HJ Barn Recommendations for a Teen North of Indianapolis

[costco_muffins]

My absolute favorite student is moving this summer to north of Indianapolis. I told them I would work to facilitate a barn hunt. They haven’t settled on a suburb to live in yet.

She rides on my IEA team and is a super role model for the younger girls. Shy but goofy once she’s warmed up. I have had her jumping 2’6"-3’ on my young horse as well as tuning up some of the other lesson horses. She went to IEA nationals as my Varsity 2’ team rider. She likes horsemanship - all the work that goes into horses. Our barn goes on camping trips, XC trips, and does a bunch of extracurricular stuff like horseback caroling and sleepovers, and they would love to find something with quality instruction that does that as well.

They are an IEA and occasional local showing kind of family - no big rated goals or budget. I think there is potential that they would half or full lease a horse if the right one presented itself, but lesson horses are more likely needed in the short term.

Does anything come to mind? Anyone who wants the best kid in the world in their program?

[woodhillsmanhattan]

Amy Tilson at Sierra Woods Farm has an IEA team and lesson/lease horses. Her farm has a good group of kids/teenagers. I don’t think it is required that you board/train with Amy to be a member of the IEA team.

Michelle Arnold is amazing and has 1-2 lesson horses capable of 2’6. Her business is called Talbot Street Farm but she leases stalls at Meadow View Farm (where Tammy Provost and another upper level jumper trainer are). She also travels to a few other private barns to teach and will meet people not boarded with her at shows.

Other trainers I would recommend in the area do not have lesson horses and are mostly an ‘A’ show clientele.

[Squirt]

Depending on how far north of Indy, Maggie Boyle of Black Dog Farm in Marion.

[findeight]

There’s an Indiana HJ Association, Check their website or FB. Often if you call some of theserecommeded barns, if they can’t help they’ll be able to point you somebody who can.

Biggest hurdle will be school horses, only ones I know well well enough to recommend don’t have anything.

[BGZ]

Look at Rinehart’s - they have a good lesson program with good school horses and a mix of horses with different costs in the barn - they do a variety of local and A shows - they are the most willing in the area to make anything work even on a budget.

[costco_muffins]

Awesome! You guys are great. The mom and dad are headed there next weekend to house hunt and will try to go to Grand Champion to make some connections during the visit.

Keep the ideas coming - they are looking forward to personal recs instead of just internet searches.

[morganpony86]

I strongly recommend Allison Born at Caldwell Farm. I don’t think she’s involved in IEA (yet!) but she is building a strong junior rider contingent. No showing requirements, but she regularly attends local shows and heads over to Ohio a few times a year. She has some great lesson horses, and an overall great barn. My daughter rides and I have my jumper TB there; we adore Allison.

[hairystockings]

Brian Leach is great at his farm Sport Horse Inc. We have a working relationship with him and his wife. They’re low key but great trainers and do everything from local to AA shows and have several kids/teens that will ride anything they let them ride. I don’t know if he has an IEA team but I bet it’s something he’d be open to. He’s got a great eye for horses and is really good about making it work with a rider’s finances. Half leasing, full leasing, lease to purchase, you name it he would work it out with you, he’s that kind of trainer.

[CPL713]

I second the Rineharts! Though I just heard Catherine was pretty seriously injured in a riding accident the other day, so I’m not sure how that will impact things. They are great people.