Hunter Crest Farm

Horseback Riding Lessons for all levels...

We believe that the Hunter Crest Riding School is easily the best in Maryland, and its principal trainer, Brad Fincher, is unquestionably one of the premier trainers in the region. Few area trainers have Brad Fincher's Hunter/Jumper show and training experience. Our Riding School takes all levels of riders from beginners as young as 6 years old to experienced riders qualified to compete on the A-rated show circuit.

Hunter Crest Farm offers three different lesson programs to best meet our customers' needs. We offer "Private" lessons at $55 per lesson. These "Private" lessons are provided on an individual basis and last approximately 45 minutes. "Semi-private" lessons are offered at $50 per lesson. These "Semi-private" lessons include two people and last approximately 45 minutes. "Group" lessons are offered at $40 per lesson. These "Group" lessons last approximately 60 minutes and never contain more than 4 students. Hunter Crest attempts to have students of the same general level of experience in the "Group" lessons in order to create a favorable learning environment and maximize the learning experience.

A Typical Hunter Crest Riding School Class

Our multiple Level Training Programs Can Meet All Your Hunter/Jumper Training Needs...

We believe that the Hunter Crest Riding Lessons groupings (Beginner/ Intermediate/ Advanced levels) and its "Private", "Semi- private" and "Group" lesson structure can meet all of your Hunter/Jumper needs, whether it is riding for fun or training for the A-rated Hunter/Jumper circuit .

Come join us and our Riding School for a unique, fun, and rewarding experience. We believe that after you are exposed to our Riding Lessons, you will agree that it's the best in Maryland and may well be the best in the region.

Brad Fincherhas over 20 years of A-Rated Hunter/Jumper showing, and 15 years teaching, and horse training experience. His show record is impressive. As a Junior, he competed in 32consecutive equitation classes atA-Rated shows and won 28 of them. He finished first in the nation in the AHSA Adult Amateur Hunter Division on a $1,000 horse that he personally trained. Additionally, in the five times he showed at the Washington International Local Day Show, he never placed lower than third winning three of them. In 1999, he was Reserve Grand Champion in the International Hunter Futurity (IHF) Show in Lexington, KY, on a horse that he broke, trained, and owned. He has shown on the West Palm Beach winter show circuit with impressive results. When he competed on the regional AHSA circuit he seldom lost.

Brad has the unique ability to relate to his students and understand their strengths, weaknesses, and training needs, allowing him to tailor each lesson to the training needs of the individual. He also has a "sixth sense" in evaluating the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of horses. With this ability, he has assembled one of the best collection of school horses in the area. They are safe to ride, and have the style and talent that judges are looking for in picking class winners.

Brad's training skills have produced a large number of winners, in the show ring, which is the ultimate measure of a trainer's teaching skills and a students riding talent.

To ensure maximum attention to each of our student's needs, our Riding School offers individual, semi-private and small group lessons. We teach students on their own horses or provide a safe, seasoned school horse for their use. Our Riding School focuses on creating a safe, fun learning environment with small class sizes, using some of the best school horses in the area. Our safety record has been remarkable over the years.

Typically, our beginner students are jumping low jumps within their first three lessons. New students at the intermediate level are usually cantering 2' 9" courses of jumps within a month of their first lesson at Hunter Crest.These results are highly dependent on the student, their comfortwith the horses and their desire to learn.

Over time, Brad's students have achieved an impressive show record. They normally take either championship or reserve championship in the divisions in which they compete. His students also win an unusually high number of year-end awards.

Interested Riding lesson candidates normally start with a thorough riding evaluation by Brad Fincher. Based on this evaluation, the student is then placed in either a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level class with students of similar experience. Beginner level classes are taught by an experienced trainer. Once their skill level has increased, they are moved to a more experienced class level. Brad Fincher currently teaches all intermediate and advanced level Riding School classes.

Winning show ring Hunter/Jumper performance is a combination of a well-prepared rider and horse -- each with a confident, winning attitude. Every individual and horse are unique, and their characteristics and attitudes change daily. Individual riders and horses need specialized instruction to achieve their full potential. Brad understands this and has the unique ability to tailor his training to the needs of the students and horses. We also keep our class size small (no more than 4 students) to ensure the lesson instructions can be tailor to the individuals and their horses.