Hi, I’m really new to riding scene in NYC but I really want to find somewhere that i can have drassage lessons. Most of the place I checked don’t really offer dressage training, which ia not so ve surprising to me. I just moved to the city 5 months ago from Thailand so I have no idea how it works here. I read somewhere that if you want to have dessage lessons, it would be better if you have your own horse or at least do part-lease. So I was wondering how much the part lease is usually cost? I mean I’m not an advanced dressage rider but I want to be trained. Right now, I riding at Bergen and it seems that they more focus on hunter/jumper. Could anybody here recommend me a place where I could have dressage lessons near the city? I don’t have car so somewhere that can be rrly on public transportation would be great. I’m willing to commit and train hard and if the part-lease is affordable, I really consider doing that as well. I just have no idea how much and how thing works here. Thank you for all your suggestion in advance.
What about Sunnyfield (in Bedford, NY)? You would have to take a taxi from the Mt Kisco Metro-North station.
I know the Westchester/Fairfield options well, and nothing directly accessible from public transit comes to mind. If you can take a taxi from a train station, there are quite a few.
Riverdale would be easiest, but I don’t know of anyone teaching dressage there anymore.
Maybe someone that knows Jersey or LI will know of something easier?
There are a lot of places to take dressage lessons in Hunterdon county NJ but most do not have lesson horses or schoolmasters. Most trainers I know of work with people that have their own horse or are leasing something already.
OP, what is your level of experience in H/J? Depending on your experience level you may be better off staying where you are now just to get saddle time and then look for a horse to lease.
Board un Hunterdon county ranges from a low end of $400 for field board up to ~$1000/month for the high end show barns. There are some that go beyond that, but those are typically for the BNT barns.
Most places I know of are in the $750-850 range for a place that has an indoor and is relatively close to a train station. A 1/2 lease will, at a minimum, require 1/2 board plus 1/2 shoes and routine expenses. That is if you can find a free lease.
Most of the dressage farms/trainers in NJ that are right off public transit are going to be the more expensive boarding/training options. You will need to check each barn if they have lesson or lease horses available.
Places like mine are about an hour out of NYC and have lesson and lease possibilities but we are not right off a public transit line. The closest to me is a bus route which still requires a 15-20 minute car ride. I live in the part of NJ that few would think is NJ, very pastoral and lots state park land, which means no public transit.
I have had clients in the past who have done the commute to me from the city, but they found other people with cars to carpool with during the week and stayed up over the weekend to ride.
Im thinking your best bet is going to be going north out of the city(NY, Connecticut,etc), or towards Gladstone in NJ. More expensive for sure but you will have access.
Close to the train in Brentwood NY (Long Island): You can get serious about dressage here, even though they also have a good hunt seat lesson program. https://www.knollfarm.com/ Knoll Farm belongs (belonged?) to Anne Gribbons.
Otherwise, to find a lease or lesson horse in dressage - I think you’re going to need a Zip Car to get a little farther into Connecticut (try Sonnenhof Equestrian Center in CT).
I would not recommend Riverdale or Sunnyfield (both in Westchester NY).
Barbara Filepelli Valley Pond Farm Pawling NY. Barbara is excellent. Train from NYC to the Pawling train station about 1 hr. Fantastic facility on Quaker Hill ( Kirby Hill Farm ) You can check out the web site for further information. PS she does both dressage and the equitation/hunter phases of riding.
Centerline Stables in Ossining might be an option – easy access from Taconic Parkway – not convenient from a train station but you could rent a zipcar. Over an hour drive from the city.
