I’m in Maryland (an hour from Windurra) and haven’t been anywhere that required a trainer, with or without insurance, for schooling.
I’ve been to Windurra with some kids I teach, and seen my trainer, my trainer’s trainer, and my trainer’s trainer, all in separate groups, so it gets complicated quickly!
I think there’s a funny story involved there.
Something like when they were first getting set up there, somebody they knew had a bunch of stalls they needed to sell in a hurry or something, and they were going for an extremely bargain basement price. So they bought them and set them up with the idea that eventually they would be replaced. And they’re still perfectly functional and still there.
I don’t know if that is completely accurate, but that’s the story I remember.
I think the dressage barn is quite a bit different, but I have not set foot inside it, so I don’t know that firsthand.
It’s because they had to move the surviving horses in a hurry when the barn at Phillip’s burned down-- they had to get what was available and then decided to stick with it since they weren’t there much in the winter anyway.
How are they able to know who is a “trainer”, when the only USEF qualification to be a professional is calling themselves a professional?
They don’t know or care. There’s no requirement to have a trainer.
The previous barn owner was in Attica, or headed there.
No wonder he was a motivated seller, then.
But not true.
Emily
Admittedly it’s been a bit since I’ve been to Windurra, but if I recall correctly that shed row, which sits behind Silva’s barn, houses dressage horses and was built by Horizon. The two stall buildings where Boyd’s horses are, came used from another source.
Are you saying just that they are not as fancy as you would have expected? Or that you think they are not safe?
I have never been there, but the way I understand it is that the barns are safe and functional for the horses.
Not putting words in her mouth, but I would assume she meant “not fancy.”
Someone way upthread said something about Boyd being he debt because he had to have a multimillion dollar training center. Which made me LOL because it is far from your typical multimillion dollar training center. It was built from nothing in a very conservative manner with a lot of sweat equity. The fancier components like the indoor came MUCH later.
I don’t know who Carson is here. Do you mean Courtney Cooper?
And, again to offer the remedial explanation that is apparently needed: No one gets their sense of priviliege in one situation from that one alone. Rather, the sense of privilege that white men enjoy comes from their interactions with others in all of the world.
Let me know if you want to continue defending discrimination. I’m not co-signing that and I have all day.
just to pile on to the insurance discussion - the risks go beyond rider injury. A consideration for a landowner is damage from a loose horse in traffic nearby. THAT is a big concern as motorists didn’t sign up for equestrian pursuits. A car accident caused by loose horse, while we hope unlikely, could be very damaging to motorist and expensive for claims. And who is the motorist going to sue? The horse owner/rider who fell off/let go of the rein, or the believed-to-be-rich landowner?
Could be true but they’re Horizon barns as well.
Horizon is very local to us. (Boyd and I both are Cochranville residents)
My recollection from one visit to Windurra is that there’s a small center aisle barn at the back of the party that is Silva’s, and the shed row type barns are Boyd’s.
They are not fancy, but are serviceable and workmanlike. It’s good to remember that they go to Aiken for the winter.
What impressed me about the facility was it was very clear what their priorities were (as is true for most working horse professionals who didn’t come from money.) 1.) FOOTING. All of the footing - dressage arena, stadium arena, indoor and gallop track are state of the art and meticulously maintained. 2.) Conditioning. Besides the conditioning pond, there’s a treadmill and I think an aqua tread mill. 3.) Obstacles. Not just the xc course, but the stadium course is beautiful and pristine. You could host a Grand Prix there will little no prep. The fencing is mostly some type of temporary fencing; electro braid on step in posts.
They didn’t spend money on frills or amenities for people. They spent money on things that directly affect the horses’ health and welfare.
As I said, it’s been a bit since I’ve been in Boyd’s barn area. When he was campaigning my horse, the horse lived in one of the two stall shed rows and Boyd told me he’d gotten a deal from someone in NY headed to prison.
That is SO Boyd!
He’s always had that setup, even back in Australia, it works and is safe, albeit probably not so fun for his grooms and working students in rough weather lol
You can see the barns in this video clip.
https://www.facebook.com/100044439489390/videos/pcb.1316213103203327/1309419680747733
Definitely not a million dollar property based off that clip, every thing looks safe and functional even if it isn’t fancy, unless you count the crazy amount of money that has been poured into the rest of the facility! Cross country courses, indoors, galloping tracks, and the multiple rings don’t come cheap! That and the horses are likely where the money is going.
Cochranville land isn’t cheap, even without the upgrades…
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
