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Issues From The Saddle: Why One Rein Is Better Than Two

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: My riding instructor and I have a question regarding using one rein while riding. I’ve seen it mentioned in several different articles and books. John Lyons discusses using

Issues From The Saddle: Understanding Pressure

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: How do you know how much pressure a horse needs to respond to your cues and directions? Answer: From observing any given riding session, on any given day,

Issues From The Saddle: Teaching Horse to Keep Head Down

Question: I watched a show several weeks ago with Julie helping a rider work with a horse that lifted his head up to get away from the bit. I thought she taught the rider to

Issues From The Saddle: Speeding Up A Slow Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Julie, I was at the Equine Expo in Massachusetts last week and enjoyed your clinics immensely. Quick synopsis of my quarter horse…I got him a year and a

Issues From The Saddle: Slowing Down A Fast Horse

Question: Hello, Just wondering if you could give me some advice. My horse, a six year old mustang had been trained for about ten months. He stops, turns fine, but I cannot get him to

Issues From The Saddle: Nervous To Go On Trail

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Dear Julie, I have an 8-year-old gelding that is very easy to work with on the ground and in the arena. He tends to become uptight, and nervous

Issues From The Saddle: My Horse Holds The Bit And Throws Head When Unbridling

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Julie, My horse holds the bit in her mouth when I am trying to take the bridle off and then throws her head up in the air and

Issues From The Saddle: Must Be In Front On Trail

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Dear Ms. Goodnight, I have a 15-year-old quarter horse, MAX, who decided he does not want to be the second horse out on the trail. I ride alone

Issues From The Saddle: How To Deal With A Spooky Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Hello Julie, I was glad to see you are doing a clinic in my area in NH. I have a 10 year old who was born on my

Issues From The Saddle: Horse Won’t Move Forward; When To Use Spurs

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Dear Julie, I’ve seen your show on RFD-TV about how to lower your horse’s head. In the episode you mentioned something about spurs, how to use the spurs

Issues From The Saddle: Horse Pulls To Arena Gate

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Hello, I am have a Tennessee walker and she rides around the arena fine until she passes the gate. Then it happens, she starts to walk sideways in

Issues From The Saddle: Horse Eats Grass While Trail Riding

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Dear Julie, I have a young quarter mare that is constantly reaching for food on the trail. I have gotten after her for this and have never allowed

Issues From The Saddle: Gate Sour

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Hello, I am have a Tennessee walker and she rides around the arena fine until she passes the gate. Then it happens, she starts to walk sideways in

Issues From The Saddle: Cold Backed Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Hello Julie: I was on the Internet searching for info on rearing and found your web site. I have a question I hope you can help with. I

Issues From The Saddle: Clarification: Weight Limits For Riders

Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: I purchased a welsh pony 12.1 hh 18 y.o with loads of experience as parade, driving, riding western, English and the list goes on. He is not spooky

Issues From The Ground: Won’t Stand For Farrier

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I have a couple yearlings that are not standing very well for the farrier. My stud yearling, an appaloosa, just wouldn’t stand well at all. The farrier after

Issues From The Ground: Will Not Stand Still

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi Julie, I was at your clinic in Colorado Springs—I don’t know if you’ll remember me, but I had the 4 year old black BLM mustang, Ranger, with

Issues From The Ground: Why Won’t My Horse Listen To Me?

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi Julie, Training concern: Horse won’t stand still to be groomed. I have a 16 hand QH gelding that I have had since October. I am a new

Issues From The Ground: Teaching The Whoa Cue

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Dear Julie: I enjoy your presentations….and I have a question that I hope you can help me with my horse, Rocky. During ground work he does not respond

Issues From The Ground: Pulls Back When Tied

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hello Julie, Your Incident article has prompted me to write. Thank you for stressing the dangers of pullers, and the comment of kissing a horse on the muzzle

Issues From The Ground: My Horse Charges Me In The Round Pen

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Dear Julie, I saw your DVD Round Pen Reasoning this summer. This was the first time I had seen anything on round penning, but I decided to try

Issues From The Ground: Leading Through Gates

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Julie, I’m waiting until May 20th when I expect to find out if a job transfer is talking place before I commit to the young horse training on

Issues From The Ground: Leading A Bridled Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Do you think it is safer to have the reins over the horse’s head and behind the saddle horn (western) or should the reins be completely off the

Issues from the Ground: Lead line leadership

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I know I need to teach my horse to respect me while I’m leading him at halter. He’s pushy and pulls me. How do I get started? How

Issues From The Ground: Hard To Catch Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Ground I would love some tips on the hard to catch horse. Spring fever has sprung and he is avoiding me. He figures if I can’t catch him I won’t

Issues From The Ground: Ground Manners For The Veterinary Visit

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: How do I train my horse to be a perfect citizen for the vet so that he gets gentle handling and is well-liked (and well-treated) by my vet?

