What Is Your Barn Like?

[Wellspotted]

I'm wondering if there is such a thing as a "typical" dressage barn.

I'm not looking for info about specific, named, barns, or trainers; I'm just wondering what different dressage barns are like.

I've ridden at only two. The first one hosted occasional clinics, usually given by the same clinician, and had a few boarders who regularly went to local schooling shows. Some of the other boarders did lessons with the barn's trainer but did not show; a few boarders hauled out occasionally to lesson with other local trainers or to ride in a clinic with a visiting clinician.

The second barn sent most of the trainer's students to shows, but the boarders who did not ride with the trainer did not show. They schooled their own horses and occasionally did informal group lessons with each other. Most were schooling training level at most; a couple were competing at training level and schooling first level.

Since I've discovered COTH I've begun to suspect that neither of these barns are necessarily "typical" dressage barns.

So I'm curious, is the grass the same shade of green on the other side of the fence? In other words, What's it like in the rest of the dressage world?

I have no ulterior motive for asking; I can't currently afford lessons at ANY barn, so I'm not asking for info so I can make an informed move. I'm just plain curious to know what the wider world of dressage is like, and would love to know what other COTHERs' barns are like, or what your idea/ideal of a typical barn is like.

Do most barns tend to cater to certain levels, or do most have a mix of intro-level riders up to, say, fourth level, or do upper-level riders tend to congregate at certain barns (or have their own private ones)?

[camohn]

I take lessons as time and finances permit with my greenie....and I have had evergreens for years now as the first 2 I raised up died at the age of 5 (one to colic and one to a broken leg in a freak barn accident) so number 3 has now just made it past the age of 5....she is physically intact but has had behavioral issues to prevent her from progressing. I keep my beast at home and ship in for lessons.....the trainer has folks riding anything from Paints to Morgans to pricey WBs from greenie through Grand Prix......so there is a wide variety in type and training level. She has a few boarders but as a breeder also most of ther horses are hers and I think most of the lessons are ship ins.

[J-Lu]

Our barn is a dressage barn:

We have two FEI-level trainers who get along very well. Both have their own students but help each other and each other's students when someone is out of town. Both also ride and show their own horses and are available to coach at shows.

Most boarders either take lessons, have their horses in training or both, and most show at rated shows (it helps that there are rated shows very close to us). Very few go to schooling shows but can since we have a few in our area. I think this is because they spend their money on lessons and clinics instead. Some boarders have very nice horses, spend alot on training and show alot, others have rather average horses, take occasional lessons, and aren't interested in showing as much as enjoying their horses. There is no lesson or training or showing requirement, however. Boarders can show without trainers if they want, too. Basically, boarders are free to participate in the resources available to the extent that they want.

We have top-name clinicians at our barn, but no one is expected to ride (though many flock to the opportunities!). People from other barns are welcome to participate. Some boarders ride with top-name clinicians at other area barns - that's fine, too. We've hosted symposia at our barn.

Everyone gets along very well and no person or horse has privilege over another. We have a history of being very supportive to each other at shows as well.

All horses get turned out either during the day or night...around 8 hours per day.

We have a great barn, but I'm biased!
J.

[quietann]

The barn where I board is pretty nice. It's a 18-stall operation, built in 2006. (Two stalls are used for hay storage; not including storage for stuff like hay and shavings was a huge mistake, but otherwise the barn is well-designed.) There's an indoor arena with sand/rubber footing, and an outdoor with sand. Unfortunately, there isn't really any trails access, and it drives me nuts that a neighbor has a huge beautiful field and we don't have permission to ride in it, even on the perimeter. There are 10 individual turnout paddocks -- all fairly small -- and turnout is as much at the horse owner's discretion as possible. My mare gets 7 to 8 hours turnout per day, which is about the maximum. The horses get fed hay 4 or 5 times per day, and grain up to 3 times per day; there's a night check and the BO and one of her assistants live on the property.

