Testimonials
“This is retired endurance horse, MS Remington, a 34 year-old gelding (above) after I worked on him at the Level 1 course with April Love -HolisticHorseworks.
April has worked on him before so he knows the work. On this day, a friend and I discovered that he was carrying a trapped emotion of grief and so we released it.
I worked on him for two days in a row and I think other than some stiffness in his knees he is in pretty good shape. I would like to think with April’ guidance, I made him feel much better. You should have seen him trot around the pasture after his session…he was quite a joy to see!
The best part was that we also discovered that he was the endurance horse that belonged to a friend who rode him over thousands of miles. After the clinic I contacted her and she said she had lost track of him. Now she will be able to visit with him again. It’s amazing how the universe works!”
“I have had the pleasure of spending time learning from April, personally, on 3 different occasions; I had a distance reading done on my horse, I went to her educational 1/2 day hands on seminar and I attended her level 1 Equine Unwinding 3 day class. I also have all her DVD’s and have learned so much from her about how to know when a horse is in pain or distress and, more importantly, how to help the horse. This knowledge has changed my life and my horses life. I have owned my horse for 14 years and we have never been as close as we are now. He also is the happiest and healthiest he has ever been. April’s methods are great and have definitely changed the way I view my relationships with horses. I am also a riding instructor and I love that I can now work on the lesson horses and make then more comfortable as they do such an important job. Thank you April for sharing all your hard earned talents with all of us. The horses thank you as well!”
“Thank you for all your help with the distance readings to dial down on my horses specific needs and what had been missed in previous bodywork sessions as well as their nutritional needs. All 4 of my horses are competing much better, better vet scores and staying sound. I Won a FEI 75 recently by 30 min ahead of other riders. Saturday March 15 2014 I rode the 100 mile FEI endurance ride, NM Desert Classic, just outside Las Cruses. I rode Frisia Shaheen and we WON first Place and we WON the Best Condition Award! As this was against other top FEI horse and rider teams I am very pleased with my results in my horses.”
“April hears horses. Her talent is not some mystical ability, but rather an acute sensitivity to details; details so small most of us miss them. Details as tiny as the flick of an ear, a wrinkling nose, a slight hesitation in the movement of a leg. These are the details of horse language and April speaks it fluently. Horses “talk” to April because she listens to them and is capable of understanding their body language. Add to that many years of training and conditioning experience and you have the knowledge, not only to “relieve,” and “fix,” but also to consult on training programs designed to produce elite, sound, happy athletes in any discipline. She won’t tell you how many jumps to ride, barrels to run, circles to do; she can show and tell you what to do for your horse between those rides which will enable them to exceed your expectations. A moment reviewing her AERC competitive record will confirm this fact beyond a doubt. As a coach and trainer, I have studied with some of the best in the world, from Europe to the US. April may not have the trappings of a “fancy” rider, but she is on a par in her level of “feel” and sensitivity to those who wear top hats and tails. When it was time for me to trust the Arabian colt I bred to someone, it was into April’s hands I passed him. She confirmed that trust week after week and the colt grew strong and confident, more trusting and beautiful in her care. I recommend her to all who can be open enough to see the gifts she brings to your horse(s) with her experience and knowledge.”
Before
Riley, Senior Thoroughbred, 17 hh
After
Riley, Senior Thoroughbred, 17 hh
“I was fortunate enough to participate in April -HolisticHorseworks LEVEL 1, “Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding” three-day workshop that took place over a recent September weekend.
It was a fascinating adventure in learning how to transform a horse in a short period of time. Riley, (above) is a nearly 17 hands high senior Thoroughbred. Among other issues, his back was in spasms and I learned how to relax all the muscles in the loin area just with my fingers to give him some much needed relief. He felt so much better after I worked on him as did the 15 other horses that our small but enthusiastic group of people helped.
One of my favorite horses that I worked on was a 30 year-old chestnut mare that thought she was a worthless bag of bones when she came into the round pen. I did some trapped emotion releasing for her and practiced the Equine Musculoskeletal Unwinding techniques. Before long she looked like a million dollars, proud and fluffed up with a new lease on life. It was so very rewarding and heartfelt to see her newly found pride. I’m sorry I didn’t get photos of her, the improvement was vast.
April is an equine magician and practically has radar vision to see where a horse is in need of work. She’s a great teacher, very patient and professional. I was duly impressed with the whole three days.”
