Hello! I am planning on applying to McGill University in Montreal next year, but am hoping to bring my horse to college with me as well! I was wondering if anyone knew of any good barns in the area near the school. I am a dressage rider, but really any barn with a good atmosphere and no drama will be wonderful. Any help finding some barns within 45 minutes of the school would be wonderful!
McGill is in downtown Montreal. I lived in Montreal for a couple of years during which time I wasn’t riding, and didn’t have a car. Certainly there was no horseback riding within the city limits. I’m not sure how far out you need to travel to get to countryside. You would need to cross bridges in any direction, since Montreal is on an island. When I Google I see barns advertising they are 45 minutes to an hour out of Montreal, but that could mean a very long drive.
Also, expect that many people outside of the immediate McGill/Westmount area will be primarily French speaking, especially in the small towns and rural areas.
Also it is very, very cold in the winter, which might not bother you if you are coming from another snow belt location, but might be a shocker if you are from a more temperate climate. The snow falls in November and doesn’t melt until April. and
I went to McGill and my daughter goes there now. First year is TOUGH. If you are near the campus, it is a long drive to the country. I highly doubt there are any barns within 45 minutes from downtown. Ditto about the weather as well.
Good luck with your search.
I live in Montreal and board on the South Shore. I ride 4-7 times per week. Barn is 35 min from my place. From McGill Univ., it would be more like +45min. My barn is considered to be “far”.
Senneville Stables would be 35min
Bellevue Stables too.
It’s feasible, depending on your schedule, you might not get too much stuck in traffic. Friends of mine went to McGill and rode.
Prices vary from 400$ - 800$ per month (full care - training excluded)
What is your budget?
How many time per week will you be available to ride?
Do you need/want a trainer?
I recommend Bellevue. Excellent care and one of the best barn managers I’ve ever met.
Thank you so much! That is about what I was expecting for the drive. I’m currently living in Maine, so I think I’ll be able to handle the weather. :). I’ll keep in mind the language barrier, that was something I hadn’t thought of. Four years of high school french may not be enough. Thanks again for your advice!
[QUOTE=alibi_18;9022046]
I live in Montreal and board on the South Shore. I ride 4-7 times per week. Barn is 35 min from my place. From McGill Univ., it would be more like +45min. My barn is considered to be “far”.
Senneville Stables would be 35min
Bellevue Stables too.
It’s feasible, depending on your schedule, you might not get too much stuck in traffic. Friends of mine went to McGill and rode.
Prices vary from 400$ - 800$ per month (full care - training excluded)
What is your budget?
How many time per week will you be available to ride?
Do you need/want a trainer?[/QUOTE]
From where I am coming from, the average board is anywhere rom $600-$900 for full care, so that sounds great! I am hoping to ride most days while at school, but of course my classes will be coming first. If I go to McGill, I probably won’t be brining up a horse until at least the second semester. A trainer would be nice, I would probably want to start lessons at a barn on lesson horses before I brought up my own, just to get a feel of the barn. I found out that McGill has a small equestrian team, does anyone know where those girls train out of?
The other thing about Quebec French, is that it has a strong accent that makes it different from the International or Parisian French we get taught in language class. While I was living in Montreal, I took French classes that helped me understand the radio, the newspaper, and “educated” French speakers (all long forgotten now, I’m afraid). I went to live in the East End thinking I’d be immersed in French. They could understand me, but I couldn’t understand them!
Montreal is a wonderful city, lots to do, lots of cultural things, music, bars, cafes, so make time for that too!
[QUOTE=izadore111;9022369]
From where I am coming from, the average board is anywhere rom $600-$900 for full care, so that sounds great! I am hoping to ride most days while at school, but of course my classes will be coming first. If I go to McGill, I probably won’t be brining up a horse until at least the second semester. [/QUOTE]
That sounds great!
A trainer would be nice, I would probably want to start lessons at a barn on lesson horses before I brought up my own, just to get a feel of the barn.
High-end stables around here usually don’t have much school horses.
Depending on what you’d like to do, your riding level and all, it could be possible to “rent” or lease a horse for a few lessons before commiting to a trainer or a stable.
Having your own horse would be easier.
Most of those high-end stables have different coaches. Outside trainers are often welcome.
I found out that McGill has a small equestrian team, does anyone know where those girls train out of?
They usually train on their own horses at their own different barn.
I know of one girl who was on the team last year. Let me know if you’d like to contact her.
As for the French part, don’t be scared! Most people understand and speak english.
@Scribbler : Please stop with the “accent” thing and the “educated” French speaking… You make it sounds like a flaw, which is not.
Everyone has an accent to the ear of others.
Realise that you do have an accent too and that some people might not understand you.
In a linguistic perspective, French Quebecois is closer to the original French speaking than the “Parisian” used now…
Sorry about sounding condescending on the joual accent (which translates to horse accent, BTW!). I actually find regional accents and dialects really interesting, travelling and living in the US and Britain. But it is the truth that someone who has been studying the “international” version of a language can find it very hard to understand a local accent. When I lived in Montreal, I was in the position of the diligent Japanese exchange student who ends up in South Carolina or Glasgow, and cannot understand what’s being said on the street. If you get out and mingle, I’m sure you’ll pick it up. But no one will teach it to you! You can’t take a course in “our local accent” anywhere.
I’ve had a couple of times where regional accents in English defeated me. I met Scotsmen (in London) that I just could not understand.
I found out that McGill has a small equestrian team, does anyone know where those girls train out of?
Their coach is from the Saint-Lazare area, though I don’t know how often they take lessons from her (aside from meeting up at the shows).
We have a McGill team member who comes out to ride a horse at the barn I’m at. We’re just outside of Saint-Lazare and I don’t think she has too much trouble coming out this way as long as she picks her time of day appropriately. While the Hudson/Saint-Lazare area is probably the furthest shore distance-wise from McGill, sometimes distance does not equal longest drive, particularly when traffic is involved. It’s also the most English-speaking horse area in the province.
Both the South Shore and the Laurentians also have strong horse communities, but you’d have to see which of the three areas would work out for you best traffic-wise. If you’re bringing your own horse, keep in mind that turnout for some reason is not a very popular thing at many South Shore barns.
From a language perspective you probably won’t have a problem. Quebec horse people who compete are used to having to speak and understand English in order to show out of province (and even within the province many of the officials and office staff are anglophones, so both languages are used on showgrounds). In the Montreal area the francophones are generally more bilingual than are the anglophones.
You might also get an idea of the local horse communities and which stables are the bigger players by going to the regional websites (these won’t likely be your grand prix level barns but they’ll have solid programs and facilities and are involved in the regional show circuits).
Hudson/Saint-Lazare is AERSO (www.aerso.org)
South Shore is AERRSM (http://www.aerrsmdc.com/)
Laurentians is AERL (http://www.aerl.org/)
