Orlando, FL area barns?

[swillowness]

I have a summer internship with Disney World (excitement level can’t be explained), but assuming I have the time and energy after a day’s work, I’d love to find a barn to ride and lesson at. Is anyone familiar with the barns in the area? I’ve primarily done hunters and dabbled in jumpers (up to 2’9" courses but occasionally higher individual jumps), but I’m open to other disciplines. Again, depending on time and energy availability, I’d be happy to be a working student as well.

Keep me posted, and feel free to ask for more information if needed.

[swillowness]

Not a soul to help?

[TheGoldenChild]

I ride with Hilda Donahue at Ashmore Equestrian just a bit north of Orlando in Apopka http://ashmoreequestriancenter.com/. Hilda does eventing, but takes students to dressage and hunter/jumper shows also so you wouldn’t need to do eventing to ride there. She always had nice lesson horses available even for more advanced students which was a big plus to me after I sold my last horse.

Water’s Edge is right next door to my trainer and they are a hunter/jumper barn http://watersedgestables.com/?p=7. I live north of Orlando so I don’t know many of the barns closer to Disney, but I’m sure there are plenty! The Saddler of Orlando is one of the local tack shops and they have a barn directory on their website that could help http://www.saddleroforlando.com/

If you have any questions about any of the barns you look up in the area feel free to PM me and I’ll tell you anything I know. I had a difficult horse when I first moved to the area so I tried lessons with many of the local trainers until I found one I thought would do well with him so I should be able to help

[bizbachfan]

http://www.gohja.org/local_barns.htm

this is a pretty good list to get started with

[chestnuthunter]

Following this thread for personal interest

I’m most likely going to UCF for my undergraduate and would love to find a good barn in the Orlando area. Congrats on your internship! That sounds awesome.

[Gorgonzola]

I had a friend do a semester-long internship at Disney, if yours is anything like hers, you will have ZERO free time, definitely not enough time for a working student position.

Also, remember that if you’re wanting to ride in Florida, in the summer, it’ll have to be before 8am. Anytime after that will be too hot, it will be raining, or the bugs will be unbearable (or some combination of those).

[oceanmountain]

In that area- check out Crown Point Equestrian- Natalie Johnson is the head trainer- she is in Winter Garden.

Suzanne Muchow with Snow Kissed Stables is also great.

[NoSuchPerson]

[QUOTE=Gorgonzola;7507354]
I had a friend do a semester-long internship at Disney, if yours is anything like hers, you will have ZERO free time, definitely not enough time for a working student position.[/QUOTE]

I have heard the same thing. If you’re doing an internship, your life belongs to Disney. They will keep you so busy you won’t have time for anything else.

Congratulations on the internship. I’ve said for years that when I retire, I’m going to try and get a part-time job at Disney World.

[swillowness]

Not riding for three months…yay. I’ll also be starting the day at 5am, so this chick isn’t riding at 8am. The heat has never been an issue for me, nor the humidity. I thrive in it, especially when riding. Mostly I’d love to still get to ride once, maybe twice, a week. If what y’all said is true, though, I might be too tired to care!

[2tempe]

Talk to the various stables; I’m sure you can find something. Re the weather, I live in this area and do my riding very late morning, after horse’s turnout. Now I will say that we have a covered arena, which makes ALL the difference. But we don’t have an issue with bugs, and yes its hot, but if you are only riding one horse, not so bad

[ladyj79]

[QUOTE=swillowness;7528284]
Not riding for three months…yay. I’ll also be starting the day at 5am, so this chick isn’t riding at 8am. The heat has never been an issue for me, nor the humidity. I thrive in it, especially when riding. Mostly I’d love to still get to ride once, maybe twice, a week. If what y’all said is true, though, I might be too tired to care![/QUOTE]

Whether you can handle the heat, it’s not great on the horses

[BostonHJ]

Have fun! Once horses and humans are acclimated to the heat, it is doable. I grew up riding outside of Tampa and while we didn’t ride in the middle of the day if possible, I routinely rode at 10am and 3pm, obviously keeping tabs on how the horse was doing. My non-sweater always went early, though.