About
Viviane Pilicy is a dressage professional originally from Germany, now based in Sherborn, Massachusetts during the summer months and Wellington, Florida in the winter. Raised within the German system, she learned the classical principles of riding and training through the German training scale under the guidance of master trainers. Growing up riding dressage, show jumping, and participating in traditional fox hunts, her focus naturally evolved toward dressage, where she trained and competed through Third Level during her school years.
During college, Viviane spent several years riding horses up to Grand Prix level at a well-renowned international sales barn, gaining invaluable experience developing, evaluating, and training high-quality sport horses. In 2014, she relocated to Massachusetts, where she continued building her professional career as a rider, trainer, and educator, earning multiple USDF medals and graduating from several USDF educational programs to deepen both her riding and teaching expertise.
The Beginning of Pony Sourcing
Viviane’s journey into importing German Riding Ponies began organically in 2016, when she traveled to Germany with a student who had long been fascinated by the breed. What started as an exploratory trip quickly became something more meaningful — spending time riding ponies, visiting breeders and trainers, and learning firsthand how lineage, size, age, and upbringing influenced temperament, rideability, and long-term suitability for adult amateur riders.
In 2017, Viviane imported her first German Riding Pony, Casimo. She later developed Casimo through the Grand Prix movements and successfully competed him through Intermediate I, a milestone that cemented both her belief in the breed and her commitment to thoughtful sourcing. That experience marked the beginning of an ongoing journey — traveling regularly through Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium with clients, trying ponies, deepening breeder relationships, and building the trusted European network she relies on today.
What sets Viviane’s approach apart is her pride in truly knowing the horses she sources. Each pony or small horse is selected individually with careful consideration of personality, rideability, and compatibility with the rider — whether that means supporting someone developing a young prospect over time or matching a rider with an experienced schoolmaster to learn and grow together.
Training, Education & Philosophy
Dressage Principles & Horsemanship
Viviane’s work is guided by horse-first training principles, blending classical dressage with a strong emphasis on natural horsemanship inspired by the TRT method. Her goal is always to create confident, willing horses and educated riders, supporting partnerships built on trust, clarity, and long-term soundness.
In addition to her work as a trainer and importer, Viviane brings a broader industry perspective through her background in equine health and business. She is also the founder of VP Equine Marketing Consulting, where she supports equine businesses dedicated to improving horse health and wellbeing — a role that further informs her holistic approach to horses, training, and sourcing.
Credentials & Achievements
• 2020 USDF Silver medalist achieved on self-trained horse
• 2018 USDF Bronze & Bronze Bar (freestyle) medalist on self-trained horse
• 2018 USDF Certified instructor/trainer through 2nd level which includes:
• Lunging of the horse
• Seat lessons on the lunge for the rider
• Teaching up to 2nd level
• Training a foreign horse up to 2nd level
• 2021 USDF “L” Judges Education Program graduate with distinction
• 2019 & 2023 NEDA educational scholarship recipient
• Winter 2018. 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 intensive training & show program in Wellington, FL
• 2002 German FN Silver medalist in dressage, jumping, equine health and the principles of riding and training by the German FN (Federation Nationale)
• 2022 - today: NEDA Board Member: Year End Awards Manager
Show Accomplishments
• Consistently scoring in the high 60s to mid-70s with various horses at various USDF levels
• Self-trained horse shown up to 68% in FEI PSG, and I-1
• Students have successfully shown up to PSG on self-trained horses
Education
• Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Applied Science in Mainz, Germany
• Masters of Science in Agricultural Business from the University Stuttgart Hohenheim, Germany