The BO is an FEI-level trainer, but she's happy to work with lower levels, and even people like me, a really not all that great rider whose horse is a lower-level horse with some earlier training issues, and she takes in the occasional young horse for starting, and the occasional short-term horse in need of a one or two week tune-up. She works with eventers, too, and keeps a few jumps around for them. She's done magic with "difficult" horse-rider combinations. There are one or two FEI level horses in the barn, but I'd say that the people competing regularly are mostly at 2nd to 3rd level. As someone who *hopes* to do Intro and/or Training levels next year, my horse and I are treated just as well as anyone else; the lack of snobbery is really nice. Most people either take lessons from the BO or have their horses in training, but neither are required.

There are clinics a couple of times a year, mostly with an O-level judge who is a good friend of the BO. The clinics get a mix of people from the barn and others, and all boarders are encouraged to attend whether as riders or auditors. (One other goal of mine is to ride in one of these clinics next year without completely embarrassing my mare or myself! :lol:

The BO does not go as trainer to a lot of shows; the people who compete are a pretty independent lot overall.

[slc2]

I don't think there is a typical dressage barn. There are a lot of general public boarding barns, a few smaller dressage-focused barns, and a lot of people who keep their horses at home. These days, many people keep their horses at home or board at a cheaper place, and their trainer isn't where they keep their horse. They travel to a trainer elsewhere than 'their barn'.

Often people can't afford to board where their trainer is. But I think quite a few people don't want to board with their trainer. They just don't want someone telling them what to do all the time :)

I have been in several different types of barns, with higher level/active/frequent clinics or more local/regional trainer, very active, less active, just dressage and more general, public and private barns.

The ones with a local or regional level trainer, a few working students, 20-30 stalls, some clinics, sales and some expectation that you only work with that trainer, are pretty common. I've also seen barns change - being very active, bringing in a lot of clinicians, and really being hot places to ride and learn, and then fading out.

No two are really quite the same. The amateur rule has some effect on what goes on at different barns.

What are called 'training barns' may have a lot of restrictions that people have to take a certain number of lessons, be in training with that trainer, and an understanding that that is going to involve a certain level of committment and hard work.

I actually prefer a barn where there are a lot of restrictions on working with the barn trainer, and where the rules are right out front and spelled out, and everyone boarding there is on the same page, has the same interests, and same goals, same level of intensity they want to work at. Otherwise there is just too much friction, especially if there are several different trainers around.

What are called 'public boarding barns' usually have a group of 'more serious' riders who take a lot of lessons and work with a trainer often, as well as others who mostly ride without any instruction, who are more interested in doing a variety of riding activities than concentrating intensively on one. Usually the riders in a large public boarding barn are going to cover a very wide spectrum of interests, committment and goals.

What are called 'private barns' are usually smaller places with less than 20 stalls and they may focus around one trainer and one type of riding, or not.

Alot of barns are some mix of these types, with some expectation of taking lessons, restrictions on other trainers coming in, etc.

A barn where a trainer is actually a competitor and traveling and trying to qualify for something there will be a lot of working around that. Someone might come in while they're gone or a working student might teach during that time.

Most 'professional' barns seem to focus on horse sales, intensive training, and usually, competing. A barn owned/run by an amateur rider probably won't have as many sale horses going thru.

Everyone has a different idea of what is 'right' for dressage barn type. A really focused training barn might not be a lot of people's cup of tea.

[TMPF]

Our barn has 38 stalls and one FEI Trainer who is also a young horse specialist. The majority of boarders are in full training including the sale horses (absent owners). We have several working students who help with the daily care of the horses in full training. There are some boarders who only take lessons and some who just ride on thier own (non-dressage). For the most part everyone gets along and is happy. We have one clinic montly with a well known trainer we are looking to get other international trainers for clinics in the future.

There is a farm across the street that is a big hunter barn they will be hosting George Morris next Month and have asked if they can send some of the participants to our farm for the night. We will be allowed to audit the clinc for free!!! As an ex-hunter rider I will love that.

[coloredhorse]

I think "typical" would be very hard to nail down. My barn is a "dressage barn;" I study dressage and my horses are schooled in that discipline. But it's just my backyard barn. It's tidy and workmanlike and functional and I loff it, but it's nothing special.

