I know, I know…this topic again. For background, I rode competitively growing up but am coming off a 10-year regular riding hiatus and 15-year showing hiatus while I focused on school/my career. I was “home” (in KY) for a few months last year due to COVID and took lessons with my childhood trainer and I realized how much I missed it. I’ve been looking for a lesson/show program in the DC area since I returned and have been striking out. I took a few lessons at TuDane and Rolling Acres and loved both but would need to purchase or lease a horse (they don’t have lesson horses) and would really like 6 months - 1 year of lessons under my belt before I make that commitment. I have been trying to get in touch with Clairvaux and Cavallo, both of which have lesson horses or half-lease programs, but I tried to schedule evaluation lessons for months and couldn’t get a call back from either. I tried Meadowbrook but the 2021-2022 school year session filled up with returning riders before they opened registration to new riders so I’m SOL there too. In an ideal world, I’d like to find a show barn I can take lessons at for awhile while they get to know me/I get to know them and then they can help me shop for a horse. I’d probably start in the 3’0" AAs and my budget would likely only be mid-5s so somewhere that would be open to that range. Because I know someone will ask 
I work in SE and live in SW right across the 14th St Bridge but distance is honestly the least of my concerns even though I’ve lived in DC for 6 years so know traffic is atrocious in the non-COVID era. I have parking spots at both my office and my apartment and I’ve made it to the point in my career where I’m not chained to my desk 24/7. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
The one place that may be a reasonable drive for you that springs to mind is Liberty Ridge in Brandywine. They seem to be a more “middle of the road” type hunter barn than a place like Rolling Acres, where their clients go to a mix of local and rated shows and don’t buy six-figure horses. I don’t personally know the trainer but we have mutual friends, and we had two of her lease horses in my last barn for around a year and they were both really nice. That’s the only barn I can think of in your general vicinity that might check most of your boxes…it seems that that caliber of barn (not traveling to FL all winter, but going to more than schooling shows) is harder to find than it was when I was a junior.
That’s a tough one! From what I gather from the riding teacher message board I belong to, barns with a more traditional lesson model are inundated with business lately. While not ideal, could you possibly commit to leasing a horse for 6-12 months through a show barn just to get your foot in the door? I know you want to buy in the next year, but who knows? You may find it makes more sense to wait & lease for longer than just a year.
Have you considered getting into the 1m jumpers? I have been in this exact situation and if I had to do it over again, I’d lease or half-lease a low child/adult jumper and go have fun. These are a lot cheaper to lease than a hunter that can succeed in our local and regional shows (Lexington, Culpeper, Swan Lake, McD and the like). In my experience, without a big budget and a lot of time and money to practice and show, the hunters can be discouraging. Can’t underestimate the AA hunters, it ain’t like it used to be. Maybe some of the riding is the same, but the horses are mostly top notch and a good bit over 100k in price. Barns are more likely to have low jumpers to lease or connections that can send them your way. Good luck, I feel you!
