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.
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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
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
Horse Behavior: Understanding Horse Behavior
Before we can ever hope to understand, let alone control the movement of a horse, it is important to know the various behaviors that motivate a horse to move in the first place. Being a
Horse Behavior: The meaning behind audible expressions
Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Dear Julie Goodnight, Several times this spring my mare has made a sound that sounds like a Donkey; she did it on the 28th of May when I put her
Horse Behavior: Seasoning A Horse For Shows
Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: I am writing from Pretoria South Africa. My daughter recently attended her first show-jumping event. Her horse boxed (trailered) without major problems and also traveled well. At the event this
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
Horse Behavior: Horse’s Instincts
Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Hi Julie, Can you tell what specifically are the horse’s instincts and how can we use these to our advantage in training? Yours gratefully, Emma Answer: Emma, The horse’s instincts
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,
Horse Behavior: Aggression At Feeding Time
Question: Hi Julie, First a “thank you” for all the help you have been to me in working on becoming a “natural Horseman”. My question is one regarding aggression at the feed bucket. I have
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
Prepare To Ride Bridle-Less With Neck Rope
Is your horse well-trained, and you’re ready to add a neck rope to your riding regimen, in preparation to go bridle-less? Clinician Julie Goodnight recommends riding with a neck rope and your bridle to know
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
Good Horse Gone Bad
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. “My new horse has turned out to be a nightmare. The seller misrepresented him as a well-trained horse. I think he was drugged when
Conquering The Canter
In every clinic that I teach, there are riders eager to canter; all they want to do is canter-canter-canter and maybe work on lead changes. Then there are those that want to canter but dread
Hay At A Premium Yet Again
After a record-breaking low snowpack here in the Rocky Mountains, a brittle dry spring, triple digit heat and single digit humidity, it should come as no surprise that the price of hay has set a
Guest Blog: My Top 3 Lessons From The Julie Goodnight Yoga & Riding Retreat
By Amy Herdy I’m going to be brutally honest here: I was a fan of clinician Julie Goodnight before attending her ”Women’s Riding and Yoga Retreats and Ranch Riding Weekend at C Lazy U Ranch” in Granby, Colorado.
My First Day On The Job, By Eddies Pick
My name is Eddies Pick and I come from a long line of working horses. In this, the third year of my life, things have really changed for me. It seems like only yesterday I
How Working Cattle Helps Your Horsemanship
I asked Julie to tell me a little about why she loves cow work and how it has improved her overall riding. Read on to find out what Julie loves about cow work, then check
Is Saddle Fit More Important to the Horse or the Rider?
I’ve just recently returned from a great clinic. It was a great group of riders and horses and I enjoyed working with all of them. We had green horses, finished horses, novices and experts, a
Preventing Herd-Bound Behavior
Horses are instinctively herd-bound. It’s one of seven categories of instinctive behavior in horses and it is known as gregarious behavior. A desire to be with others. BTW, the other categories of instinctive behavior in
Adversarial Relationships with Horses
I see it all the time at clinics, expos and at TV shoots. Sometimes it’s between untrained horses and inexperienced riders/handlers—a constant battle of the wills; but sometimes the opposite is true—often I see experienced
Ready to Ride: My Philosophy of Colt Starting vs Breaking
I like to talk about starting a young horse under saddle—what we used to refer to, crassly, as “breaking” a horse. It is a good sign for the state-of-the-horse-union that this term has fallen out of
Horse is Terrified of Being Mounted
Hello Julie,I have a 4 yr old registered paint gelding, Zippo Pine Bar bred, tall and gorgeous that I have had for just over a year!!! But, he is terrified of being mounted. I bought
Winter Riding Goals
I love the meditative state we get into, my horse and I, riding round and round in the endless monotony of the indoor arena. Nowhere to go, nothing to look at, no distractions, no surprises.
Horses in the Cold: We Blanket for Our Needs, Not Theirs
It was 6 below zero this morning. Relatively warm by some standards, when you compare it to 25 below, which our neighbors had. That’s why our valley is known as “the Banana Belt of Colorado.”
Take off Halters for Turnout
A few days ago, I was driving home from my last trip of the year, relishing the thought of being home for eight weekends in a row. As I drove through South Park (yes, there
Differences Between Horse Training and Dog Training
In almost every clinic I do, we start with ground work to help establish a productive relationship between horse and human—to develop respect, obedience, focus, communication and control. Frequently, someone will remark that training horses
Behind the Scenes: Prepping the Ranch for a Horse Master TV Shoot
Many years ago, a dear friend of mine told me that if I was going to keep up the pace I had set in my career, I should take a big fat red marker and
Why One Rein Is Better Than Two
This is the heart of clinic season for me and I have been on the road almost every weekend—WA,CA, OH, CO, MA. They were all great clinics with interesting people and horses. This weekend I
Bucket List
Starting last week, new episodes of Horse Master airing for the next nine weeks, which were filmed in Queen Creek Arizona back in January. As usual, I was happy with how all the episodes turned