Does anyone have any information about this farm in Illinois? If it is bad news please PM me.
Thanks in advance.
Known them for years and have never heard anything bad about them. I have no qualms about recommending them. Kim is great.
Eta: I got the PMs too…but I still stand by my statement that I would recommend them. Events that transpired 24 years ago are not necessarily reflective of the current status of the barn and its people.
Thanks to the folks who Sent PMs. Any other comments?
Rode there for a short time in 2009. There was a LOT of drama on the NIHJA and IHJA circuit 20 years ago, and there still is. Barns tend to bad mouth each other if they aren’t cliquey. I recommend them, competed against many of their (good) riders and horses during my Junior campaign when riding with a different barn and never had anything foul to say about them or their trainers.
Have not heard good things about Mara. Might want to check that out first.
Interesting to see this thread - I’ve been considering boarding/training one of my horses here. My interactions so far have all been positive and professional; the horses and people all seem happy. It’s been tough finding a good place within a reasonable commute from the city and their riders seem to do well at the shows. Please PM me if you have information to the contrary or other recommendations. Work has unfortunately caused me to move a fair bit and I’d like to think my barn radar isn’t too far off the mark, but can always use some refinement 
Use your own judgement about current environment in the barn, esoecially the horse care and management.
There are few in the business that didnt piss somebody off somewhere along the way. IME local show association politics are gosh awful and far more backstabbingly obvious then on the National stage.
If they had a scrape or made a bad call 20+ years ago? it may be a yellow flag but not necessarily mean you should not board there if your gut tells you its what you need and suits you and your horse today in 2015.
Most of the time, its the old pot versus kettle or those in glass houses throwing stones. Especially if its mostly centered on something nearly a quarter century ago and competing barns today just wont quit chewing that particular bone. If they are running within the rules and turning out good horses and riders today, that just makes long time detractors more vocal.
Use your head.
[QUOTE=findeight;8081829]
There are few in the business that didnt piss somebody off somewhere along the way. IME local show association politics are gosh awful and far more backstabbingly obvious then on the National stage.[/QUOTE]
I don’t know this farm, but this is so true of businesses and people in general. You can never make everyone happy, so if you like this farm and they’re doing well now then I wouldn’t hold something against them that happened years ago.
You are not marrying them or signing a yearly lease. Give it a shot, you can always move after you get to know the area better and that gives you a built in reason for moving- now that you know the area better, another barn may work out better. BTDT with no hard feelings on either side.
Thanks findeight for the sanity check and the excellent advice! :yes:
I recall them from the mid-90s.
Back then the only negatives IMO were lack of turnout & heated indoor (kept too warm).
These things may very well have changed since then :winkgrin:
