i recently found out my trainer is no longer training or having a barn (very upsetting since it was the perfect aa/casual barn) so again i am searching for an eventing trainer. i’m in central ohio (east side), i have a pasture horse so i am looking for someone with lesson horses (also interested in half leasing). i just got started in eventing with the current trainer (been with her about a year). it seems like everyone in the area just has a seperate dressage and jump trainer. i’ve looked around for jump trainers and haven’t seen much that aren’t BNT and super expensive + charge extra to use a lesson horse. does anyone suggestions? a few options i’ve seen in a lot of searching:
-centerstone stables (melissa silverman lucas)
-legacy farm (Donna Baker)
-Veselka Farms (Christine Charyton)
-fairy tale farm (Meghan Swad) not eventing trainer, just h/j
Think most trainers, BN, MN, LN or no name in this part of the country are going to charge you extra for using one of their horses for a lesson or roll it into a bigger lesson price with the exception of the very novice level beginner barns that don’t jump.
How far are you willing to drive? And from where? Zanesville?
Everyone uses different jump and dressage trainers because there really aren’t any eventers in the area. There’s Ellie @ Redtail of course, but half the time she’s in Florida and half the time she’s just busy.
I agree with findeight also, that basically all of them will charge an additional fee to use their lesson horse, that’s pretty standard. If you’re open to leasing, though, usually you don’t have to pay the horse use fee for a lesson on a horse you’re leasing.
As far as a jump instructor goes, my #1 is Jamie Mills at Empress Valley (h/j). She’s amazing, has lesson horses and horses for lease usually.
I’ve heard good things about Donna but have never rode with her myself. I have a friend that’s at her barn that has a good horse for lease you could also lesson on, if you’re interested.
Dressage #1 will always be Amy Rothe-Hietter at South Wind. Not sure if she has any lesson horses at this time, but she used to. Worth a call to ask.
It’s a bummer Duncan Run is for sale, but you might still be able to get in for lessons there.
If you’re willing to drive, you could go see if Jim Nealon out by Dayton at The Riding Centre does lessons or not.
i guess i got lucky so far not paying any or much for using a lesson horse. 35-40 mins is about the farthest i want to go since i’m hoping to go several times a week. granville is 35 mins and that’s probably the limit, zville too far. i’m in gahanna.
i sent you a pm 
i will look into jaime mills, i’ve heard of her.
at this point after leasing and owning green horses, i’m looking more for a horse that is more of a school master so i can work on improving myself (i feel like i haven’t improved my riding much since riding green horses [besides improving my riding of green horses lol]).
I would also recommend Jamie Mills. The best thing to do is to join the Central Ohio Equine Professionals facebook page and ask the same question there. Heritage Farms in Pataskala runs eventing mini-trials every summer - would be a great place to see the local eventing scene in action and inquire about trainers.
I actually did the heritage farm last combined test with my trainer’s horse that i leased. i will join the FB page, thanks!
