Julie's Blog | Julie Goodnight Academy

Resources for Julie’s Blog

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

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

Abby on Skippy with Julie standing beside them.

Becoming The Leader

I love when kids are interested in riding. Most of the time the best horses for learning are the lazy and slow ones. Even if they are usually well-behaved, these horses can learn quickly that

Past Performance is No Guarantee of Future Success

Anyone who has ever invested in the stock market has seen this disclaimer: Past performance is no guarantee of future success. Yet when we invest our resources into a well-trained horse, we expect a guarantee

Trust Is A Two-Way Street

Trust is an elusive thing, both to give and to get. You cannot force or implore someone to trust you, you can only earn it. If you feel as though you have been wronged by

Do You Know What You Don’t Know?

Identify holes in your horsemanship training and continually seek new information An assignment from my first riding instructor—assembling a bridle from scratch—at first seemed like an easy task. But what seemed easy turned out to

5 Pound Challenge Monthly Post

February My husband reminded me that we are going on a beach vacation soon— Yikes! The double whammy! Vacation calories plus skimpy clothing and bathing suits. If that doesn’t motivate me to lose weight,

Sharing Your Passion For Horses With Kids

There is much about life to learn from horses and the lessons learned are too important not to share with as many youngsters as we can—be it your children, grandchildren or the neighborhood kids. If

2016 February Blog – It’s About Time

It’s About Time Most things in life that are important, take an investment of time—an education, a career, a relationship. Mastering a skill or a sport, starting a new business, overcoming setbacks; none of this

Eddie’s New Saddle – How Saddle Fit Changes Over Time

I bought Eddie in the spring of his 3 year old year; he was a handsome and sensible youngster with a great pedigree. A very ‘typey’ stock horse, he stood 14.2 hands and weighed in

First Aid For Horses

I’ve been taking care of horses for half a century and during that time I’ve seen hundreds of injured horses, from mild scratches to cuts that need stitches to deep-tissue lacerations, punctures and impalements. As

Feed-Time Aggression Fix Q & A

Question: Help! What do I do, my horses are crowding me when I go into their pen to feed them and it’s just scary to have them so close and on top of me. Plus,

Julie’s Training Log: November 2015

As I write my articles for November’s newsletter, Equine Affaire is quickly approaching! Hard to believe, one of my favorite expos is so close. Equine Affaire is November 12-15, 2015 http://www.equineaffaire.com/massachusetts/ and I will be

Note from Julie: October 2015

Dear friends, We’ve just returned from an incredible 4-day ranch-riding clinic at the C Lazy U Ranch and soon I am headed to Spanaway, Washington, for my last 2-day horsemanship clinic of the year, then

For No Apparent Reason: Learning to understand why horses behave the way they do

When folks tell me about problem behaviors, I hear one phrase often. I admit I’ve even said it myself when I was a young trainer. “For no apparent reason, my horse….” You can fill in

The Dish On Discipline

In a perfect world, horses would never bite, kick or misbehave. You know you need to correct your horse, but how do you know what is appropriate or too much “in the moment?” Here, top

Ready For Winter?

Tips for Making Your Horse-Keeping Life Easier This Winter Here in the high mountains of Colorado, where my horses and I live, winter comes early and hard. Our preparations begin before the summer is technically

Confidence From The Core

As we age, our balance, core-strength and posture can be negatively affected and all of these things have an impact on your confidence. If you think of the image of an elderly person tottering down

Strength Leads To Confidence

Strength Leads to Confidence By Julie Goodnight “That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” By and large, these are good words to consider when it comes to horses. Confidence is such a prevalent

Imagine A Career With Horses

Imagine a Career with Horses Not once in my childhood, in high school nor college, did it ever occur to me that I might have a career in the horse industry. Certainly, in my wildest

Dually Recovering from Colitis

It’s been a rough few weeks around our barn, but I am pleased to report a happy ending. My number one horse, Dually, has always been a high-maintenance horse, with digestive issues, performance injuries, tendency

Horses Living Alone

I first started riding horses more than half a century ago. I was a shy and introverted kid, so growing up on a small horse farm was like heaven to me. The horses in the

Helicopters And Horses: Achieving A Subtle Cue To Master Motion

I get very “zen” when I am riding—my mind is clear and my thoughts are carried along with the horse’s movement. Riding is my sanctuary, my restoration and where I come up with my best

Off To A Good Start

Off To A Good Start Are you raising a foal or young horse? Make sure you’re setting up a good relationship with respect from the start. To start your young relationship off on the right

Dale Myler’s Visit to the Ranch; Personal Bit Clinic

I’ve been having too much fun this week taking a private bitting clinic from Dale Myler, of Myler Bits USA. Dale was kind enough to come and give us his undivided attention for a couple

My Footing Fetish: All About Arena Footing

It’s time to dish some dirt—about dirt. I figured out that I stand, walk or ride in more than 50 arenas each year. Over several decades of riding horses and teaching clinics that means I’ve

Work Ethic: How Your Determination (And Your Horse’s Consistent Work) Leads To Dreams Fulfilled

