I’m moving to Northampton in the fall for college, but since Smith has closed their on campus barn, I need to find somewhere else. I’ve seen a lot of hunter/jumper barns in that area, but does anyone know any hidden gems I should be looking at? Preferably somewhere bigger, with an indoor and some XC schooling, under 850 a month and less than 30 min from Northampton. Might not be possible, but I thought I’d check. Originally the Smith team was going to move to the Stoneleigh Burnam barn, which I know is an outlier and I won’t find anything near close to that (does anyone know if they do boarding for non students?)
Thanks!
I’m not sure if it’s less than 850 a month, but Grindstone Mountain would probably be the closest that fits that need. There is also RER Ponies in Hatfield, but they are full (they are building a brand new facility with indoor, but the property isn’t huge, so it’s only something like 12 stalls). Others within reasonable distance might be Carrier’s or Fuller’s, but neither has an in-house trainer if that’s what you’re looking for. Or if they do, I don’t believe they’re eventing trainers or facilities.
Start looking for a stall now, and be ready to pay a deposit, because basically everywhere will be full/full with a waiting list. There is a lack of quality boarding in the area at the moment as a number of places have closed since the economy crashed, especially if h/j isn’t your thing.
Stoneleigh doesn’t board outside horses.
I used to board at Carrier’s and they have an indoor, an outdoor dressage ring, and a field where there were a few logs set up. It has been years since I’ve been there, but it was a good set up for when I had my event horse. King Oak Farm was right down the road for further schooling and competing. I don’t know what the new owners of King Oak Farm are doing with it. That is in Southampton, MA. I had a trainer come to the barn that was an event rider/trainer, and it was no problem.
Heritage Farm is in Easthampton, but from what I recall there are not many boarders, and they do hunter/jumpers and western. It seems like their western program has picked up more though. They have jumps, an indoor, an outdoor, and also some small cross country in the upper field. I boarded there as well, and it was doable for me. A lot of lessons there, but I don’t know the trainers since it has been awhile.
King Oak Farm…I don’t know if they have a new name, or what they are doing. There are new owners. Previously they had an indoor, trainers, outdoors, and a nice cross country course. More expensive, but that is why I boarded down the road for less. :winkgrin:
Fullers has an indoor, and an outdoor. I do not know about their training program currently. They are in Westhampton.
These places are all pretty close to Northampton. I used to commute from Northampton and Amherst (UMASS) to these places quite frequently when I lived in MA.
I’ve been away for almost 8 years now, but that is just what I can recall.
The former King Oak is now Grindstone Mountain, as I mentioned above. They don’t own the King Oak portables, so the only XC jumps there when an event is not scheduled are the few permanent fences. They are a h/j focused facility now.
I’m not sure that Heritage is even offering boarding. I don’t know anyone who’s ever boarded there and I’ve lived in the valley for 20+ years.
You could check out the student-run boarding at UMass’s Hadley Farm.
What about the barn at Mt Holyoke?
When I was at Hampshire I boarded at Mt Holyoke (long time ago, when the barn was on the far northern edge of the campus)
Grindstone Mountain is still running the horse trials (formerly King Oak)!! In fact it is this weekend and they would love some volunteers! Yes, the new owners have been focused on H/J but they are committed to continuing the horse trials.
Most posters have covered the bases, but I’ll throw some info in. When I went to Hampshire I leased a horse at what was Sycamore Stables in Amherst. It may have a different name now, and I don’t know what the trainer situation is. Indoor but no xc, wasn’t outrageously expensive. Just throwing another option out there as there aren’t that many. I would ad that Heritage Farm in Easthampton will probably not be a good fit, IMO. Mt Holyoke would be amazing but I only knew of Mt Holyoke students who were able to board there. There is also Orion Farm in Hadley but that will likely be $$$ and very H/J - I also leased a horse there. They have a seriously amazing indoor arena. The Pioneer Valley is a wonderful place to live but the horse situation is a little tough, be sure to visit and call way ahead, and you will find something.
Mount Holyoke is generally full with student and school horses.
It was also at least 850 when I graduated in 2004.
It looks like board in 2015 was 975$, not inclusive of…a lot of things
http://athletics.mtholyoke.edu/facilities/equestrian_center/boarding/fees
And the first evaluation criteria for being a boarder is being an MHC student.
Thanks for the help everyone! I’m going up there next month to go barn scouting,
and my current list is Grindstone mountain, Rer ponies, Fuller’s/Infinity (looks like they’re the same), Stockbridge (Umass)
I don’t mind hunter/jumper barns, I’m currently at one that I love, I just want something a little more low key than what I’m finding. There don’t seem to be many in the middle ground between small private barns with no trainer and full jumper barns that look very intense with showing.
Well, I have my two at one of the places listed and I can give you the good and bad if you PM me.
No advice, but congratulations on going to Smith. My daughter was class of 2014 and absolutely LOVED it! I have to admit, I am kind of pissed about the barn closing, but the school is so great otherwise.
95% aside, After asking where else I had applied, my creepy middle aged frat boy Dartmouth interviewer definitely put his hand on my thigh and told me “Smith to bed, Holyoke to wed!”
:eek::eek::eek::eek:
Y’all are forgetting Northern Creek Farm in Hadley, MA! http://www.northerncreekfarm.com/The-Farm.html
The Pelis family are big into eventing and have Pony Club background. Great location and facilities (with indoor and xc jumps) and great care with lots of turnout and reasonable!
Also, Kate Cameron just opened up Red Mare Farm (the old Rafwind) in Hatfield, MA. She is an eventer too and has been putting LOTS of refurb into that facility.
Both the above facilties are super close and convenient to NOHO.
Mount Holyoke DOES accept non-MHC boarders. We are over the $850 cap though.
Joy
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I’m not sure that Red Mare has stalls. Last I heard there were something like 30 horses already there.
I did forget about the Pelis’ place, but she tends to be full with a wait list.
When were you at Hampshire? I am 71F.
Mt Holyoke would be amazing but I only knew of Mt Holyoke students who were able to board there.
I do not remember what the board was , but I was able to pay for my board by mucking stalls- the deal with my parents was that I could only take a horse to college if I paid the board myself. The result was that I spent all my time at school or mucking stalls, and rarely had time to ride. After the first semester Rocket went back home.
At the time, there were probably more Non-MHC-students (including both locals and people from the other colleges) than MHC students
It depends on what you want and need in a facility. I’ve got my horse in a smaller, family-owned barn that has an indoor, an outdoor and access to trails. Full board is $585, and the facility is in Amherst. But no trainer on site, not a lot of jumps available, etc. There are other smaller barns available as well.
Equinesite.com is a good resource in general for the area.
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That s REALLY old. At least 50 years, and probably over 100 years.
I know. But I still think it’s funny. And not everyone went to a New England college 