“As someone who runs a riding program, I consider April to be an integral part of my business success. Through April’s work, my horses stay sound and happy. I initially asked April to work on several of my horses, who suffered from a variety of issues, including hind end lameness, stiffness to one side, bucking at the canter, cinchy-ness, and spooking. In addition, my horses exhibited other issues, including being unwilling to flex, unable to take a certain lead, and a problem with deviated flight paths of a front foot. April took care of all these problems, most within one visit. I give her my strongest recommendation and endorsement. My horses are all lesson horses, and it is critical that they are the most comfortable they can be as beginners bounce around on them, yanking and being stiff. The healthier my horses are, the happier they are doing their jobs. April is a huge part of that.”
“Yes I would love to do the courses. I have a passion for horses but favour thoroughbreds. I am a qualified dietician and sports remedial massage therapist. I am also a reiki practitioner. I have done a basic course in equine/canine touch and the Masterson Method course but I, like you, always thought what is the root cause since nothing in the body is isolated. I find your methods answer the questions I have been asking myself where other methods fall short. I look forward to doing your home study.”
“The 2010 Endurance Race Season is just finished and I wanted to thank you for all your help this year. Jolly Sickle, my Arabian gelding from the track, had an incredible first race season and finished 5th in my division in the Mountain Region and the Pioneer Awards. I have both of your DVD’s which I regularly watch and share with my friends. Also, your personalized consultations via phone gave me the direction and tips to guide each horse to fulfill his potential with a successful, happy, healthy ride season. I’ve learned so much, and thank you for everything. You are so talented!!!!!”
“Participating in Aprils class was a blessing to me. Many ” doors” were opened in my equine world, due to April’s fabulous way of simplifying the ” cause and effect” in the equine body.”
“I called April for two horses that needed body work. The first, River City Storm, was a renowned harness racing horse who retired from the track at the top of his game at age 14. It was clear that, as he started his new life as a saddle horse, Stormy had some issues related to a lifetime of racing. It was really wonderful to watch Stormy relax in April’s hands, and to see the incredibly positive effects of her work on him. Our second horse, Scarlett, is a 14-year-old Quarab mare we had purchased for dressage, trail riding, and some low level eventing. Scarlett had some serious issues with pain in her back: lovely to brush, she turned into a vicious horse when it came time to saddle. Other issues included the inability to pick up left lead; total inability to flex head and neck to the right; squealing, switching tail, and near bucking when dismounting. With April’s work, combined with my doing April’s equine yoga, Scarlett’s entire demeanor began to change. She now greets me at the pasture gate, and is much more relaxed about the saddle. She easily picks up her left lead and has become balanced and very flexible. Even more amazing is that, in the dead of winter, her coat has become sleek and glossy. We simply could not have a dangerous horse on our property and, before April worked on her, we were contemplating giving Scarlett away. Now, she is a joy and a delight to work around and ride. You can tell she just loves the yoga, too!!”
“My 6 year old Friesian mare, Havannah, had diagnosed with injured stifle ligaments to her back leg in October 2007. She was put on rest in a small pasture for 12 months. After a year went by, she still was not ridable and was still very lame . She was in and out of pain most of the time. I just didn’t want to even consider doing surgery as the veterinarians were indicating as an option. One day, I was looking through the Equestrian Connection magazine and saw April full page ad. It looked like she was able to look at the whole horse to find out what was really going on. S o, I called and set an appointment to meet April in Auburn with my horse. I told her I wouldn’t tell anything about her – I wanted April to tell me what she saw. She did her evaluation and stated everything that had been going on with my horse: the lameness front and back, why she was always grouchy when I put the saddle on, etc. So, she did some stretches and releases and a bunch of other stuff she called Kinesiology on Havannah and gave me a list of supplements to start her on that could be found at a local feed store. She also showed me how to perform the stretches and body toning so I could could help my horse on a daily basis. Within 2 treatments and two months, I have been able to ride my mare again. We have gone on 3 trail rides and Havannah has done very well. She seems to have a much better attitude and moves freely now in the pasture. She was very forward on the trails and seemed to really enjoy it. I am so grateful for April’s help and guidance with my horses well being. I am so happy and excited to see that I have found a Holistic way to care for her that will continue to promote her health and recovery. Thank you, April, I am forever grateful for you and your work!”
“April Holistic horse body work is a very positive experience for horses and their owners. I hope you enjoy having her at your location soon.”
