Trainer near Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario who focuses on jumpers

[Jacquee3]

Hi folks,

I’m an adult rider who recently relocated to Kitchener, ON from Northern Virginia.

I’m interested in finding a trainer around here (within an hour) who has a heavy focus on the jumpers, preferably teaching a more European style of riding/jumping.

(Note: I don’t want this to devolve into a “American vs. European” style of riding thread, I’m just trying to give context for what I’m looking for. I’m of the belief that different styles of riding give one a better, more robust toolkit and make you more effective rider).

I am fundamentally horseless. I ride a pretty scopey mare twice a week, but she’s not suitable for a jumper training program–her owner is not interested in moving her to another facility, she’s green and out of shape, and I mostly treat it as a way for me to have more saddle time for very little money.

For context, I’m an experienced adult rider–not a novice in any way. I’ve owned and showed horses my entire life, just not in the jumpers.

Thanks everyone!

[cherham]

Hi Jacquee3, welcome to Ontario. You will find the jumper scene very active in our area and no doubt will be able to find a suitable trainer in the Kitchener area.

I would post your enquiry on the Canadian version of COTH which is the Equestrian Management Group website at www.equiman.com There is a forum there in which posters can post looking for info on trainers/barns etc. You will get a lot of excellent information and referrals from other riders in your area.

[Blondie22]

Try Hyde Moffat. I believe he is still coaching out of Windemere (Schnurr’s barn) in the Waterloo area.

[SimonandGus]

[QUOTE=Blondie22;7638167]
Try Hyde Moffat. I believe he is still coaching out of Windemere (Schnurr’s barn) in the Waterloo area.[/QUOTE]\

I believe the frequency of his visits is decreasing as he moves into his own barn closer to Erin.

Welcome to KW, its a great area, with an active HJ community if you look!

If you are looking for bigger time jumper trainers who go south for the winter etc, look east towards Erin/ Caledon/ King area. Some searching in these areas will turn up a lot of names. Like an above poster suggested, try the equiman forums. Heather MacInnis may be of interest to you and has some clients in Guelph which isn’t as far.

[Jacquee3]

[QUOTE=Blondie22;7638167]
Try Hyde Moffat. I believe he is still coaching out of Windemere (Schnurr’s barn) in the Waterloo area.[/QUOTE]

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions.

Does anyone have contact info for Hyde Moffat? I’m also willing to commute for the right situation. I know it’s very rare for a place to allow riders to take lessons on A quality show horses, so if one presents itself–I’ll drive the distance!

[Across_Sicily]

I’m not sure Hyde does offer lessons on A quality horses that you don’t already own/lease. I’m not familiar with the Windamere program, though, and he is a great coach with many successful students.

If you’re seeking a barn where you can just take lessons (not part board, lease, or buy) on nice horses, your options are going to be much more limited if not just completely unavailable. I ran into that problem when I moved up here, and ended up in a pb/lease situation at a very nice barn, since the other options were just not in the same stratosphere. If you are willing to commute a bit more and have the budget to support more than the odd lesson, there are a lot of nice places with the bigger names that have excellent coaching and training in the Caledon/King/Erin areas, like SimonandGus mentioned – but they do have the price tag to match.

Definitely check out the Equiman forums.

[authentic_pony]

Welcome to the area! Hope you packed some long johns for the winter! I’ve lived here most of my life, currently your next door neighbour in Cambridge but grew up in K-W. Which area of the city are you in? That might determine whether it’s easier to go east or west. If you want A circuit level training, there are a number of good ones in the area but I don’t know that many (any?) would have lesson horses. I would second Hyde Moffatt, and add in Carly Campbell-Cooper in Guelph and Robert Sharpe just south of Guelph in Puslinch. If you travel further east you will have a whole lot more options, but they would be 45+ min drive.

We have a very good provincial circuit called the Trillium circuit and finding a barn with lesson or part board/lease horses would be much easier, but the quality of horses is not quite what you’d find in an A circuit barn with a trainer who focuses mostly on jumpers. I’ve done both and really like both for different reasons, so it depends on what your goals are and how much you want to $pend!

The Equiman boards are great, and if you have any questions about the area in general feel free to shoot me a PM!

[Jacquee3]

Thanks again everyone! I’m totally willing to drive, particularly if the situation presents itself. I was lucky enough to have this miracle situation back in Virginia, and drove 90 minutes (each way) to my barn there. It was completely and utterly worth it! I currently live close to Victoria and Conestoga Parkway.

I do have another question, one for PMs, please. Are there any coaches/trainers to avoid? Please send me a PM with any details one is willing to share. I hope this is not a taboo question.

[JumperT]

I would second Robert Sharpe at Sharpe Investments in Puslinch.

[Spud_amp_Saf]

If you’re willing to commute, Erin is about 45 min or so from Kitchener and Peter Gisborn is great. http://petergisborn.ca/index.html

[FalseImpression]

[QUOTE=SimonandGus;7639716]
\

I believe the frequency of his visits is decreasing as he moves into his own barn closer to Erin.

Welcome to KW, its a great area, with an active HJ community if you look!

If you are looking for bigger time jumper trainers who go south for the winter etc, look east towards Erin/ Caledon/ King area. Some searching in these areas will turn up a lot of names. Like an above poster suggested, try the equiman forums. Heather MacInnis may be of interest to you and has some clients in Guelph which isn’t as far.[/QUOTE]

I too recommend Heather MacInnis. She is in Grimbsy though, but she is a friend of a friend and she gets tremendous results.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poplar-Lane-Farms-Heather-MacInnis/237456209605800
I know she has come to our barn to give lessons (our barn is mostly a retirement barn but some people do like to still take lessons).

And Hyde Moffat used to show said friend’s gelding before his retirement!

I have heard of all the names mentioned by other posters but do not have any recommendation.

I live in Waterloo, University and Conestoga Expressway… we are neighbours!! Welcome!

[greywithchrome]

I realize this is an old thread but I’m curious who you went with! I too live in that area and been to many barns… and the ones I haven’t been to I still know a lot about

I wish I felt more comfortable publicly saying who to avoid … Hahaha. My recommendation goes 100% to Felix Rommens at Brookside Equestrian Centre - however you have to be a boarder with him to be a student.

[FourFaults]

[QUOTE=greywithchrome;8296409]
I realize this is an old thread but I’m curious who you went with! I too live in that area and been to many barns… and the ones I haven’t been to I still know a lot about

I wish I felt more comfortable publicly saying who to avoid … Hahaha. My recommendation goes 100% to Felix Rommens at Brookside Equestrian Centre - however you have to be a boarder with him to be a student.[/QUOTE]

Not only this but I have heard through the horse grape vine we have in the area that board is 1,000/month and you have to show. If true, ouch.

I actually started there years ago now on Oreo and Harley.