Dear Friends,
At my ranch, here in the “Heart of the Rockies,” fall came fast and furious with 14” of snow on the ground just two days after record heat on Labor Day. It was a rude awakening, but a reminder to enjoy every day of the fall riding season—for it will soon be over. So I’ve been busy making hay while the sun shines!
We had a fabulous Ranch Riding Adventure clinic at the C Lazy U Ranch in September. The clinic was full to riders, and we all enjoyed the incredible fall colors, cool nights and warm sunny days spent on the back of a horse. Since most of our time was spent outdoors, social distancing was easy, and everyone was cooperative about mask-wearing indoors. The ranch operated all summer without incident under COVID restrictions. Their staff is religious about mask-wearing, distancing and cleaning.
I am headed back to the ranch for two more clinics this fall: The Fall Ranch Getaway (co-taught with Barbra Schulte) and Horsemanship Immersion. Both programs still have a few openings if you’re looking for an adventure!
Rich and I just returned from Jackson, Wyoming, where I conducted Equus Magazine and Showsheen®’s Win-A-Day with Julie Goodnight Clinic for the lucky winner, Emily Cholak, and nine of her closest horse buddies. The clinic was lots of fun, the horses were great and everyone made a lot of progress in one day! Rich and I also enjoyed camping for four nights in the exquisite Alpine valley, and while we did not take horses, we did enjoy riding our mountain bikes (which are far easier to stow, travel with and take care of than horses). My father lived in Jackson Hole for 25 years, and I’ve done a lot of horse packing in those mountains. It was fun to see the area again (my how it’s grown), and visit our old stomping grounds.
This month, I have two clinics at the C Lazy U Ranch and the CHA Virtual Conference on the 30th. My clinic for the CHA Conference is on Simple & Flying Lead Changes. We filmed the clinic already, and I will narrate the video live at the Virtual Conference on the 30th.
The Conference, although designed for horse professionals, is open to anyone who wants to learn, and CHA has generously offered a significant discount for subscribers to this newsletter (that’s you!). Just enter priority code JG when you register to get the $95 member price (reg. $155.00!). Find out more about the V-Conference and register.
As this unforgettable year winds down, we are looking ahead with enthusiasm to 2021. Most of the cancelled horse expos I had in 2020 have re-booked me for 2021 and are busy planning for the new year. My 2021 clinic schedule remains up in the air, but most likely I will continue my clinics at C Lazy U and also conduct more private clinics around the country.
We’ve got plans brewing for private clinics in CA, NC, CO, FL, and VA. If you’re interested in hosting a private clinic, I’d love to come to your area to work with you and your horses. Check out JulieGoodnight.com/PrivateClinics for more information on hosting a private clinic.
I hope the fall weather is glorious, wherever you are, and that you get some quality time with your horse before winter hits. Now more than ever, we see the healing benefits of having horses. There’s nothing more therapeutic than cleaning stalls or listening to the sounds of horses eating hay in a quiet barn. It’s where I go when life piles up on me and I feel like my head will explode, and the horses are always there for me. I hope your horses are healing you, too.
Enjoy the ride,