Issues From The Ground: Desensitizing To Touch In Sensitive Areas

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hello Julie, I recently purchased a 13 yr QH mare about six months ago. I had been riding her for about eight months with an additional two-month lease.

Horse Behavior: Quiz: Is Natural Horsemanship Right For Your Horse?

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Understanding Natural Horsemanship Part I of a three part series on Natural Horsemanship By Julie Goodnight READER’S QUIZ Will Natural Horsemanship Help My Horse and Me? Take this quiz to

Horse Behavior: Aggressive Kicking In The Pasture

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Hi Julie- My husband and I have both benefited so much from your training DVDs, halters and lead ropes, as well as your wonderful television show. We look forward to

Cantering Help: Training Young Horses To Lope

Question: Dear Julie, I have started riding my 2-year-old paint gelding. I’ve had him since he was 3 months old. He’s super gentle-almost too gentle. I have taken him out trail riding with other horses,

Cantering Help: Resistant To Canter Cue

Question: I have a 4 yr old Arab gelding, has a wonderful jog and walk, but when ask to canter or anything faster than the jog, he displays a bad attitude, pinned ears and curled

Cantering Help: Bucking Fits At Canter

Question: Dear Julie, I have a bit of an issue with bucking (sometimes so unexpectedly…) when asking my mare to lope (slow canter). If I let her go off at her own pace (at a

Building A Better Relationship: New Horse Has Become Herd Bound

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: I got my first horse last October and things started out great but through the winter he started to become very buddy sour and now it is starting

Building A Better Relationship: My horse Takes Advantage Of Me

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: I was hoping you could give me some advice on a training problem I am having. I have a 3-year-old Quarter Horse gelding that I just want to

Building A Better Relationship: Horse Testing Rider

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Hi Julie, I am a beginning rider, and have been taking lessons twice a week for about three months now. I have wanted to learn to ride since

Building A Better Relationship: Ground Work Techniques

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Hi Julie, I caught just a minute of your Ground Manners clinic yesterday at Equine Affaire. I have seen this method of twirling the lead (don’t know what

Talk About Tack: Which Bit For Neck Reining On A Finished Horse?

Question Category: Talk about Tack Question: Julie, How do I know what bits to try on a horse that is new to me? And can I ride western (neck rein) in a bit without leverage?

Talk About Tack: Using A Tom Thumb Bit

Question Category: Talk about Tack Question: I have a horse that constantly tosses her head and fools with the bit. I use a tom thumb with her. Please give me a short education on bits.

Talk About Tack: Understanding Bits– Tom Thumb

Question Category: Talk about Tack Question: Ms Goodnight: We always come and see your seminars at Equine affair in Ohio. Last year I really enjoyed your discussion about balance and position I took good notes

Talk About Tack: Understanding Bits– Myler

Question Category: Talk about Tack Question: Dear Julie, My question to you is what is your opinion of Myler bits? I came across a book recently that talked about the Myler comfort snaffle. I was

Talk About Tack: Saddle Rigging Explained/ Julie’s Saddle Line With Flex Tree Saddles

Question: I am switching from English to Western and am hoping to get one of your Peak Performance saddles. I am looking at the Monarch Arena/Trail saddle or the Wind River Trail saddle. I really

Talk About Tack: Saddle Fit

Question: Dear Julie, Six months ago I bought a 7 y/o QH gelding and he has turned out to be an awesome trail riding horse and a promising versatility ranch horse prospect. He is dark

Talk About Tack: Rope Halter — Do’s And Dont’s

Question: Dear Julie: I have a silly question…My mare is 15yo and I have NEVER used a rope halter. Do you have a basic do’s and don’ts for me….things I need to know to help

Talk About Tack: My horse Tosses Her Head, What Bit Should I Use?

Question: We purchased a 6 yr old mare approx. 6 mos ago. She was previously bridled with a D Ring Snaffle. We have tried transitioning her with other Snaffles and a Touch Plus. She seems

Talk About Tack: Is A Snaffle Really Comfortable?

Question: Hi Julie, I came across a book recently that talked about the comfort snaffle. I was surprised to learn that snaffles are not exactly what they are supposed to be and some bits that

Talk About Tack: How High Does The Bit Go In The Horse’s Mouth?

Question Category: Talk about Tack Question: Dear Julie, How do you know when a bit is properly sitting in the horse’s mouth? We have always heard that you look at the “wrinkles”. However, this can

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

Building A Better Relationship: Does My Horse Respect Me?

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Dear Julie, I have a 5 year old Tennessee Walker that I have had for almost a year. I am not sure if some of the things that