A strong work ethic ensures an individual’s success—for both horses and humans. Whether you are bussing dishes or doing brain surgery, a good work ethic will make a difference in the rewards you reap and

Horse Guilt: Focus On Your Personal Riding Goals And Ditch Any Guilt About Not Riding Enough

My friend Nancy is a life-long rider in her 60s and a pretty good hand with a horse. One day while practicing her reining patterns in the arena, her horse spooked ‘out of the blue’

Horses As Our Teachers

For better or for worse, you can learn something from every horse that you ride—whether it is a skill or a life-lesson. Sometimes you learn something you should always do, or something you should never

C Lazy U, Part 3

Good day! I am enjoying another perfect summer day here at home. Even managed to get caught up on some gardening projects and household chores. I have one more major reorganization project to tackle here

Riding With Awareness

A group of seven of my horse-loving friends decided to get together and ride each Wednesday evening this summer. Our group consisted of new riders as well as pros, green horses and finished show horses.

Nurturing The Try In Your Horse

I have lived with and worked with horses for more than half a century. And the older I get, the more appreciation I have for horses and their willingness, generosity and ability to forgive. It

Bitless Or Bridle-Less? What Is The Difference?

Bitless or Bridle-less? To me, there’s a big difference. Often when I write about riding my horses bridle-less, people confuse it with the issue of riding bitless. To me, they are totally different subjects. At

To Shoe Or Not To Shoe?

To me, this is not a simple yes-or-no, black-or-white answer. Just as there are many good reasons not to shoe your horse, there are many reasons why you might want to shoe. There are few

Barn Rules, Cleanliness & Respect At Feeding Time

Like most horse trainers, when it comes to my barn, I run a tight ship and I like things very orderly and very systematic. Even though my barn is totally private—no outside horses for training,

Trailer Loading Training Techniques, Finding A Trainer

Question: I am an intermediate rider and have had my very first horse for the last year now. She is 18 years young and a great trail horse. I don’t know much about her past,

Annual Check-Up: Saddle Fit

Each year, about this time, I make it a point to look with fresh eyes at each of my horses to see if any saddle adjustments are necessary. Horses that I have had for years

Setting Training Goals

This time of year, reflection and goal setting comes naturally. I’ve always been a big fan of making New Year’s resolutions and more often than not, I keep them. For me, the secret to keeping

Bratty Behavior In Horses

Recently, I gave a training clinic with this very title at a horse expo. Since I do not travel with my own horses, I am reliant on the expo producers to find appropriate horses for

Quick Tips To Check Stirrup Length

Appropriate stirrup length is critical for all levels and disciplines of riders. It is important for safety, for rider balance and for the effectiveness of the rider in developing correct riding skills. Time and time

horses in snowy pasture with fall colors in the background

Get Your Horses And Barn Winter-Ready In The Fall

Things change fast up here in the mountains in early fall. The beginning of fall still feels like summer, but by the end all the leaves will have fallen and the mountains will be capped

Gravity: The Draw Of Horses After An Accident

Horses have their own gravity. If you’ve loved them in the past and been pushed away because of an injury or accident, it’s possible you’ll be drawn right back to their beautiful, sleek,

Leadership And Authority

Horses crave it and thrive on it; they worship the ground the herd leader walks on. Horses can recognize leadership traits in both horses and people and they cannot be fooled– either you act like

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through The Stages Of Life Part 3: The Senior Citizens

In our small town in Central Colorado, the schools are small and organized—with different wings for different ages of students. The elementary, middle and high schools are all separate but nearby. In the past two

Return Of The 5-Pound Challenge

OK everyone. We’re starting our famous 5-Pound Challenge again! This time it’s beefed up with a pledge you can sign. This is your chance to join the Goodnight Team in getting in shape–to improve your

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through The Stages Of Life Part 2: The Prime Time Horses

Note: In this three-part series, nationally respected horse trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight talks about the three “wings” in her barn (the elementary, middle and high school wings) and discusses what’s important to the age groups

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through The Stages Of Life Part 1: The Young Horses

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through the Stages of Life Part 1: The Young Horses In the small town where I live, we have a large school complex with three different buildings– the elementary, the

The Horse Master Episodes I Remember Most

Perhaps it is because I get to work with the horses and riders one-on-one when we are taping the show or perhaps it is because I watch the show again in the editing phase and

Raise Your Foal Right

Recently I was in Hamilton, New Zealand, as a clinician at EquiDays— their national horse expo. I met a lot of great people there, including three talented horsewomen, who were demonstrating their skills in a

Riding a Young Horse; Advancing Training Skills

I’m so proud of my young horse, Eddies Pick, a 3 y/o AQHA gelding from the famed 6666 Ranch, by their World Champion stallion, Sixes Pick. I bought Eddie back in April from the Legends

Reflections On Riding Bikes And Riding Horses

To celebrate our anniversary, my husband and I recently bought new mountain bikes and made a commitment to get in better shape. Living in the land of mecca for mountain bikers as we do, a