Any suggestions within an hour of Montgomery/Berks County? 4 years old, an overall jerk who needs all the basics with ground work AND under saddle simultaneously (I’ve been told I won’t find anyone who will get on him without doing extensive groundwork for about a month or more and I find that odd, but I’ve been out of the loop for a decade or so). I would prefer a NOT hunter/jumper trainer but I am happy to be proven wrong here and will seriously consider all suggestions. I would love to find someone who would come to the farm to consistently work with him but realize that is most likely a pipe dream and I’m ready to send him out to someone ASAP. Thanks in advance.
June Hillman though I don’t think she’ll come to you. But you could send the horse to her. She’s an eventer.
If you don’t want hunter jumper suggestions you might ask on the eventing board instead?!
Another option might be Jessica Redman but she’s in Delaware.
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Thanks I’ll check out June Hillman. Like I said I’m not totally against a hunter/jumper trainer if it’s a good fit I just find many of them are better at details like putting on lead changes and getting them around a small course as opposed to ground work and basic restart stuff, and I’m not expecting to find anyone who will come to me but it can’t hurt to put it out there. I thought Jessica Redman was a sales barn only?
I’m more on the eventing side of things but I think sending him out is the way to go. Try Carrie Butler and Allison Chubb too. Or Pricilla Godsoe at covert farm. She is a hunter/jumper and amazing. Very well rounded background. Good luck. Editing to add June Hilman is great too.
You’re in the hunter/jumper forum, wrong place to ask this question and then specify no h/j trainers.
Unless there’s something very unusual going on, let me suggest that maybe a 4 year old “jerk” OTTB is not a good match for you. You can have him trained until you’re blue in the face, but if you don’t learn how to handle his outbursts you’re hosed for at least the next 3 years until he matures mentally. Some never grow up.
And if there is something very unusual going on, then let me suggest a vet instead of a trainer.
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I think Jessica will do training when she has room in the barn but probably not a long term thing. Doesn’t sound like you’re looking for long term anyway.
I’m not questioning why you don’t want a h/j trainer, just suggesting you picked a weird forum to ask for recommendations if that’s not what you want. This is the h/j forum. Most active members on this forum do h/j. There’s an eventing forum here too. If you want an eventer you might get better recommendations there.
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I’ve known hunter/jumper riders to send their young horses out to all kinds of trainers - Amish, western, eventers; I’ve gotten some good suggestions and not all of them are hunter/jumper trainers so I don’t see posting here as a fail of any kind. Also, if you read my original post, I didn’t completely rule out using a hunter/jumper trainer and I will look into the ones that were suggested (just like I said I would - how about that!). If you don’t like a post, you don’t have to respond to it, but thanks again for the suggestion you provided.
@evtrmom thanks to you - I’ll look into your suggestions too!
Karen Pound at Pine Creek Sport Horses is in that area. She’s really good at starting young horses, so I imagine she’d have no issues with the OTTB, but you’d definitely have to send him to her.
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Relax the attitude a bit… if anyone here is friends with these trainers, they’re not going to recommend them to a problem client (you).
I again get the vibe you’re looking for a different horse than the one you have now. He’s a “jerk” all around. More likely that you don’t have the skillset to handle him, or have created some of these “jerk” behaviors yourself.
Perhaps consider which one of you needs the training.
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I’ve found once someone (including myself, though it’s been ages) starts thinking of a horse as a “jerk”, it’s time to put horse in training and/or up for sale.
You(g) are never going to like that horse or give him the benefit of the doubt, and are 1000% more likely to blame attitude for something physical. It’s like a human partner - once you start thinking of them as a jerk or similar verbiage, it’s time to break up. There’s better out there that you will get along with - human and horse 
. Why waste time with something you don’t actively enjoy?
I’m no help on the suggestions of trainers, but in training and for sale sounds like a good place for this horse. There’s something better out there for both of you!
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I don’t think she takes any for training unless they’re also on consignment.
What about the Napravniks? They’re in Monkton, MD. https://napravniksporthorses.com/
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This is true. I fell into that trap with one OTTB mare I had. Lo and behold, her new owners adore her. Sometimes it’s just not a match, and that’s OK.
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Sorry I tried to help?! The rudeness is uncalled for.
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Louise Ashman Atkins works almost exclusively with ottbs. She is in Elverson. She’s a dressage rider so would install all the correct basics. She has other riders at the farm who could start your horse over fences if needed. You would have to go to her.
I believe Diana Tier of Top Tier Training will travel but I have no idea what her schedule is like. She’s around Pottstown I think.
Leigh Berman has had good luck with ottbs in the past I believe. You could see if she has room.
Just about any trainer who is patient and can deal with a sensitive horse should be fine. That’s the big difference - thoroughbreds tend to be smarter and more sensitive than your average warmblood so if you find someone who isn’t going to rush them or be impatient you’ll be fine. It’s usually a people problem not a horse problem.
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Hannah Saucy Kreider is 100% the person you are looking for. Her business is Smokie Ridge Sporthorses. She is in Port Deposit MD which is very close to the southeastern PA border. She is mostly a H/J but does a lot of groundwork too. Her specialty is problem horses/restarts and starting babies, and she has done plenty of OTTB’s before. She is endlessly patient and very kind. She starts on the ground and will fix any holes before getting on them and working from the basics onward. If I had your horse, she would be my first call to get the horse where you need him to be.
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Thanks to everyone who responded nicely and answered my question with trainer suggestions - I’ve started a list and will look into all of them.
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one more thought for you, if you are on Facebook, there is a chester county riders group page that might be a good resource as well. Again, best of luck to you and your horse.
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Karen Pound or Jessica Floriano would be the closest to you and are very good.
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Leigh Berman is great. I haven’t seen her (at least at the shows) doing much with the OTTBs recently. Jess Floriano is great.
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Allison Chubb, Chester County but she does a lot of ottb restarting.
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