JUMPSTART TRAINING
Kiri Farler-Smith, Trainer & Owner
"Stella" is a kind, pretty mare that is great for both adult and child riders. Stella has experience in every ring -and outside the ring with both her owner and students. Stella loves the show ring and has experience winning on the flat and over fences in the Hunters. She took a child rider to Short-Stirrup Champion at the kid's first show. Stella and Kiri decided to try Eventing both for the first time and she faced the challenge with fervor. Stella is now in extensive training to become a Dressage Queen. This mare serves all levels beautifully as she is easy to ride for the beginner yet challenging enough for someone with experience. She is simple to get in a frame and has a big step. Stella would make the perfect first show partner to learn on for a child or adult.
“Kit” is a gentle, experienced gelding who loves teaching almost as much as the team at JumpStart Training. He has been a wonderful school horse for Deb Ritchie in Sammamish and Monroe before his current owner brought him back to my program. He enjoys teaching his leadline students just as much as he loves teaching jumping.
Kit has a solid foundation, as he came from RockMeadow Equestrian Center. In fact, he was Kiri's first "project," and his current owner was Kiri’s first working student. Early on, “Kittles” was too hot and green for anyone to handle. Working with him and seeing how he has grown into a successful school horse has helped shape Kiri's desire to be a trainer.
In Memoriam. Harvey was a veteran athlete who touched everyone he met. At his Iw jumping. Even in old age, he remained a high performance horse, loving to do one tempi changes on training rides.
Harvey is part of the reason JumpStart exists. While Kiri was at RockMeadow, she accompanied Deb to look at a “pasture pet." When she saw Harvey, she knew right away that she was going to bring him back from retirement. A few months later, Kiri met a new student returning to riding - Heather was healing from a TBI and need ed to rebuild strength. Initially, she was paired with another horse; but Heather had a goal - Harvey - as it was her lifelong dream to ride a warmblood. One day, Kiri took a leap of faith and tried the pair. The rest is history, as Heather became Harvey's owner and they became Kiri's first training clients...
... jumpstarting Kiri's program. Harvey loved and was deeply loved.
A Real Hearthorse. In Memoriam (1994-2020)
BIOGRAPHY
KIRI FARLER-SMITH
Trainer & Owner, JumpStart Training
Kiri Farler-Smith approaches the sport of horse training with the dedication of a high performance athlete. In fact, Kiri is known for loving the Mariners and other team sports almost as much as she loves sport horses.
In all seriousness, hunter/jumpers are Kiri's sport of choice. She has been seriously training in ponies, hunters, equitation, and jumpers since she was 9 years old. She started in short stirrup and pony divisions at RockMeadow Equestrian Center. After success in the Large Pony divisions, Kiri graduated to the Jumpers, competing up the west coast from California to Canada under the tutelage of Audra Fleck-Snijders and Patrick Snijders.
Throughout her riding career, Kiri participated in and received many awards in 4-H, IHSA, and has a solid foundation in flatwork with some dressage instruction and internships with Sean Rae and Catherine Reid.
After college, Kiri returned to RockMeadow Equestrian Center working as a riding instructor for over two years. However, Kiri wanted to learn the training side of the business. She joined Megan Chagnon at Rollback Farm, where she learned the art of client relationships, their horses, specialized care for high quality performance animals, and how to ride and show as a professional. Furthermore, the friendship and partnership that she developed with Megan formed the foundation for Kiri to begin exploring the possibility of teaching and training independently. From this secure foundation, Kiri launched JumpStart Training and successfully set out on her own.
While Kiri is a skilled trainer with a track record of success, she remains an athlete committed to continued learning in her chosen sport. Kiri invests in continuing education by regularly taking lessons with the best dressage, eventing, hunter, and jumper instructors in the area. She currently competes in Hunter/Jumper shows, Dressage shows, and Eventing trials with her mare and clients’ horses.
WORKING STUDENT PROGRAM
JUMPSTART TRAINING
Applications Currently Being Accepted - Recommendations Strongly Suggested
If you have been around the Equestrian world, you have probably heard of “working students.” At JumpStart Training, Working Students are offered the opportunity to receive a hands-on, integrative education directly from the Trainer & Owner Kiri Farler-Smith.
At first, you might say "YES!" ...then you may ask yourself... "What exactly does that mean?"
Working Students can be compared to interns in the corporate world. Prospective students want to gain the skills necessary to become a professional or own a horse.
Just like the lesson and training program at JumpStart Training, the exact duties of the Working Student program are customized according to each student's fascinations, ambitions, and personal goals. Some common responsibilities include grooming for training rides, keeping tack and equipment clean and organized, and helping with lessons.
Working Students also learn the art of horsemanship, from advanced horse care to jump crew. Some Working Students may be involved with horse shows (learning valuable show groom skills), while others may be trusted to help with horses at home while the Trainer is showing. Prospective Working Students should speak honestly about hopes and goals so that the role can be customized accordingly.
The main requirement for Working Students is simple - Commitment and Devotion.
Typically Working Students are as young as 11-12 and go up to adults. Independent of age, qualified candidates must have a strong desire to learn, along with individual maturity and competence. Prospective Working Students need to be self-motivated with a sense of urgency. There will ALWAYS be something to do; there will be hard days and harder days; but the right candidate for our program will remember how lucky they are to be learning so much while having so much fun around high performance horses!
This may seem like a hard job with a lot of hours and hard work with no monetary compensation...So why is this a coveted position?
Yes, it is hard work! However, Working Students receive an extensive amount of learning and experience, lessons and training, and a great reference in exchange for their effort and loyalty. Furthermore, Working Students often have the chance to ride the talented training horses that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to ride. All of this is at no cost to the Working Student.
The amount of knowledge and quality of instruction receive.d while enrolled as a Working Student is unbeatable. That said, we have a very limited number of openings at JumpStart Training at any given time. We only consider approved students who have been in the Training/Lesson program or applicants with strong recommendations.
WHAT IS A WORKING STUDENT?
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFF
MAY VALLEY VETERINARY SERVICES
Dr. Thais McCoy is available for Chiropractic and Acupuncture treatment on your horse, dog, cat or other companion animal in your barn or home. She also can offer saddle fit and purchase consultations and flocking adjustments.
OLYMPIC FORGE
Olympic Forge LLC offers regular, corrective, therapeutic, hot, and cold shoeing as well as balanced trimming for all types. They provide farrier services for every kind of horse from the pasture pet to the competition horse. They pride themselves in building relationships with the other caretakers such as the owners, trainers, and vets to help identify and treat issues while giving their client a quality product.
JUMPSTART
PHOTO GALLERY
#TrainToREIgN
Scroll through the general photo display below to get a feel for the JumpStart Training Program; check out our social media pages (including the embedded Instagram feed); or click on the galleries/videos from clinics, shows, lessons or special events to see our program in action!