Ray:

How many side branches have you trained around the tree? If it's 5 or 6, that is enough. I hope you have trained them to an angle of 60-70 degrees or so, not completely flat. You want to be able to get around the tree with the mower without the branches slapping you in the face.

If you have enough side branches trained, I would remove the central leader completely, just above the highest side branch you want to retain. You will end up with a vase-shaped tree, ideal for thinning, picking, and spraying should that be necessary. And you can do most of this from the ground without getting out the ladder. You definitely do not want a 12 foot leader in the middle of your tree.

Cutting back the leader will not necessarily encourage side growth, so make sure you have all the laterals you need before you do it. There will be bushy regrowth from the site of the cut, and it may require several minor prunings over the summer to keep the interior of the tree clear.

I have a couple of European pears that have been trained in exactly this way, and they are the easiest trees to maintain in my orchard. I thin them to one-per-cluster, and they produce nice big pears. In backyard fruitgrowing, the name of the game is quality, not quantity. A smaller tree will produce plenty of fruit to fill up your refrigerator, which is about all you can deal with. I have about 1/3 of the spare refrigerator in the basement filled with pears right now, getting the chilling treatment.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks Don
I have 5 side branches that are fairly long, one is about
8 ft. Should I prune these back or leave them alone, and if so, by how much.

Prune central leaders back to a horizontal branch 8-10' in late august in your location that way it wont force new growth.