Show Barn or Lesson stables?

Help! My parents just bought me an expensive trained hunter jumper horse, but they want me to keep boarding it at the stable i'm at right now. My parents are more attached to my trainer then I am because she's rather cheap as far as boarding goes. They aren't really horse people, and only see the buisness side of things, he arena is the size of a small dressage ring, the shelters are just run ins, and no one my age rides there!! I'm afraid I wont get very far as far as being a hunter jumper if the ring isn't big enough to jump in! Any tips on helping my parents see that I need a barn with friends to ride with and SPACE to ride?!?!

Hmmmm.... If you'd be paying for the boarding yourself I'd say move the horse. But since it's not your own money, it's really up to your parents to decide on how much they can afford to pay/month.

BTW small dressage arena is NOT all that small - the indoor of the one of the top jumper/hunter barns in my area is about that size and they are quite happy with it. And my horses live in run-ins for 5 years already and look pretty happy with them...

Is it a hunter horse, or a jumper horse?

Considering you should be working more on flat work and not jumping every single day of the week, there really isn't an issue with the place that you are at. I ride at a lesson barn that also happens to have students in Trillium and "A" circuit shows. You can always trailer off property to a lesson occasionally somewhere else.

I too am curious if your doing hunters or jumpers with this horse.

A course is just a group of single jumps. So really all you need is a good place to hack most days and every now and again work on some jumps. What you describe sounds like a perfect barn.

Your title and the body of your first post have me confused.

Show barn or lesson stables. I assume you are currently at a lesson stable and you want to be at a show barn?
How old are you that no one your age rides at a lesson stables? That just does not make any sense.

Sorry, My post was a bit confusing, the horse is trained in hunter and jumper but we will be focusing in hunters. I am 14 but their is no one who takes lessons at the barn that is over 30. The horse hates trails. And my title was messed up, It was ment to say "Tips on convincing parents to change stables?" and the arena is acually a bit smaller than a small dressage arena.

Most horses do not excel at both hunters and jumpers. It takes a certain horse to do great at either. Low levels, sure a horse can do both. But you said your horse was an "expensive trained" horse so I doubt it is doing both.

I am not sure how you can confuse those two titles, they are two very different things.

There is a trainer near me whose indoor is about 50'square. She turns out great riders. If you want to work hard and get some where you can do it with even a small indoor (or heck no indoor).

Sorry, I am still confused on the riders age thing. It sounds like you are in the perfect place for your age from your second post too.

I have to agree with kitten on this. Your parents are paying the bill. Be happy for what you have.

It sounds like you would like to excel in riding, but also want to make it a social sport. What about joining a horse club, like pony camp or IEL or similar. This way you and your mom can see the other barns and you can meet other kids in the riding area.

If you are the only teen in your barn, your trainer actually can focus on your more than the other riders! She knows that teens are more likely to show and can also show you where you can improve.

Just remember that you are a 14 year old with a horse! Look at all your friends who want a horse that can't get one!