Hunter Trainers near Boston/Southern New Hampshire

[BlueSkyeFarm]

I’ll be PCS’ing to Hanscom AFB in the summer and am looking for a barn to ride at. Anyone have suggestions?

Due to living overseas the past few years I haven’t ridden much, but prior to that was very active, rode with a show barn 2-3 horses per day, mainly young horses and sale horses aimed at the hunters, jumping 3’. I would call myself an out-of-shape experience intermediate with aspirations to eventually show in the A/Os. Because I already have a broodmare, some very nice hunter prospect babies and a retired pony, I’m not interested in buying or being someplace where there will be a lot of pressure to buy. I would love to find a barn that had a few nice lesson horses, solid teaching, and good assistants at home if trainer has a heavy show schedule. Experience with working with young horses would be great too!

[initiate1987]

I’ll put in a word for Evenstride LLC on the north shore. A friend boards and rides there. They go to a range of locally recognized to A shows with a strong hunter/equitation presence. Plus, the facility is absolutely gorgeous!

[BlueSkyeFarm]

Thanks!!

[giddybiddy]

I rode at Spring Tide Farm in Boxford, MA for years–Kathy Borylo is fantastic and really knows her stuff. They go to local shows and the typical New England A shows (Vermont, Fieldstone, Westbrook, etc.) Highly recommend!

[touchstone]

A few other places in that area that seem to have happy customers:
-Apple Knoll
-Cornerstone

Senator Bell is also a lovely facility in southern NH. But I believe there is new ownership/management in the last year, and I’m not sure of the details.

Arrowhead is also in that north-of-Boston direction. But you might need a horse to play there.

[one1horse]

Hannah Lavin at HL Select in Boxborough sounds like what you’re looking for.

Other great programs nearby are Kristen Bumpus at Arrowhead in Concord, but I don’t know if she has “school” horses. Also Red Acre in Stow but I think they mostly cater to juniors these days.

[ElementFarm]

It’s been forever since I rode in that area, but I’ve a good Air Force friend who rode w/ Gretchen at Apple Knoll as a junior, and was very happy with her program. I’m sure she’d be happy to give you specifics (since the USAF horse community is so small, we need to help each other out). PM me and I’ll give you her contact info from the global)

[Ruth0552]

Just to clarify… there’s two Apple Knoll’s. One is Hunter/Jumper in Southern NH with Gretchen Anderson. The other is in Millis and is an Eventing barn that holds recognized events. I do not think you’d find what you are looking for there.

[GoneAway]

Do you have another USAF horse friend that rode with her or is that me? LOL. Only ask because I have about zero access to my .mil email… thanks ROTC.

Gretch (Apple Knoll, NH) is awesome, I loved riding with her and learned a lot. Her facility was very much a work in progress when I was there, and that was about 16 years ago so I’ve not been around a lot since. But they do everything from the NH series to the USEF A stuff north and south. Not a snobby place at all. It’s about an hour from Hanscom though up to New Boston, NH.

Senator Bell was always a lovely facility, but I’ve not been around since new ownership. That’s also about an hour from Hanscom.

I bought my mare from Cornerstone Farm in Haverhill, always thought Pam was a good horseperson and ran a nice outfit.

[ElementFarm]

You’re that friend. :).

[mfglickman]

Another vote for Spring Tide Farm and Kathy Borylo.