Resources for Megan Fischer
Quick Tip to Recondition Your Horse
Here’s a quick tip for a plan to recondition your horse if they’ve been off for a while. Thanks to Cosequin Equine for sponsoring this tip!
August 2020 Horse Report
Here we are at the peak of riding season and I’m happy to report that our horses are all healthy and sound, even our foster horse, Doc Gunner. For the last 90 days, Gunner has
Circle of Trust Interview with Barbra Schulte & Julie Goodnight
Barbra Schulte interviewed Julie Goodnight for this recording. She specifically asked how Julie grows a connection with a horse and builds trust.
Make Grooming a Cinch
Article by Absorbine: Professional Julie Goodnight weighs in with some tips Whether you’re headed out to the first show of the “season” or keeping a horse quarantine clean, with ShowSheen® from Absorbine®, you can get
Get a Handle on Your Reins
Tack and equipment play an important role in riding and training horses. Knowing the options and making the right choices can make a huge difference in your riding. The four natural aids of the rider
August 2020 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, I’m not sure whether I’m sad to see summer wane or glad to see this year halfway behind us. The not-knowing-what’s-next is hard for everyone, myself included. I miss helping horses with
Too Hot to Trot
I grew up in central Florida, riding year-round in the steamy heat. As a young girl, most of my summer riding was done bareback, barefooted, in a bathing suit (much to my mother’s chagrin). As
June 2020 Horse Report
All the excitement around my barn in the last month was about Doc Gunner, my new “foster horse.” He arrived at our place on June 18th after a long haul from Oklahoma City. Doc Gunner
My First Covid-Era Horsemanship Clinic
After almost two decades of being a road warrior, traveling 20-30 times a year to clinics and public speaking at horse fairs and conferences, I suddenly found myself grounded when travel came to a screeching
May 2020 Horse Report
For my horses, not much has changed during the pandemic. For me, I’m adjusting to a new rhythm that does not include packing and unpacking. Being stuck at home, I thought I’d have more time
Fresh Start
Like my fruits and vegetables, I prefer my horses fresh. It’s clearly not for everyone, but I enjoy riding a horse that’s a little bit excited, that’s looking down the road, eager to get there
Winter “Whoas”
Unless you have the luxury of loading up your horses and heading to Arizona or south Florida for the winter, chances are good your riding activities have been seriously curtailed by winter weather. Whether you’re
My Favorite Books of the Year and Decade
As a voracious reader, I often reference books when I’m teaching or public speaking. Typically, that leads to questions from other voracious readers about what horse books I recommend. With the start of a new
January 2020 Letter From Julie
Dear friends, Happy New Year! I’m reluctant to see another year end, but I’m enthusiastic about the opportunities the new year brings. I’m a planner, so I like looking ahead; I’m an overachiever, so I
November 2019 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, Winter has descended on us rapidly, here in the high mountains of Colorado—we’ve already had several snows and single-digits. We always appreciate the snow (not so much the single digits), no matter
New Kid on the Block: Introducing a new horse to the herd
Whether you keep your horse at home or at a boarding facility, there will be times when new horses must be integrated into an existing herd. Generally, this involves a lot of posturing between the
September 2019 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, We spent Labor Day Weekend boating at the lake (one of my other passions). It was our 19th wedding anniversary, in addition to one of the last weekends of summer, so Rich and
August 2019 Letter from Julie
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Dear friends, The summer is flying by too fast here in the Colorado Rockies! I’ve enjoyed some time off at the lake—boating, fishing, swimming, chillin’ and grillin’. Fortunately, Melissa keeps my horses going
July 2019 Horse Report
For the summer, I am focusing all my barn time on my colt, Pepperoni. Dually is now fully retired, Rich rides Eddie and Mel rides Annie for me. When I am only riding one horse
Joy 2 Ride: Top Ten Qualities of My Ideal Riding Horse
#Joy2Ride | Top 10 Qualities of My Ideal Riding Horse I expect a lot from my horses, and they rarely let me down. My horse is my partner, first mate and a reflection of my
July 2019 Letter from Julie
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Dear friends, After a busy spring travel schedule, I am thrilled to have some extended time at home to ride my horses and enjoy the glorious Colorado summer. Rich and I are hosting
June 2019 Horse Report
Dear Friends, With my summer break (from travel) ahead of me, I’m eager to get more time in the saddle! My youngster, Pepperoni, is doing well given the sporadic ride time I’ve had in the
June 2019 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, With the spring expo season in my rearview mirror, my attention turns to horsemanship clinics. As always, we had a fabulous time at the C Lazy U Ranch last month, which is celebrating
Equine Good Citizen Award: Is your horse eligible?
