California Riding Magazine • May, 2010

Leah von Henkle Industries
Sales and training are synergistic enterprises for highly regarded hunter/jumper trainer.

The testimonials on Leah von Henkle’s website say it all. Bernie Traurig, Mandy Porter and Barb Ellison are among the hunter/jumper world heavy hitters that sing the San Diego horsewoman’s praises. “Leah is a consummate professional,” says sporthorse owner and breeder Ellison.

“She works diligently for her clients and is a wonderful horsewoman.”
Based at Ridgemar Equestrian in Del Mar, von Henkle is well known for her expertise and effectiveness with sales horses and as a trainer and coach. A symbiotic relationship between the sales and training sides of von Henkle Equestrian creates many possibilities. She can often match a consignment horse with a rider seeking a variety of short-term lease options, defraying the costs and increasing the benefits for both parties. Her training program is equally flexible. She’s open to riders who want to contest the County level and/or the A circuit and also those who just want to board their horse and have an occasional lesson.

Barn size is the only thing she’s not very flexible about. “I like to keep it on the small side so I can give everybody the individual attention that they like.” An average of 10 to 15 horses is the norm.

Von Henkle sold her first horse, a pony, actually, at 12, and has since parlayed a gift for horse-rider match-ups into a thriving career. As a sales agent and a trainer, that relationship is essential, she explains.

“It’s all about a rider being mounted properly. A lot of people are over or under mounted. If you are under mounted, you are not challenged enough and if you are over mounted, you are going to ride
with fear always. So, the first step is finding the right horse.”

In a sales context, von Henkle’s experience means that buyers will typically come try one or two horses that are great potential mounts, rather than five or six so-so possibilities. Clear communications with the buyer’s coaches and long standing relationships in the industry make this possible. From the horse seller’s perspective, von Henkle’s efficiency as a match-maker means their horse finds a good home typically within one to three months of being consigned; most often within just one month. This varies, of course, according to the horse’s level of training and conditioning when it arrives. An accomplished competitor in the hunter and jumper rings, von Henkle can put any amount of development or polish on sales horses.

Known for taking wonderful care of the horses in her charge, von Henkle’s equine inventory typically includes everything from beginner-suitable ponies to mounts ready for the higher jumper divisions. Realistic expectations regarding prices are important, but the sales business is thriving, notes von Henkle, who is currently offering lower rates in response to the economy.

As a trainer, von Henkle emphasizes the basics with lots of flatwork and jumping grids. “I like to keep it simple,” she says. “In this day and age there’s a tendency to try to make riding more difficult than it needs to be. I stress the fundamentals.” She enjoys helping riders master the psychological aspects of the sport and finding calm and joy in their equestrian pursuits.

In addition to her home base in San Diego, von Henkle has joined up with Northern California trainer Jeannie Scalise, visiting her Avalon Farms in Portola Valley regularly to work with students and horses.
In the business for 35 years, the trainer made her mark in the hunter/jumper world as a junior and competed successfully in jumpers under Ronnie Freeman’s guidance. She earned a business degree and studied in France before returning to California in 2004 to enter the sales business and establish von Henkle Equestrian. Since then, von Henkle has continually built upon her reputation
as a reliable source for great horses and great training.

For more information, visit www.lvhindustries.com or call 760-310-3552.