“It all started by seeing the free yoga video she has on You Tube. Then, after talking with her on the phone about my horses issues, I asked her to do a reading on both my 28 year old gelding, Sam, and my 7 year old gelding, Malik. Sam was my mom’s favorite horse before she passed away, and has been with us for many years and while he was showing signs of improvements he still had a ways to go. He was very slow in walking, it seemed. Each step was painful for him. He had soreness in his front legs, stocking up in both rear legs, had kidney issues and we just wanted him to feel better. April has a gift for listening, and it seems also in hearing what the horses have to say, and I had been looking for someone like her for a long time. I did as much as I could myself with herbs and homeopathies as the Vets said ”He is just old”. Then we invited April to Arizona to work on them. It is amazing what a horse does when they are able to move and how their attitude changes when they feel better. With April’s body work, some changes in his diet and supplements that April had recommended, he is now like the energizer bunny. He has got pep in his step…a lot of pep! When we used to turn him out with other horses they would pick on him and he could not get out of the way quickly, but he needed exercise. Now he likes being out with the other horses more because he can now move better. It is very apparent that he is happy! He is continually improving and it makes my heart melt. Today for the first time in many years my 28 year old horse was out in the arena and he was bucking and throwing his head, this is huge for Sam…I just wanted to cry. The “Thank You” goes to April! Malik, my 8 year old, came to me with a huge toxic overload (overhead fly spray system in show barn). He was completely shut down from his withers back, with very tight acidic muscles tender to the touch. He also needed cranial sacral work which has contributed to a lot of his symptoms–spooking, head tossing, agitated with hind end/sacrum being touched or worked with. He was very skittish and flighty and needed a lot of patience and love, all of which I was willing to give. After one session with April there was a huge difference in him. She continued with small sessions for the 5 days she was here and revealed to me a new and softer horse. A few diet changes, with a detox program she recommended to relieve his system of the toxic overload, and he is now able to be soft and pliable in his muscles and trusting more of others. More the horse I envisioned riding someday. When you start listening to your horses, as shown in her DVD, “Horses Are Talking–Are You Listening,” you have a new-found relationship with them. April couldn’t have been more right about that statement! I love watching her DVD and learning more about how my horse should be able to move. Also the time she spent with me, showing me how to keep my horse going, is absolutely invaluable, she is worth more than she could ever charge but she does it for the love of the horse. We are on a continuous journey and April will always be a MASSIVE part of our lives. I will have her here as much as I can and I will always ask her advice with my horses. They need her and so do I. We continue to do our “horse yoga” which I had no idea was so important. When you see it firsthand it all becomes very real. If you have any question about needing April or not, call me, I have lots to share!”
“When April arrives at my barn all my horses line up and say “Me now, me now!” They literally remember the comfort she provides for them from her equine body work. The most prominent case that April helped me with was with an older mare named Hana who had contracted Pigeon Fever in October of 2006. By December Hana was in full blown, dripping and oozing Pigeon Fever that then transmuted into simultaneous staph and strep infections. This poor horse was extremely ill for eleven long horrible months. At least three times, I thought she was going to die. Five veterinarians from two different well known veterinary clinics in the area worked on her during this saga including spending several weeks at one local vet hospital. Her vet bills where enormous and still she was not yet well. Finally after one veterinarian recommended that I keep Hana on antibiotics for the rest of her life, I said no, I couldn’t do that to her. I finally took a leap of faith, decided the typical veterinarian approach was not working for this horse and abandoned their advice altogether. When I brought this dear tolerant horse home from the hospital and she was literally a walking dead horse, dull eyed and very little interest in life. I then applied my own healing philosophy and went to work on strengthening her immune system. Enter April! By now it was May, eight months after Hana first became ill, and I wanted the best products I could find for her. I contacted April, a Dynamite Specialty Products representative, and asked her recommendations for rebuilding Hana’s immune system. We went to work with Herbal Tonic to flush out her liver and regular Dynamite vitamin supplement and Dyna-Pro (probiotics) and Hana began to slowly improve. The next big boost to the healing process came in August. April found the amazing product called Natural Cellular Defense which contains zeolites and removes heavy metal toxins. I had heard about zeolites but didn’t know how to obtain any and it was April who came “swinging in on a vine” with what was to become the secret ingredient in Hana’s full recovery. We put Hana on a detox program of 15 drops 3 times a day for two weeks. As soon as the heavy metals started washing out of her system, the sooner Hana’s health started to return. Along about the first of September, I was cleaning a stall in the barn when I looked up and saw Hana galloping around the pasture and playing with the rest of the horses. “She’s back!” I hollered, “Hana is well again!!!” I was so happy and attribute her return to good health to April and all the great products that she represents. I am certain that the entire expensive scenario with Hana could have been substantially shortened if I had been able to get a hold of Natural Cellular Defense sooner. Hana is not the only horse that I have watched transform in April’s hands, I am always amazed to watch her release problems and bring comfort and happiness to many horses. I am a huge fan of April’s work and highly value her experience and judgment with horses.”
