Thompson Training

I moved my horse here for training one summer and was pretty disappointed with the service we received. Laura Thompson the trainer there is very friendly initially and is a great rider but I just didn’t find her way of giving lessons as very helpful. She would scream at her students and I always ended up feeling like an awful rider when I left as I never felt good enough for her. Even when I did things right it was never good enough, we had to do them again and again to the point of exhaustion for both my horse and myself in the 100 degree summer weather. (Trust me I have had tough trainers before, but the way she taught was just not constructive). I have been riding all my life and at the time was re-​training a very calm ex-​racehorse who I just needed a little help with to fine tune. She told me he was dangerous and after I moved in that I could not ride him by myself or jump alone. I was very frustrated by this as constantly having someone watch while you ride can be very intimidating and being told after riding for 20 odd years, with Olympic level trainers, and showing successfully, that you can’t ride by yourself is very demeaning. Among many other things wrong with the place, she also didn’t feed him enough and he lost a ton of weight, even after I complained multiple times and started feeding him my own extra beat pulp. His stall was also never bedded enough with shavings and everything was always the bare minimum to spare costs. She or her students also ended up stealing all of his Bute that they had told me they would be keep in the office for safe keeping!
Ultimately, I was very disappointed by the whole thing and though we learned a few new tricks I really felt like she didn’t take care of me as a client spending a LOT of money and of my horse. She may treat her own school horses just fine but I feel like she really skimped when it came to clients. I would caution other people from going there as I she also makes claims to have trained and ridden at certain levels but I would make sure you get proof as I doubt that this was true now. The training is very expensive and if I had the chance I would not do it again. I am just glad I got him out of there within 3 months and we are now doing amazingly.
**** Amendment *** After I posted this constructive review of this business (as there were no other reviews of this trainer online), my parent was contacted (I am a 23 year old adult who paid for her services myself, and this trainer had no financial dealing with my mother) and threatened with a law suit if posting was not removed. This trainer should be avoided at all costs. *********