Does anyone have any suggestions for great trainers in Northern California, closeish to the Bay Area? I have a very tricky four year old that I’ve hit a road block with. She’s an extremely fancy hunter prospect but needs an attitude adjustment and I am hoping to find a trainer who can ride through her tantrums and settle her into her work without sacrificing her expressive movement. Someone specializing in hunters is preferable.
There really isn’t anyone in the immediate Bay Area I would send a “tricky” mare to. Unless you want her trained via the needle (yep, I said it!). I don’t really know that I would send any tricky mare that throws tantrums to a hunter trainer because of that reason.
I have my tricky pony mare up at Lone Tree. It’s 2 hours from San Francisco, but they have ample grass turn out and the trainer there (Joe) is really REALLY good with tricky mares, shockingly so. He is an event trainer, but has a real talent for getting a horse to jump better than they naturally jump, and he has one hell of an eye. The horses are hacked out almost daily on a cross country course, and unlike most places, they often work with them several hours in a day (on ground manners, ponying, hacking and jumping on the XC course).
He has a beautiful seat and a talent with mares, the trickier the better 
FYI, if you absolutely want someone that does “hunters” I would contact Sue. her facility is also a couple hours outside SF. They start a lot of horses and have a lot of success with young horses
http://www.lightacres.com/young-horse-program/
Siri Larssen in Nicasio, north of SF. She is a h/j trainer and works with the young horses using natural horsemanship. I had a horse with her for awhile a few years ago and was happy with her training. Mine was not a problem horse, just green, but I think it would be at least worth checking with her. http://naturalsporthorse.com/siri.html
Have you thought about a western trainer? Our barn sends all the babies to be broke by a cutting trainer, he does a great job with them, works out in the open with them, works cattle with them, teaches them to stand for long periods of time, etc. These are very nice warmbloods (I think one we sent him sold for around $20k as an unbroken 2yo). They even sent him a 6-figure GP horse for a month when she started to sour a little on the whole English riding game. The babies come back and do hunters and eventually jumpers very well.
Tory Montgomery, of Montgomery Show Stables. She comes from a long, long line of excellent horsewomen, and her family now has a breeding/rehab/retirement facility down in Hollister called The Yard. It’s a wonderful place. Tory’s mom, Vickie, was a jumper trainer for years, and also rides some of the horses. They have an excellent hunter trainer working with them as well, but Tory is particularly wonderful with difficult mares. Here is the link: http://theyardequinecenter.com/ and here is Tory’s page: http://tory.theyardequinecenter.com/
If you want to stay more immediate to SF, check out Jan Pearce Training down in Woodside (at Portola Farms). Jan has a background with young Thoroughbreds and her assistant trainer Rene Rios is great with young hunter/jumper horses. Her website is http://www.jptraining.com/
Depends on how “broke” you want your horse. If I was looking for someone to really get my hunter/jumper broke, I would send him/her to Warwick Schiller Performance Horses in the Gilroy/Hollister area. He handles lots of warmbloods, both young and those with “problems.” You can search for him on YouTube, where he has tons of videos posted, working with said warmbloods.
https://www.facebook.com/jose.alejos.50
He is a “cow boy” and a great rider that Branscomb Farms ( https://www.facebook.com/Branscomb ) uses to start their youngsters.
great seat and hands - and patients.
while she’s not hunters, have to rec’d Natalie Rooney-- CCI**** eventer, trainer, rode on the team, hosts/rides with greg best on regular basis, etc etc. she’s based out of Woodland (near davis), but also has a farm in napa…good place to go to drink some wine and watch your horsey be ridden =). http://www.fourstarfarm.com/
[QUOTE=lesurfsf;7123956]
If you want to stay more immediate to SF, check out Jan Pearce Training down in Woodside (at Portola Farms). Jan has a background with young Thoroughbreds and her assistant trainer Rene Rios is great with young hunter/jumper horses. Her website is http://www.jptraining.com/[/QUOTE]
I have known Rene since high school, and can attest that he is really wonderful with young horses. I don’t know Jan, but definitely would vouch for Rene.