“I stumbled onto your videos quite by mistake, and am so glad I did! I have always loved horses, and am never happier than when I have my hands on a horse! It is truly my bliss! I have studied Jim Masterson’s DVD’s, Mary Schreiber’s DVD’s, and their workbooks… I have learned a lot, but felt something was lacking. I have also been fascinated with Quantum Touch theory and healing as well, and have read many books on that subject. Also, Dr. Bradleys “The Emotion Code”. I am amazed with the mind, spirit, body connection, and I feel that is where you fill in the missing pieces. Do you offer certification classes at your location in Newcastle? I would love to come and study with you. Or if you know of someone hosting a class where they have the horses and venue, but need another person…preferably in Southern California… I LOVE your dedication to helping horses, and to helping the people who love them be able to help them! Thank you so very much for who you are and what you do! God bless you!”
“My name is Teri Szombathy. I live in Sun Valley, Idaho. I currently work as an equine vet tech. I took April’s level one class, unwinding the horse for a couple of reasons. One I had a horse that was physically sore all over and we could not diagnose the exact problem. He hurt in the ribs. His hocks were sore, he was very tight in the hamstrings and when I rode him he would not collect and pushed on the bit. Two I kept seeing the same horses coming into the clinic with physical problems but with no true diagnosis. I look at horses differently now and am able to evaluate them differently then I had before thanks to April. I am looking forward to finishing my next 2 levels.”
“I have never met April in person but we met through our businesses of treeless saddles. We have now become great ‘long distance’ friends and April has been wonderful in helping me and my mare to be healthier.
April has talked to my mare Mariah in her distance readings several times and she has always been correct in all her findings regarding what is bothering her (what an asset this is to have April’s talent to do this!).
After April’s recommendation of putting my mare (and myself) on the Natural Cellular Defense to detox her I saw quite an improvement in her overall attitude and more flexible joints (she is 15 and has some arthritis in her hocks). We all hope to get April to North Carolina to meet her and to experience her wonderful skills in person!!”
“I brought Navarre to April’s ranch home just two days ago. He’s an 18 year old thoroughbred who spent the first half of his life as a hard-core eventer, campaigning as a breeding stallion. Gelded at age 9 and sold to people who just didn’t know any better, he never had support to help his body heal and recover from his hard working days and multiple injuries. I was already aware of what Navarre needed, where his body was misaligned, that he wasn’t comfortable or happy in his body, and that his nutrition and energy were out of balance. I saw it, but I didn’t have what it takes to help him. I wanted more than a chiropractor, because there was more going on than just skeletal problems. I wanted more than a massage therapist. Acupuncture would have helped, but only to a certain point. I knew a veterinarian wouldn’t have what Navarre needed to regain emotional and energetic balance. I could have combined all of these types of therapies, and over a long period of time, after spending a very large amount of money, Navarre would have been closer to health. But that still wasn’t enough. April’s unique approach went straight to the source of Navarre’s various issues, and she very gently provided him with a way to release, physical and non-physical, that gave him immediate relief. His body relaxed visibly. As soon as he understood that April is here to take the pain away, he began offering to her, “Here…go to this part of my neck! Oh, yes, and go to my head now. And my hip wants to be released, too!” His coat changed color within the afternoon, regaining his rich dark bay that had faded to a stressed reddish color from spending years in pain. April’s treatment was clearly immediately effective, Navarre moved more comfortably, and I watched him relax right before my eyes. I could have paid hundreds and hundreds of dollars to inch Navarre closer and closer to relief…but the truth is, I don’t want to! April is more effective, more gentle, more efficient, and worth more than the money she receives. My goal with Navarre is to enjoy each other on trails, on the beach, and wherever else life takes us. With his body out of pain, he can feel comfortable riding again, and we get to have the relationship we’ve both always wanted – a “little girl” and her horse, totally in love!”
