Recommendations for CT barn for Adult Amateur just coming back to hunter/jumpers

[hunt_jumpfl]

I am on the hunt for a new barn and wondered if my fellow CT COTHers could give me any leads. I grew up riding and showing hunters both locally and A circuit in FL and the southeast. After taking a break during college I returned to riding during graduate school, but decided to learn to ride and show reiners as I did not have the time and money to go out and ride on circuit.

Fast forward another 8-9 years or so and I have found myself spending much of the last two years in a primarily dressage barn. After picking up a new OTTB project earlier this year I’m now longing to get back to the h/j rings. My new guy is currently out of state for conditioning after a few months off, but I would like to find a new barn to call home base once he is ready to return in another month or two.

I live just outside of New Haven (Bethany/Woodbridge area) and have a very busy work schedule Monday-Friday. If the barn is not terribly close by, a good (kind and patient) professional rider is important to me along with having someone who is good with amateurs. I am not in a position to ship to FL for the winter or buy a new fancy import at this stage of the game. That being said I know that I will end up wanting to show again. I am willing to put in the hard work to get back to the point of being competitive with a project horse. When my horses were close by last winter I would often ride the early 5am shift before work even in the bitter cold to make sure my horses were worked.

I have a couple of possible leads on trainers, but thought that I might get a longer list to talk to by asking here.

[eastcoast13]

I would highly recommend Sunset Hill Farm in Redding, CT. The property is breathtaking and has many amenities including a large indoor arena, grand prix field, Huntington State Park trail system and heated viewing and tack rooms just to name a few. I have boarded my horses there for over a decade and wouldn’t go anywhere else. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

[Lucassb]

I boarded at Sunset Hill in Redding years ago when I lived in CT and it was lovely; if Donna is still there she would be a wonderful choice for a trainer. But that would be a heck of a commute from New Haven unfortunately.

Also in that area, if it’s not too far, would be Seahorse Stables at RedGate Farm. Talk about a gorgeous piece of property! And Kristen’s care is top notch - in fact, the best I ever found in all my years in the northeast. But that is also a long way from New Haven.

Unfortunately the CHJA does not have trainer listings on their website, but you can check out the Medal Finals prize list which generally has a lot of barn/trainer ads in it, or the info from past award dinners for similar info. It’s been several years since I was in that area and I can’t remember the names of some of the farms where we showed around Bethany, but I do remember that there were several really nice places that would be worth checking out.

[ponymom64]

^^^ what Lucassb says! Kristen does give excellent care but would be a hike from the New Haven area - I think even if you backroad-it, the drive would take about an hour? I know the CHJA Facebook page was posting the results from Finals weekend and the trainer/barn were listed. You can probably get an idea of location based on the rider’s hometown which was also listed.

[hunt_jumpfl]

Thanks…Redding is definitely a hike. I work one day a week in Greenwich and one in Bridgeport, but Redding isn’t easy to get to from home base. I’m surrounded by barns where I am, but most are dressage and eventing or lower level pleasure barns. I was watching the results post on Facebook for CHJA…closest farm I noticed was Movado in Durham. That is about the same distance for me as Newtown. I’ll have to go back and take another look at the CHJA postings for others.

[Ambitious_Kate]

Its farther, but its an easy commute once you hit 95 - Sally Hinkle at Mystic Hunt Club out in Mystic, on the shoreline. Probably too far, but I certainly would want to go there. I think there are some places in Woodbury, and that’s accessible from your home area. I just don’t know the names of the trainers.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I thought Redding was right down the Merrit. When I lived in Woodbridge, that was a zip to get to, down Amity road there’s an entrance at Amity Shopping Center.

[gabby.gator]

Jumpers Academy just moved to mystic, which would be about an hour for you in travel time. She does the A rated shows as well as some schooling shows.

There’s also Westbrook Hunt Club, exit 65 off 95, not hard to get to…

If you contact either of those and they won’t work because of distance, they’ll have knowledge of the other A rated barns for you.

[chillydc]

Sally at Mystic is great, if it is not too far!

[hunt_jumpfl]

I’ll have to try the drive to the Redding farms one night after work and see what the drive is like in traffic. Mystic is definitely too far. If at all possible I would like to avoid having a 1-2 hour drive to get to the barn…I’ve done that too often in the past and I simply don’t get to ride very often when the drive is that long. A 30-45 minute drive is very reasonable and if I can keep it at that I could potentially ride one or two evenings after work. Anything more pushes me to weekends only with my work schedule. I do appreciate all of the ideas though, so please keep them coming

[ponymom64]

If you leave around 5 pm - the drive from Greenwich to Redding on a weeknight (Tuesdays and Wednesdays have the least amount of traffic) will likely take about 45 - 60 mins. BiPo to Redding on a weeknight will take 30 minutes to get to Redgate. Redding to New Haven on a weeknight (NOT a Thursday or Friday night) should take about 40 mins.

Hope that helps! I commute from Easton to Gwch everyday so pretty familiar with the traffic patterns

[hunt_jumpfl]

Thanks ponymom - that’s definitely a help! Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be my travel (Gwch/Bpt) days.