Often people can't afford to board where their trainer is. But I think quite a few people don't want to board with their trainer. They just don't want someone telling them what to do all the time :)
You nailed it, slc! In reality, I can't afford to board at my or any other decent trainer's barn. But even if I could, I don't think I could give over as much control as some people do to their trainers.

My trainer's barn is larger and she has horses besides her own there on training board. It is geared primarily toward the training of the horse. She does give lessons, obviously, but most of her students are haul-ins like me. She doesn't regularly host clinics, though she's talked about wanting to do so with her mentor at some point. Many of her students show, but we do so independently.

Then there are barns that have frequent clinics, usually with one or two regular clinicians per barn, those that go to tons of shows, those that have aggressive sales programs, etc.

[Bugs-n-Frodo]

J-lu, when can I move in? I need two stalls, one of which is for a retired TB mare, the other for my Trakehner who is my dressage boy. :lol: Your barn sounds nice. Quietann's barn sounds very nice too!

The barn I am at right now is not a dressage barn, there are only 2 dressage barns that I know of in the valley right now and both are full. The one I do not know much about, the other is nice, my friend boards there and I clinic there.

In Maryland, before I left I was at a dressage barn. It was a small barn, 6 stalls, which, in my mind, was perfect in size. Tehre were 4 boarders and the BO had 2 horses. Everyone rode dressage. There was a lovely small indoor and a HUGE well lit outdoor arena, both with really great footing. The horse were turned out in groups of 2 or 3, each group in a 2 acre grass field. I loved it there but left that barn when I moved out west.

[Marshfield]

I'm spoiled. I do board at my trainer's barn. She's and FEI level rider, USDF certified and just all around awesome. Only about 12 boarders. The highest any of her in house students have competed is 2nd level, but we're hoping to change that. Also spoiled in that we live in NEDA land, so recognized shows are readily available. There is a small corps of dedicated riders. Typical rider is a professional woman (3 doctors and 1 executive) who takes one lesson a week and rides 3 to 4 morse times on their own. I'm the lucky one in that I live a few minutes from the farm and can stop in on my way home. Everybody else lives about 45 minutes away.

We do go to recognized shows. Schooling shows are available, but costs are high enough that we usually just do the recognized ones.

[ToN Farm]

I think there is such a thing as a 'typical' dressage barn. Most good trainers and probably all BNT's have one. It is a barn of only dressage horses. Some are sale horses. Some are horses in training. Some are students with horses in training. Generally, these barns do not accept boarders that don't train with the in-house trainer. There are several of these barns here in NJ. For example, Michael Barisone's barn and Cesar Parra's barn. There are also hunter-only barns where you would unlikely find a dressage rider.

[atr]

My trainer does not have a barn of her own. Last winter, however, we all ended up boarding at the same barn, which was nice. However, due to one thing and another, we all had to bail last spring, and as we wanted to stay together as a group, we ended up somewhere that turned out to be somewhat unsatisfactory for me and my horse, so I have just bit the bullet and moved again. I'm actually back where I was 7 years ago, a place that has always been one of my favorite barns to board at.

So I have gone from being at an all-dressage, mostly adult barn with way more drama and gossip than I was interested in, to a mixed, H/J, eventing and a few dressage people barn, with a mix of age groups. It used to be mostly dressage, had an on-site dressage trainer, etc. Now, my trainer comes to me once a week or so, and I'll trailer out for clinics, etc., I'm probably going to be the only one who heads out to recognized shows from there, and who really "rides dressage seriously", but that's OK. No railbirds, no rivalry, I can fly happily under the radar and get on with my own thing.

There are 3 arenas, the indoor has mirrors, the footing is all fabulous (I'd forgotten how much difference good, well maintained footing makes,) the barn manager/HJ trainer is a very old friend who is absolutely marvelous at her job, the owners are good folks who take fantastic care of the place, my horse is turned out with a compatible group and thinks he is horse heaven until I turn up...

[tempichange]

It's not that I can't afford a nice barn, it's that most full-care facilities cannot do what I do for my horse (sheer numbers + my own ocd = bad situtation). I've been at large (65+ stalls) to small (6 stalls) barns with various amenities attached to it.

