Anyone know of a good trainer in the Lansing/East Lansing area? Ride the A’s so would like an H/J trainer but I have a heavy dressage background so will also consider Dressage and Event trainers as well. Away at school and horse stayed home so trainer would need to have something (s) for me to ride. Any ideas? Places to look? TIA! 
Nottingham and Cheryl Connel Marsh are a possibility. I never took lessons from Charyl but she judged in some shows I competed at and I thought she was a very good judge.
http://www.nottinghamequestriancenter.com/trainers/cheryl.html
I think Maryall Barnett is still in the area too. Maryall was super even the many years ago when I was there.
Then there is Rowe Stables in Okemos.
http://rowestables.com/new-facility.html
I rode at Rowes and I loved it. It was wonderful. They had tons of school horses and I learned a lot there. Sharon, Jim (rip) and Tracy are some of the nicest horse people there are. Jim was first introduced to classical dressage in Europe during WW2 and really had a vision of having a classical dressage school.
Beautiful facility, great footing, great assistant instructors, lovely, airy barn, nice turnout - very well cared for school horses. If you are at school I think Rowes still has a relationship with MSU and I think the MSU riding classes are still taught there so that might make it very easy for you to get there. Too Clayton is there doing horse research and that might give you something fun to volunteer or work at.
No other farm had a Lap Chicken, either.
I didn’t realize they had training level that far back. Hmmmm live and learn.
Cheryl is actually a very good teacher and has her “r” in Combined Training as well as her “R” in Dressage, so she sounds like what you are looking for. She is very knowledgale, a stickler for basics and yet a very fun person to ride with.
I don’t think Maryal Barnett is teaching anymore, if she is it’s pretty limited.
Rowe’s is a wonderful place too, very fun and knowledgable.Don’t know if they offer jumping.
Not sure what slc meant about Hilary Clayton, but Hilary is an amateur and does not teach.
I meant that as a student she might have some ability to volunteer or to get credit for working on a project that Clayton is working on. Clayton is doing research in horse biomechanics, etc.
Ahh, that makes sense. I guess I read it wrong. 
I thought you meant that Hilary was at Rowe’s, possibly teaching. Now I understand.
Hilary of course is at the McPhail Center, researching.
Maryal Barnett is giving clinics and judging, but I don’t think she is teaching at Nottingham or anywhere else on a regular basis.
yep, another vulcan mind meld that failed, LOL. i see what you mean, it wasn’t clear.
You planning to haul in or are you also looking to board? My friend and I haul in so so we’ve been on the hunt for awhile for a trainer and done some research…
Eventing–Jennifer Merrick Brooks. She’s training out of Copper Creek (Williamston). I’ve heard great things about her. My friend and I wanted to do haul in lessons w/ her but haven’t had very good luck getting a hold of her.
I would ditto Tracy Rowe for dressage (Okemos)…know a few people who have ridden dressage w/ her and done well.
H/J? Windsong Stables in Battle Creek
Fox Brush Farm in Dewitt
Fieldstone Farm in Rives Junction
We ended up going down to the Rives Junction area with a gal named Laura Steenrod (Fieldstone Farm). She takes her students mostly to the Lake Effects shows. The above barns also participate in Lake Effect. (they host shows at their farms)
We’re in the Mason/Holt area so we have been trying to keep it to 30-45 min haul one way.
OH MY GOSH JENNIFER MERRICK BROOKS IS GREAT GREAT GREAT! Last I knew though she was in Ann Arbor/Sout Lyon area. I used to ride in Pony Club with her girls! dose happy dance I’m thrilled to find out she’s around these parts 
I’ll have to shoot her an e-mail. Thanks!
Yeah, she still has a bunch of PC’ers…
I don’t know if she’s teaching at multiple barns or what…but she’s the main attraction at Copper Creek. It’s off of Noble Road in Williamston. So if you’re going to be in the EL area, it’s not far. About 20 min from MSU.
