Julie Goodnight's Horse Master Academy

Helping Horses, One Human at a Time

Explosive Canter Departures: Learning to let go and allow the horse to move forward

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I've learned to recognize the signs of the horse who's afraid of the canter departure. I've seen it many times throughout my career: A "forward" horse (with too much go) works just fine with the rider at the walk and trot, but when cued to canter throws a wall-eyed fit.  To me, an "explosive" canter departure is one where the horse--when cued to canter--throws his head up in … [Read more...]

A Safe Handle On The Reins

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A Safe Handle on the Reins   By Heidi Nyland Melocco with Julie Goodnight   Learn how to safely use your reins on the trail with top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight. She’ll explain how to hold and use both rope and split reins, plus how to stop and ground-tie.   When you’re on a long trail ride, you want comfortable and functional reins to … [Read more...]

In-Depth Thoughts On The Combination Bit

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Why would you use a rawhide nose band to achieve results with a lighter touch? Why not just do the training to have the horse understand the lighter pressure with a softer nose band? Rawhide is tough and rough and hurts. A: Just like with a bit in the mouth, it is only rough and tough in the wrong hands. To me, the horse will actually be lighter in the rawhide and you will … [Read more...]

Canter Malfunctions

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Top trainer Julie Goodnight helps you analyze your riding posture and prepare you for the perfect canter. Find out how rider errors contribute to wrong leads and more. By Julie Goodnight with Heidi Melocco PHOTOS BY HEIDI MELOCCO Cantering is the topic of choice at many of my clinics. Riders want to know how to ride the complex gait with confidence and what they can do … [Read more...]