While I liked being with my various trainers, the situations often amounted to too much drama at the time, and I left.

Currently, I'm definitely not in an a-typical situation for a dressage rider. After years of spending time in predominately english barns, I'm in a reining/polo facility. It's a very lovely change of pace, very relaxed, but I'm still surrounded by serious people taking their training very seriously.

The barn itself has five barns on the property, one indoor, one outdoor and one large mowed field for polo (but we all use it). Minimal turnout, but enough to keep horses sane and is also very well kept. Excellent footing all around.

It a self-care facility, so we all do our own work, but chip in with each other when we can (if we see the horses need water, we water, or if there's nasty weather we close everyones' dutch doors up). We also go to each other's events (Polo on Sundays, reining/dressage on Saturdays) when we all have a chance. It's very casual and friendly and there has been known to be a small impromptu party from time-to-time.

Supply wise: the owner buys the shavings and we pay her back at the end of the month and I frequently buy hay off the local dealer who delivers (saves gas). Farrier also boards there (another reiner) and shods my ponies. Still call the dentist and massage therapist.

There are no professional trainers at the barn, nor are they allowed to board/operate out of the barn (keeps things relatively drama free). We are welcomed to bring in outside trainers for our own lessons, which I do once a week. I clinic out every six months, and try to get out to the local parks once a week for solid hill work/change of scenery.

I've been here for about a year, and frankly, my horse is happy, I'm happy and we're progressing. Plus it's highly affordable.

[Vesper Sparrow]

I'm at a mainly eventing barn, with a few dressage people, foxhunters and trail riders thrown in for good measure (it also hosts the local hunt). There are two barns, about 60 horses and we have an indoor, an outdoor dressage ring, a cross country course and a jumping (grass) field. The BOs grow their own hay and corn. There is also a small breeding business with a couple of stallions and broodmares. It's not fancy but the horses have good turnout and sensible management. It is a busy place, but it's relaxed and fun.

Our dressage component has grown as our trainer (the BO) has gotten more involved in dressage herself. There are a few of us adults who are mainly dressage oriented and now some of the kids (who used to be primarily event oriented) are really into it, too. One we hope is headed for Young Riders. Today, I overheard one of the kids (who is a typical down and dirty eventer, can ride any horse, etc.) talking about watching a GP dressage rider and how amazing he was and how she wanted to do FEI, which was really nice.

I really like the mix of dressage and other disciplines.

[J-Lu]

J-lu, when can I move in? I need two stalls, one of which is for a retired TB mare, the other for my Trakehner who is my dressage boy. :lol: Your barn sounds nice. Quietann's barn sounds very nice too!


In Maryland, before I left I was at a dressage barn. It was a small barn, 6 stalls, which, in my mind, was perfect in size. Tehre were 4 boarders and the BO had 2 horses. Everyone rode dressage. There was a lovely small indoor and a HUGE well lit outdoor arena, both with really great footing. The horse were turned out in groups of 2 or 3, each group in a 2 acre grass field. I loved it there but left that barn when I moved out west.

Wish you were in the area!!! We have a few retirees, including a polo pony, a quarter horse, and a TB. And we have a bunch of Trakehners (I have one, too!). I didn't even mention the mirrored covered arena, the outdoor arena, the outdoor jump arena, covered and lit roundpen, the grassy dressage areas, the open spaces to ride in, etc. Until recently, we had babies (see them at Devon this tues, wed and thurs - run by M. Garcia and S. Hassler). Cuuuuuuuuute! We have preggo mares for next spring, too. Cuuuuuuuuuuute!

I've boarded in other non-typical dressage barns, but those are other (mostly good!) stories.

J.

[PiaffeDreams]

I don't think all barns are the same and it would be a shame if they were since not all riders are the same with identical goals or aspirations... or resources!

Our barn could have up to 26 horses, but we keep at any time 12-15 by making the paddocks etc. double sized. We have no "boarders" who are not students or have the horses in some sort of training program. I'm the trainer here, and aspiring to compete FEI... so close, but so far making my own horses from greenbroke. I dare speak of my hope/intention to show one of them PSG next year. God and no bad fortune warranting. I'm also a credentialed teacher. So, while I love to ride and train the horses, my passion is human education. I'm "curriculum" driven and have my system/assessment/benchmarks lined up to bring along riders. For a while I had twice yearly clinics with my coach an FEI-I judge from Germany, but he suffered health problems that ended his career and coaching. We've been working to schedule clinics with a couple other FEI riders/top judges to support what I'm doing for our students.