Are you boarding? Or have your own place?
Jenn comes to Copper Creek on Tuesdays for boarder and haul-in lessons. She’s based in the Ann Arbor area the rest of the time. I had no trouble getting ahold of her through e-mail or phone last fall, but with no trailer haven’t tried yet this year! That won’t work if you need a school horse though.
Ditto to Rowes for excellent dressage, but you won’t find much jumping there They do have great school horses.
I’ve heard Cheryl is a decent enough instructor, but that she’s often traveling to judge, and so lessons don’t always happen regularly. As it is, I wouldn’t board at Nottingham, so I never researched any further.
Not much H/J in this area.
Not sure why you wouldn’t board at Nottingham, but as far as lessons go, Cheryl is only gone on weekends. Nottingham has an assistant trainer who helps out with lessons. Cheryl also has school horses and teaches a lot of MSU students.
That being said, Jennifer Brooks is very, very good and Copper Creek has a wonderful cross country course.
Stable
I would highly recommend Cheryl Connell-Marsh and Victoria Zimmerman at Nottingham. From my experience I’m not a fan of Copper Creek, the last time I went there I was a groom and watched as one of Cheryl’s younger students scored higher in a dressage test than the Copper creek trainer she was competing against.
[QUOTE=slc2;3468909]
Nottingham and Cheryl Connel Marsh are a possibility. I never took lessons from Charyl but she judged in some shows I competed at and I thought she was a very good judge.
http://www.nottinghamequestriancenter.com/trainers/cheryl.html
I think Maryall Barnett is still in the area too. Maryall was super even the many years ago when I was there.
Then there is Rowe Stables in Okemos.
http://rowestables.com/new-facility.html
I rode at Rowes and I loved it. It was wonderful. They had tons of school horses and I learned a lot there. Sharon, Jim (rip) and Tracy are some of the nicest horse people there are. Jim was first introduced to classical dressage in Europe during WW2 and really had a vision of having a classical dressage school.
Beautiful facility, great footing, great assistant instructors, lovely, airy barn, nice turnout - very well cared for school horses. If you are at school I think Rowes still has a relationship with MSU and I think the MSU riding classes are still taught there so that might make it very easy for you to get there. Too Clayton is there doing horse research and that might give you something fun to volunteer or work at.
No other farm had a Lap Chicken, either.[/QUOTE]
When was the last time you were there? I boarded my horse there briefly while I was at MSU and the place was not that nice but maybe they made improvments. They were very nice people. I ended up moving my horse to Catherine Haddad’s barn because she was the MSU equestrain coach. Wow that was a long time ago…damn I’m getting old. 
I believe Albion College takes boarders in…depends on how far you want to drive. I don’t think they have “trainers” per say and you would have to haul out but I have seen the barn it is quite nice. You would have to confirm level of care, etc. The arena is amazing as well. Great footing.
event trainer
[QUOTE=ironbessflint;3471884]
Jenn comes to Copper Creek on Tuesdays for boarder and haul-in lessons. She’s based in the Ann Arbor area the rest of the time. I had no trouble getting ahold of her through e-mail or phone last fall, but with no trailer haven’t tried yet this year! That won’t work if you need a school horse though.
Ditto to Rowes for excellent dressage, but you won’t find much jumping there They do have great school horses.
I’ve heard Cheryl is a decent enough instructor, but that she’s often traveling to judge, and so lessons don’t always happen regularly. As it is, I wouldn’t board at Nottingham, so I never researched any further.
Not much H/J in this area.[/QUOTE]
Hi I was wondering if you had Jens email I wanted to hook up with her to get some lessons. if you do can you email me thomas_m03@yahoo.com thanks
I guess Jenn went back to Canada? But her daughter may still be taking students.
Things change fast around here! lol
I think JMB is actually in town this weekend. She is scheduling monthly weekends in MI to teach at a few places including CC.
