Looking for a top hunter jumper trainer

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=MIKES MCS;8823607]
Well if your talking A circuit and not AAA circuit … then I would suggest going on the HJAM website and see which trainers are leading in points , These are usually going to be your bigger barns based on numbers and not necessarily talent but they would probably have a larger pool of horses for lease at the 3ft and above level. No barn is going to have 3ft school horses … it’s just not logical to do so . If your are talking about AAA then your options are limited to a very few competitive barns in the State of Michigan Maybe a 1/2 dozen and you would have to increase your driving distance , which is not uncommon. It would not be unusual to cost a $25,000 lease fee per year on a solid competitive 3 ft horse and it goes up from there , plus all expenses and show fees . Some Barns may have some partial working student options , but at your age it would mean sacrificing your Amateur status , which may not be a bad thing because it could give you the opportunity to ride and even show in warm up classes on some nice horses if you get with the right barn , ( and are willing to work your butt off). A others have said on that side of the State it’s really Polly Howard and Heather Irvine if you really mean the AAA circuit. Also Greg Crolick… and I think Brian Shook is in that area too but not sure if he is a public barn .[/QUOTE]

Thank you for your help! I really appreciate your response.

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=StormyDay;8823757]
There are quite a few teens who ride with top level trainers. Just because someone is young doesn’t mean they are pulling your leg.[/QUOTE]

Thank you.

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=EmilyM;8823934]
Greg Crolick is great. He’s in Clarkston, MI. I have no idea how far away that is for you.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the recommendation!

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=Blinky;8824070]
I don’t live in MI but if I was moving this is how I would start:
I would have attended the summer shows in Traverse City to check out the trainers from MI and to see how they trained their students
and
I would have had a list already in mind based on show results of either the year before or some other shows earlier in the season
Then
after narrowing it down I would ask people I know or this BB opinions about a few specific names.[/QUOTE]

That is a really good idea! Thank you so much for your input. Obviously, I missed out on the Traverse City show but I think I will try to apply your idea the best I can. Thanks!

[APirateLooksAtForty]

[QUOTE=StormyDay;8823757]
There are quite a few teens who ride with top level trainers. Just because someone is young doesn’t mean they are pulling your leg.[/QUOTE]

I can assure you that very few of them post on this board, not to mention they would already have a trainer.

[StormyDay]

[QUOTE=APirateLooksAtForty;8824251]
I can assure you that very few of them post on this board, not to mention they would already have a trainer.[/QUOTE]

They have to find a good trainer before they can ride with that trainer. So no, they wouldn’t always have a trainer already, especially if they had just moved to the area. I’m not sure why COTH has to always be on the offensive when someone asks questions or is new to the community. Not everyone is a 8 year old behind a computer, and even if they are, who cares? If you don’t want to answer the question and waste your time maybe you shouldn’t be wasting time on an Internet forum??

[ynl063w]

[QUOTE=APirateLooksAtForty;8822385]
I would also like to know your age and if you are prepared to foot the costs such a program entails[/QUOTE]

@APirateLooksAtForty;8823513

You are right OTTB, but before I made the effort to craft a carefully-edited list of appropriate trainers, I preferred to gauge her seriousness. Especially since in her original post (and subsequent posts to be honest) she sounded like a teen.

@APirateLooksAtForty;8824251

I can assure you that very few of them post on this board, not to mention they would already have a trainer.

I have never been able to figure out why asking for trainer recommendations brings out the a$$h0!e in some people here. It happens every time without fail - maybe it’s the same a$$h0!e every time, I don’t know, but I just don’t get it.

What kind of person thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a stranger about his or her finances when said person simply asked for names of trainers in a specific area? Who are you to think you are entitled to “gauge her seriousness”? If you are skeptical about the OP’s intentions, don’t reply. It’s clear from the responses to her post that there are plenty of people who are happy to help her.

[lotc2005]

Not sure how far away you are, but another vote for Polly Howard at Fox Meadow Farm. Many clients there travel quite a distance to ride in her program.

[StormyDay]

[QUOTE=ynl063w;8824801]
I have never been able to figure out why asking for trainer recommendations brings out the a$$h0!e in some people here. It happens every time without fail - maybe it’s the same a$$h0!e every time, I don’t know, but I just don’t get it.

