Training Board
With a talented training staff led by Christopher Hickey, Hilltop Farm offers training, lessons, and clinics to riders and horses at all levels and of a variety of breeds. Our services include starting and advancing horses of all levels in dressage, successfully preparing stallions and mares for licensings and performance testings, and skillfully preparing and presenting horses of all ages at competitions. Our typical minimum training commitment is three months and we are poud of the long-term relationships we have with our clients. On any given day you are likely to see young horses being started, horses in training through Grand Prix, and lesson students riding their own horses under the direction of one of our three trainers.
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Our young horse starting program consists of a combination of free jumping, lunging and long-lining, and work outdoors in the early stages of a horse's training. Our riders produce confident, willing horses with strong basics which provide a wonderful start for their future competitive success. Since 2006, horses that have been started at Hilltop Farm have won six USEF FEI Young Horse National Championships and multiple USDF Year-End Awards. Young horses who have grown up in the Hilltop Farm Raising Program have priority on acceptance for our starting services.. Progressive training for dressage horses and riders is our focus at Hilltop Farm. From green 3-year olds through Grand Prix horses, our trainers skillfully and systematically develop our training horses. The full-service care and attention to all details of the horses' well-being creates healthy, happy athletes. We believe in training a horse and rider team to be independent and capable to perofrm to their greatest potential without the constant attention of an instructor. We help our riders and owners set reasonable goals for training and showing to set them up for success. |
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We maintain an active show schedule, ranging from local schooling shows through CDI competitions and National Championships, but also recognize that not all of our riders and owners place a priority on showing. We are equally happy to work with those riders whose goals are just to become the best rider they possibly can. |
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