Trainer Bio: April Henry



Horse Training Methods:
April believes strongly that each horse is an individual and an athlete and should be handled with care and consideration. A horse is as good or as bad as we see it. One person may look at a green thoroughbred or a mustang and see a big terrifying monster, while another will see an elegant and muscular show horse waiting to be unleashed. The key is to see the potential in each horse and work with them in such a way as to give them the confidence to reach that potential. This takes a great deal of time and patience. Some horses are eager learners and love to please, while others are unsure of themselves and untrusting of others. One horse may be ready to show or head out on the trails in a month or less, while another could take much longer to reach the same level.

April always gives the horse the benefit if the doubt and never uses any form of punishment. She treats each horse as a unique partner and always ends a training session on a good note. She does not discriminate based on breed, age, or discipline and thoroughly enjoys each horse she works with.

Experience
April has experience with all types of horses, from unbroken colts and fillies, problem horses (bucking, rearing, etc), to "made" horses. She has ridden and trained most disciplines: dressage, hunter/jumper, english and western, pleasure and equitation, trail, halter, reining, roping, sorting, penning, barrell racing, pole bending, and working horses at the race track. Below is a chronological list.

1994 – PresentApril Henry Training and SalesWA
Training and sales preparation techniques based on individual nutrition, exercise, and grooming programs as well as expert marketing. Negotiate successful sales contracts. Specialize in retraining horses in Dressage and Jumping. Often receive compliments from buyers and sellers on excellent service. Also, breaking of young thoroughbred horses in preparation for racing at Emerald Downs.

2005 Stone Ridge FarmNew Freedom, PA
Groom & Stable Hand
Sales preparation and daily care of top quality Thoroughbred yearlings for Marshall Silverman, a well respected agent. Preparation for the Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton sales. Special work with Grand in Grey, an Alphabet Soup filly who sold for $80,000 at the Timonium, MD sale and is now a race winner under Timothy Richey (trainer of Afleet Alex).

2001 Vantage Point Farm Snohomish, WA
Trainers Assistant
Oversaw training and show preparation for Class A Arabian show horses including daily care. Assisted with mare handling and stallion collection.

1995 - 1997 Sea Cloud MorgansArlington, WA
Working Student
Exercised horses by lunging and riding. Prepared show quality Morgan horses for lessons and training. Showed English Pleasure and Equitation to Regional level.

Show Experience:
April has been showing since the age of 13. Her second show was the Midsummer Classic, a regional A rated Morgan show in which she pinned, won the largest class in the show, and captured the over all Reserve High Point.  She has always been High Point or Reserve at local shows, and has not placed only twice. She has won in English Pleasure and Equitation, Hunters (under saddle and over fences), and Western Pleasure. April has show experience in Dressage, gaming, and has riding experience in most equine sports (reining, cutting, team penning, saddle seat, etc).

Other:
April has vast knowledge of equine feeds and supplements earned by years of research and will create an optimal nutrition and feeding program for any horse in training at no additional charge.  She is also very skilled in recognition of injuries and ailments and has been repeatedly complimented by her veterinarian, Dr. John Zaccardi, on her ability to diagnose and recommend treatment.  In addition she has experience with hoof trimming and shoe removal. April is complimented often on her horses grooming and care.





Copyright 2009 * April Henry * All rights reserved
Her Story:
April has loved horses longer than she can remember and has always wanted to be a horse trainer.  Her first “horse” was Clip-Clop, a spring mounted plastic pony with simulated walk-trot-gallop sounds.  As she grew she read every horse book she could get her hands on, played with model horses, and prayed for hours day and night that God would bring her a horse of her own.  On her 9th birthday she received the gift of weekly riding lessons.  Not two years later, after noting that April was a very fast learner and a natural with horses, her instructor recommended finding a lease situation as a less expensive alternative to ownership.  After months of searching no suitable lease could be found.

Against all odds, April's parents and grandparents purchased her first horse for her at Age 11.  Despite confidence in April’s riding ability, her instructor thought that her parents had made a huge mistake.  The horse was a 4 year old off-track thoroughbred.  Who buys an untrained, spirited, and enormous horse for a young girl?  To make a long story short, it was a match made in heaven. April solely trained the mare, Sky Yak, and owns her to this day.

In 1995 Sky had a filly, Dreamer, that April also solely trained until age 3, when she had to be sold.  April then had her first experience as an agent for that sale.  Consequently she consigned a horse for Roger Hoff, the owner of Dreamer’s sire.  This horse was Tax Baby, a 1994 Thoroughbred mare who had been at pasture for some time after her racing career had ended.  April conditioned her for one week before advertising, and not only did she sell easily, but her new owners appreciated April’s help so much that they re-named the mare “April” in her honor.

April later spent most of her time split between training Sky, furthering her education, and working full time. She obtained an Associates degree in Business Administration from Everett Community College in 2002.  After graduating, she went on to work in Administration while training and consigning horses part time.  April has been training full time since Janruary 2008.  Her favorite projects include young and/or problem horses and she finds that every horse provides a unique and exciting challenge. 

April and her Husband Russ live in Marysville, WA and are members of First Baptist Church.