What kind of person thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a stranger about his or her finances when said person simply asked for names of trainers in a specific area? Who are you to think you are entitled to “gauge her seriousness”? If you are skeptical about the OP’s intentions, don’t reply. It’s clear from the responses to her post that there are plenty of people who are happy to help her.[/QUOTE]

Exactly this.

[Midge]

[QUOTE=APirateLooksAtForty;8824251]
I can assure you that very few of them post on this board, not to mention they would already have a trainer.[/QUOTE]

Really? I know a lot of them who do.

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=StormyDay;8824779]
They have to find a good trainer before they can ride with that trainer. So no, they wouldn’t always have a trainer already, especially if they had just moved to the area. I’m not sure why COTH has to always be on the offensive when someone asks questions or is new to the community. Not everyone is a 8 year old behind a computer, and even if they are, who cares? If you don’t want to answer the question and waste your time maybe you shouldn’t be wasting time on an Internet forum??[/QUOTE]

Thank you. I appreciate the kindness.

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=ynl063w;8824801]
I have never been able to figure out why asking for trainer recommendations brings out the a$$h0!e in some people here. It happens every time without fail - maybe it’s the same a$$h0!e every time, I don’t know, but I just don’t get it.

What kind of person thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a stranger about his or her finances when said person simply asked for names of trainers in a specific area? Who are you to think you are entitled to “gauge her seriousness”? If you are skeptical about the OP’s intentions, don’t reply. It’s clear from the responses to her post that there are plenty of people who are happy to help her.[/QUOTE]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your kindness and the things you said.

[redwingsrach]

[QUOTE=lotc2005;8824807]
Not sure how far away you are, but another vote for Polly Howard at Fox Meadow Farm. Many clients there travel quite a distance to ride in her program.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the recommendation! I appreciate it!

[10000_Bits]

To the north you should also check out Huntsover Farms with Cindy Petherbridge. There is a great program and with several girls that go to U of M and ride there right now. It is about 40 minutes.

If you want to head south, check out Fox Meadow. They have a great program too and it’s probably 40 minutes.

In Ann Arbor you have Hawthorne Hill.

All three would be great options that do all levels of A shows. Fox Meadow and Huntsover show year-round.

Good Luck

[AHC]

Not from MI area, but know Greg Crolick and his wife Jess pretty well from many years being stabled next to them in Florida. Would recommend him very highly .

[Dorito]

I would agree that the two top trainers in MI are Heater Irvine and Fox Meadow/Polly Howard. They have both been at the upper echelons of this sport for a number of years. The two places are quite different, so your best bet is to go watch them. I think most MI trainers will be at the KY National September 21-25 if there is any way you can get down there.

[KatInHat31]

[QUOTE=redwingsrach;8822784]
I am just looking for some guidance. I have ridden with many trainers but it is nice to hear from other riders what they feel and have experienced. The trainers that took me to shows are no longer in the area or are located outside of the area I am looking to ride in. I’m not sure why you are giving me a hard time for wanting others opinions.[/QUOTE]

Because half the people in here are trolls and bullies, that’s why! Half the time this forum is no better than horse show diva.

[redwingsrach]

Does anyone know anything about Cindy Orr?

[10000_Bits]

Cindy is great and has a wonderful program that has produced a lot of very successful riders and horses on a national and local level. Feel free to pm me with any specific questions.

[meupatdoes]

[QUOTE=ynl063w;8824801]
I have never been able to figure out why asking for trainer recommendations brings out the a$$h0!e in some people here. It happens every time without fail - maybe it’s the same a$$h0!e every time, I don’t know, but I just don’t get it.

What kind of person thinks it’s perfectly acceptable to ask a stranger about his or her finances when said person simply asked for names of trainers in a specific area? Who are you to think you are entitled to “gauge her seriousness”? If you are skeptical about the OP’s intentions, don’t reply. It’s clear from the responses to her post that there are plenty of people who are happy to help her.[/QUOTE]

I once asked for trainers in the vincinity of a large city. I was going to be moving there and was exploring horse options before settling on where to live. I also said I was fine with a longer commute for a really good place.

I got a bazillion responses asking, But where are you going to live? Where are you going to work? This city is very LARGE. The traffic is BAD. Also it gets HOT.

Literally ZERO responses included the name of a trainer -any trainer!- in any of the outskirts of this large metropolitan area. Nobody could possibly come up with anything unless I was more specific.

WTF I just wanted the names of some good programs in WHATEVER AREA so I could figure it out from there.