Moving to Portland OR and was wondering if anyone knew the best hunter/jumper barns? Ride 3-4x times a week and just started jumping but looking for a solid place to move me up in the jumpers and potentially looking to lease then buy once I settle in. What are the lessons and boarding prices go for Portland and Vancouver WA area? Any advice helps!
Unfortunately, Portland/SW Washington are high COL areas, and the board/training prices reflect that. Board for a fairly reputable program with an indoor (which is a MUST for the 8-month-long rainy season!!) typically runs from $1000-$1500+ /month, which training typically being anywhere from $800-$1500+/month.
Traffic is also a huge factor. Do you know what part of town you’re ending up in? Depending where you are, you could end up with anywhere from a 20 minute to an hour drive. Knowing where about you’ll be and how much of a commute you’re comfortable with is super important in order for recommendations to be helpful 
If you’re living in Vancouver there are a few barns and programs in Ridgefeild which would be a much easier commute. Heirloom is a super nice facility with a good program but there’s been some turnover in trainers. I know there are a few eventers up in that area as well. I have heard very nice things about Anna Collier.
If you’re living south of the river in OR you’ll have to supply some information about where you plan to live. There’s a program for everyone but commute time really matters. Fewer barns have lesson horses but they still exist. I don’t know of any hunter jumper barns that do board without being in a training program. That will run $1500-$3k per month depending on the program. Lessons will be $50-$100 a lesson depending on your program.
Welcome to the area, I think its a pretty great horse community that’s not too big, but large enough that there’s something for everyone. Feel free to PM if you want more specific details
Clark County-- north of the river, has just two, maybe 3 programs but only one is the A show level one, and that’s Heirloom. As OnlyTB said, they’ve had a trainer turnover but the facility is top notch. Board is currently $1800 which is very high for the area. Cantera and Brindle Ridge are two others in WA that might fit. Both have nice facilities, but tend toward the occasional A show and the local circuit. Driving from Portland to WA in the afternoons is SLOW… I drive from WA to Oregon City to ride and my afternoon drive is roughly 60-80 minutes on a work day…one way. It’ll be the same heading north as south, but later in the evening it’s better.
In the PDX area, your location will help determine what barn you choose, due to traffic. The majority of barns are located on the NE side (Oregon City/Canby) or SE (Wilsonville/Sherwood) with a few SW/NW in the Bethany/Newberg area. Costs will vary widely, but board is running $850-$1000 with training being $400-$800 depending on the program.
Some barns are A show/travel barns only (Imagination Lane, Oz, Swan) others mix it up with more local A shows at Huntercreek in the summer and a few of the well-run Outreach shows.
I am happy to offer advice on programs once you figure out your location. We have some excellent trainers in our area. PM away!
I am looking for a place where I can go in a training program when I lease/buy, but will be doing lessons first to settle in. I live in NYC, so traveling up to an hour and dealing with traffic is no worries for me as I already do that for my current barn. I’m in the phase where I’m looking at places to move in Portland. I think I may move to Lake Oswego. I’m looking for a place where I can move up in jumpers, compete in local A-rated (I would like to show a few times a year but not constantly), I would be willing for other travel to other rated shows such as Sacramento, Sonoma Horse park, etc, but I don’t want that to be a requirement. A great plus but not a requirement if there are access to trails (can be little) as I have that in NY. Thank you so much for the great advice everyone! I would like to avoid a place $1800 board as that is more expensive than NY lol.
Based on the information you provided, I would probably recommend Kathy Kerron at Echelon Training (Aurora), or Kaitlyn Eigner at Charlton Ridge Farm (Sherwood). I believe both have lesson horses, and they both do the local A circuit with some bigger California/Tbird shows intermittently mixed in for the clients that want to go. Hope this helps!
Kaitlyn definitely has lesson horses. Not sure about Kathy but certainly worth a call.
Kathy has a few nice leases/half leases currently. Those two would be good as well as maybe Swan Training. I know Cornerstone has some lesson horses as well as potential half/full leases.
If you’re considering Oz you may want to take a look at this
https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/jeff-campf-ruled-permanently-ineligible-by-u-s-center-for-safesport/
Otherwise lots of great programs in the area, good luck!
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It’s a solid program. Jeff is not involved. I’ve got no dog in that fight but can we stop reviling a program or barn after a problem is dealt with, please.
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Lots of programs accessible from the LO area, many of which have the type of program you’re looking for and horses available to lease in barn, which is much more of a “thing” here than I had experienced elsewhere.
It’s definitely a change from the east coast, but I have found myself to be a happy horse person moving out here from New Jersey welcome!
Edit: I have a program in canby, Kingfisher Sporthorses, with lease options, lessons etc
(Not trying to toot my own horn, but we’re here too!)
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If you want to do jumpers and looking at living in LO, I would look at Kaitlyn Eigner, Krista Vangstad, or maybe Zoe Conlee.
Kathy Kerron’s forte is more hunters and eq. Most of her clients show in the 3’ Eq or hunters and below. Krista was Kevin Freeman’s assistant prior to launching her own program and has a strong jumper background. Indoor is small, but they have a good size outdoor and access to trails. I’m not sure if she has lesson or lease horses, but she has in the past. Kaitlyn’s indoor/outdoor are small, but she has lease/lesson horses. Zoe is a young jumper trainer, but she is out in Molala and that commute could be long with traffic depending on your schedule. I’ve heard good things about Kingfisher Sporthorses as well through word of mouth. Not sure where their program is.
Imagination Lane and Oz are probably the strongest programs in the area for jumpers, but they show extensively and out of state. Someone else commented on the latter, but I’ll leave it at that.
Well… Jeff’s behavior was an open secret for a long time. That particular chapter might be over now (and not because they chose to do that). Thus, it would be fair to say that that business co-signed some egregious stuff. How would anyone know if they weren’t doing the same about something else now?
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If you are in Lake Oswego you will have access to the bigger show barns. Not all of them will have lesson horses, but some have leases and half leases (and you can of course do lessons while you look). Board has gotten crazy at the bigger programs in the last few years, about $1100-$1400 a month plus full training from $800–$1200 a month.
I ride at Flipside, which is great for amateurs and we go to away shows in California and Canada and go several local A shows (Splitrock and Wilsonville). We have a small group who go to all the shows and a majority of people who do 4-8 shows a year. Feel free to DM me with questions. You have options.
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Do get on the NW sporthorse party Facebook page. People will post leases and half leases on there
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Heirloom has had turnover of trainers and if anyone would like to know why I would be happy to talk to them regarding the reason…. I am not only barn owner but also parent to riders. I believe clients deserve to get the services they pay for when it comes to training!
Our board is NOT $1800/month, not even close!
Kingfisher Sporthorses reporting for duty here.
I’m in canby! We have a few properly bedded stalls available, lots of maintained grass turnout year round, and a great team/program to take care of your horse and you!
Kingfishersporthorses.com or Facebook/insta if anyone wants more info