“Thank you April! Danny’s completing the 50 mile endurance ride at the ARC would not have been possible without your mentoring and “body works” skill. This is Danny’s 3rd 50 mile completion since getting the Bob Marshall saddle package. Danny is a small gaited horse and we all know the common wisdom that says endurance rides are best left to the Arabian breed. Following your program and advice, Danny was like the child’s book title “The Little Engine that Could”. Against larger breeds with longer strides, Danny did the ARC in the top half times and passed his vet checks in fine form. He appeared so composed and unperturbed after the 50 mile ride we wondered if he had the stamina to do the 70 mile ride instead. Barn checks days later indicate no bad after effects and just a regular, healthy horse. We have all read about the Horse Whisperer. Well, I’m thinking we have a terrific Horse Listener in our local area. April has an amazing attention to detail of the total horse not just a focus or specialty in one area. We used her NCD product to clear our horse and used her body work adjustments multiple times. We used her regimen of electrolytes and supplements. Moreover, the rider applied April’s knowledge and strategies of endurance riding. If you listen to April and take care of your horse, you not only have a healthy horse capable of extraordinary deeds but you will have a caring friend as well.”
“Having April at Sweetwater Ranch on Sept 24 – 26, 2011 was an wonderful experience for us all. I was impressed with her students skill at handling the horses, most did not need an assistant. They all were quiet and kind to the horses, I never felt a need to step in to assist or defend. The horses, even the ones who are not usually comfortable with strangers, quickly relaxed and enjoyed the work. The energy body work really seems to have a positive effect on the horses, mentally and physically, and the body movements just let the horse’s body put itself back into place, there are no violent or radical manipulations. I have been using chiropractic care for my horses for many years, and have always known that adjustment of C-7/T-1 is a very tricky spot – impossible for many practitioners. It is nice to see a fairly simple quiet way to get this area to settle back into alignment. Having used D.V.M. chiropractors as well as DC\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s who specifically trained for Equine Chiropractic, I am also aware that some self taught/self proclaimed adjustors are pulling on the ends of legs to get an adjustment, and sometimes they tear a stifle or injure a knee. I saw NO adjustment that was anywhere near that sort of damaging activity (and believe me, I was watching out for my horses). The demands on a barn manager were minimal – I simply made sure everyone had another appropriate horse to work on, and I did make assignments based on the students skill and confidence level. One woman was very soft spoken and I gave her the older kind ones to work on. Another woman was clearly adept – and in fact, she wound up working on a mare who had been a known kicker and one I still do not trust completely. Tracy was able to work quietly with Rain and the mare’s response to her was 100% positive. I would not have believed it had I not seen it. I don’t have a breeze way barn, so everyone worked under my trees. I am sure cross ties would be a nicer situation, but April was willing to work with what I could offer. The students brought their own food and water, I did offer my living room so they could watch videos during lunch. An office would serve just as well. For myself, I think I might have liked to arrange to have a couple assistants available, only because I would have preferred to watch more of the work more closely to have been able to learn more. But if you don’t want to observe and learn, then you would be able to do other work while this was going on. April had it all under control with a soft easy flow and I could see the students were enjoying the work as much as my horses were. I did teach a couple lessons over the weekend, and that was not a problem. The concession of keeping the demonstration horses out of work for 3 days was MORE than offset by the clear physical advantages from having their ‘spa weekend’. This was only a request From April, as the students were going to be working on different parts of the body on different days and she explained the horses would get more from the bodywork if they were not ridden till it was completed. My school horses were all much looser and more even in their movements, and the students who volunteered their horses for the program were all 100% complimentary of the positive changes that showed in the week that followed. One horse who has always gotten pacey in the sitting or collected trot, was suddenly ‘sittable’! And he went to the 4H horse show and won the hunter hack class – his first ever blue ribbon. I could never possibly afford to pay for all my horses to get such a physical tune up, so the benefits FAR outweigh any inconvenience of fetching new horses, fly spraying them and letting them have 3 days of rest which is all April asked of me. I will gladly welcome April and her students back at any future time. Next time, though, I will be sure to be a participant, so I can master some of this work myself. Anyone who has any questions, you can contact me personally, at 661-902-9892 or my email – equipoize@eathlink.net – I will put photos up from the event on my website – www.SweetwaterRanchAV.com as soon as possible. Right now they are on my facebook page – Sweetwater Ranch.”