit (Art. 9.1).
• Classes reserved for Young Horses have heights and speeds calibrated by age (Arts. 68.4-68.6).
• Source: FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition).

Why there are two periods

Many young-horse rules revolve around the season being split into two periods (Art. 4.1). The first period runs to the weekend that includes the last Sunday in May; the second period starts from the weekend of the first Sunday in June and closes the year. The logic is simple: after a few months of season and growth, the same horse can face slightly higher fences. The regulation also ties participation to the age recorded at registration in the Horse Federal Register (or the FEI Passport for international events), as set out in Art. 4.2.

Four years old: the first step, with low ceilings

The 4-year-old is the most protected. Art. 5.1 sets maximum heights that rise through the season: 90 cm in January and February, 100 cm in the first period outside winter, then in the second period 110 cm until the FISE Young Horse Final and 115 cm after that date. These limits refer to common classes; beyond them the horse may run the classes reserved for it. This is not a suggestion: exceeding those thresholds triggers the measures foreseen for breaches of the rules. On top of that, Art. 5.4 caps the season at 20 classes with prize money, Championships excluded. As for the rider, a 4-year-old may be ridden with a 2nd degree licence, and with a Brevetto or 1st degree within the limits of Art. 5.3 (Art. 5.2).

Five and six years old: heights rise, with judgement

At 5 years (Art. 6.1) the horse does not exceed 120 cm in the first period and 125 cm in the second, with a cap of 30 classes with prize money per season (Art. 6.4). At 6 years (Art. 7.1) the thresholds rise to 130 cm and 135 cm, and the cap rises to 40 classes with prize money (Art. 7.4). From this age the regulation also opens the door to the A licence among those who may ride the horse (Art. 7.2), alongside Brevetto, 1st and 2nd degree. A common-sense detail: when a reserved class and a common class are run on the same day, the higher common class cannot be ridden as the first round (Arts. 6.3 and 7.3), to avoid asking too much when the horse is cold.

Seven and eight years old: competitive maturity

Once the formative phase is over, the constraints ease. The 7-year-old may face classes of any height, with the sole exception of Puissance, High Jump and Long Jump (Art. 8.1). From 8 years and older even that last reservation falls away: no height limit (Art. 9.1). In both cases the horse may be ridden by A, Brevetto, 1st and 2nd degree licences (Arts. 8.2 and 9.2), within the limits each authorisation allows.

The classes reserved for Young Horses

Alongside common classes there are courses designed specifically for young horses, governed by Art. 68. Here heights and speeds are tuned by age and period: for 4-year-olds (Art. 68.4) from 90/100 cm at 300 m/min in the first period to 100/110 cm at 325 m/min in the second; for 5-year-olds (Art. 68.5) from 110/115 cm at 325 m/min to 115/120 cm at 350 m/min; for 6-year-olds (Art. 68.6) from 120/125 cm to 125/130 cm, both at 350 m/min. It is not only about height: the regulation calls for flowing tracks, ground lines under the verticals, carefully built ditches and technical fences placed in the second half of the course. Another protective limit is the number of rounds: 4, 5 and 6-year-olds may not exceed two classes a day and six in a show longer than two days (Art. 13.1).

The commentary. Read together, these articles tell a precise philosophy: bring the horse on step by step. The heights rising year after year, the prize-money class caps that widen (20, 30, 40) and the two-rounds-a-day limit are not bureaucracy but a way to protect the bones, tendons and mind of an athlete still in the making. Anyone in a hurry, against this framework, is working against their own horse.

Related deep-dives

For the full picture, see the guide to show jumping rules.

Source and disclaimer

Content verified against the FISE National Show Jumping Regulation (2025 edition), Arts. 4-9 (participation by age), 13 (number of rounds) and 68 (classes reserved for Young Horses). Verified on 15/09/2026. Independent, informational guide, unofficial and not affiliated with FISE: in competition the regulation in force prevails, and it updates by season.