I have mostly dressage riders, but not all show. Some board/train here, but most trailer-in. Seems to be 50/50 doing rated and schooling shows. I also work with a few endurance riders as that is THE sport around here. I love them. They know their horses inside and out and have a strong work ethic/discipline for training. I also have a couple of pleasure riders who are looking for more in their riding as they get older and like dressage for that reason. Some of these have also been self proclaimed "NH refugees" who didn't find what they were looking for there. I'm happy to help them, but I don't have a different standard and for some that works and others it doesn't.

I'm more than a bit intense about riding the best you can whatever that level is and then pushing to do better. I came from a big time h/j A-circuit barn as a kid to young adult LOVE that atmosphere. I take care of my horses like they were in a BNT barn. They get all the therapies, custom feeds, walking, iceboots, etc. Horses come in from turnout to find cookies or carrots in their tub. On any given day all the horse needs to do a show is braids. Our clients joke that the Porta-potty is cleaner than their bathroom at home and its as if the poop just disappears as soon as it hits the ground, but thankfully everyone helps with that. Basically, my intention is to offer people a place where they can approach their riding and learning with the focus and seriousness of a big name barn, the horse care of a big name barn and yet they don't have to have uber fancy horses and big bucks, or only want to do big time shows. Just commitment and discipline. We really don't care if the only ones aware of the product of that commitment and discipline are the rider's themselves and me. I'd like them to prove it at a show, as I think that is the ultimate "honesty". But that isn't realistic for everyone, so I do my best to make sure they know when I say something is good, it really is.

We don't have "staff". Its my mom and I, although I'm trying to find the right working student. Its a labor of love. I love it when I see a rider and their horse making progress, working as a team, and both enjoying each other.

[neVar]

i ride at a primarely h/j barn (well really it's mostly pony club) with a h/j coach (who has shown/trained to gp and trained under several legends for dressage).

We don't have clinics much for dressage only (BUt do occasionally). i'm really the only full time dressage rider in the barn right now who owns a horse and actually competes (a couple who ride, but don't show- or those who are just leasing horses right now)

It's clean big show facility- the quality and care is top notch. not much about it i'd change if it was mine. Footing is fabulous. I don't have much to complain about!

[rugbygirl]

I don't board where my trainers are. I can only ride every two weeks, I live quite far from my horses right now, so the ponies are in a rough-board situation during the week.

The pasture board place I have is great, a lot of absentee owners. The girl who runs the place checks on all the horses every day and is very attentive. SHe has pens and a small barn to isolate injured/sick horses and the property is beautiful. I've never had any issues.

One trainer has the most beautiful barn ever. Private Dressage barn, it has been featured in a few magazines. Spotlessly clean, mountains of clean, white polo wraps stored everywhere, large indoor arena that is well-lit and ventilated with mirrors in all the right places, multiple outdoor rings. Classical music playing all the time, daytime turnout with roomy stalls. Rolling green hills, white fences...some jumps for cross-training, but it is a barn that caters to Dressage riders. I haven't seen a kid there, just adults serious about competing at very high levels. I assume that I am the lowest-level rider there, but the trainer doesn't care...a really refreshing change from some of the more elitist barns.

The other trainer is at a huge H/J + Dressage barn. Nice place, very high ceilinged. Full-size arena and a bunch of outdoor rings, including a grass Grand-Prix jumper ring. I'd keep my horse there, but outdoor board is a bit pricey, given that I am not around to enjoy the facility much. The owner is into Dressage in a big way, so the place has a lot of features that are nice for that...but the on-site trainers are H/J and Jumper, so there's a good mix. It's a lovely barn, well set-up for large shows. The worst part is the road in...gravel and doesn't get much attention from the county. I end up bouncing my horse in no matter how slowly I drive!