Well-mannered, easy to handle horses are a joy to be around—it’s like pushing the easy button. A calm, patient, focused horse that respects your boundaries, is eager to please and willing to do you bidding
May 2019 Horse Report
It’s my busiest time of year, and most weeks I’m only home a couple nights—which makes owning a colt challenging. Pepperoni is the kind of young horse that needs to be ridden daily and kept
Unspoken Agreements
Is your horse easy to get along with, until you ask him to do something new and different? Or, heaven forbid, something he doesn’t want to do? Perhaps he’s happy to go down the trail
May 2019 Letter From Julie
Dear friends, Prime riding season is fast approaching and most of us are gearing up and making plans to spend some quality time with our horses this summer—I know I am! My husband surprised me
Horse Report April 2019
I’ve spent more time on the road than at home this month, getting less ride time on my horses than I would’ve liked. Fortunately, I have Melissa, my barn manager, to keep the horses going
Top 5 Trailering Tips
Loading a thousand-pound flight animal into a small container on wheels and driving that live-weight down a busy highway to a horse show or up a 4WD forest road to a trail head, is no
April 2019: Letter from Julie
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Dear friends, I’m thrilled it’s spring! I was gone for two weeks in March and when I got home, my outdoor arena had totally thawed and Rich had freshly groomed it for me,
Horse Report March 2019
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] This is not a winter we will soon forget. More snow, ice, wind and cold weather than I can remember for some time. Thankfully, we have a nice toasty indoor arena, but after
Horse Master Memories
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] After 11 years of producing the TV show, Horse Master with Julie Goodnight, and 260 episodes featuring a different horse and rider, I made the decision to end the series. Eleven years is
March 2019 Letter from Julie
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] Dear friends, Last month, my horses and I spent a week at Colorado State University, substitute teaching for the Legends of Ranching colt-starting class. (This class has 32 young, untrained horses paired with
February 2019 Horse Report
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] I’ve had a little more time on my horses this month. Pepperoni, now a 3-year-old, is progressing nicely after a small setback from a stifle sprain. After treatment from Dr. Potter (who was
Horse Master with Julie Goodnight, The Final Chapter
My career as a horse trainer took a sudden detour back in 2008, when I went from riding horses for a living to producing a television series, called Horse Master with Julie Goodnight. Becoming an
February 2019 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, This year is off to a roaring start for me, with an early trip to Denver for the WESA market show (a trade show for buyers and sellers of horse-related products). It’s a
January 2019: Horse Report
At the moment, all my horses are healthy and sound (knock on wood), but we’ve been contending with injuries and various lameness issues rotating through my herd. Dually is looking better than he has in
Back to Basics: Part 2, Square-One in the Riding Arena
When a horse’s training is either lacking or confused, we often talk about going “back to basics.” Last month, I talked about basic training from the ground—and how important it is to have a well-mannered,
January 2019 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, I’m not one to look in the rearview mirror for too long—I’m too pre-occupied with what’s in front of me. I’ve got so many exciting new projects coming to fruition this year, and
Back to Basics (Part 1)
“It’s time to go back to Square One.” This is a phrase we often throw out when a horse has developed undesirable behaviors, or the handler has lost all authority and control of the horse.
December 2018 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, Although I’m sad this year is coming to a close, I’m excited about next year. I’ve got exciting changes in store for 2019, with a few pet projects of mine coming to fruition.
November 2018 Horse Report
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Julie Goodnight (@juliegoodnight) on Nov 14, 2018 at 12:07pm PST Annie is fully recovered from her sprained stifle and is back in training and
November 2018 Letter from Julie
Dear friends, Snow storms, single-digit temperatures, hurricanes and “red tide” provided interesting challenges to my travels last month. From the high mountains of Colorado, to the gulf coast of Florida, Mother Nature made her presence
Reward, Reinforcement and Punishment
Horses are intricate and complicated animals and their views and perceptions of the world around them can be quite different from our own. Being prey animals and flight animals, horses are highly sensitive to all