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Back From the Brink: Managing Emotional Meltdowns in Horses

No doubt about it—horses are emotional animals; perhaps more emotional than humans. As prey and herd animals, horses are programmed to adopt the emotions of the animals around them (herd mentality) and react appropriately. It

Cultivating a Connection with Horses

Julie and her now retired cowhorse, Dually, take a moment to connect. Duke was a well-trained gelding, successful in the show ring as a youngster, then ridden extensively in the rugged mountains of Colorado. He

March 2021 Horse Report

March has been a snowy month for us, but we are grateful for the moisture that will ease us out of drought conditions and help green up our pastures. It will be the end of

April 2021 Horse Report

Dear Friends, The horses are starting to shed and the outdoor arena has thawed enough to ride in—surely spring is around the corner! The horses are feeling frisky, and adventurous equestrians are planning new excursions.

Secret Powers are Within You!

It should go without saying that training and riding a thousand-pound flight animal is complicated—it’s the only sport I know of that involves inter-species teamwork. Riding is a partnership of two athletes—horse and human—each with

February 2021 Horse Report

Here in the high mountains of Colorado, we’re still in our deepest part of winter, with sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow. It’s the time of year when we go into a holding pattern with our

Canter Hacks | Part 2: Canter Hacks for Advanced Horses & Riders

Last month, I wrote about some of the most common canter problems I see in less-experienced riders and green horses, gave some quick fixes, and shared a few horsemanship secrets. For this article, I’ll address

February 2021 Letter from Julie

Dear friends, Although the “new” has worn off this year now, as the days get longer and the nights warmer, I am beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. It’s starting

Remi and Momma Joy turned out in the arena.

January 2021 Horse Report

Winter is long and hard, here in the high mountains of Colorado and although the days are getting longer now, subzero temperatures, wind and ice, make riding outdoors a challenge. Thankfully, our indoor arena has

January 2021 Letter from Julie

Dear friends, Rich and I spent the holidays alone and together. For Christmas, we enjoyed a few unseasonably warm days at the lake, boating, in almost complete and utter solitude. As it turns out, ice

Julie cantering a warmblood in an arena.

Canter Hacks | Part 1 of 2

Five Canter Hacks for Green Horses and Green Riders The natural gaits of the horse are walk, trot and gallop. The canter is a slow, collected gallop, developed over time, through training. Rarely do you

December 2020 Horse Report

Here in the Colorado mountains, we love snow! The more, the better. And it looks like a white Christmas is in the forecast. Our valley is the headwaters of the Arkansas River; our snowmelt sends

December 2020 Letter from Julie

Dear friends, I admit I’m happy this year is coming to a close. It’s been a tough one for most of us, and for some of us, it’s been downright devastating. But it’s heartening to

Julie's dad on his palomino trail horse, Scout.

The Making of a Trail Horse, Part 4 (and Other Duties, as Assigned)

I remember my father’s last and best trail horse, Scout. He was a big, bold, grade quarter horse, afraid of nothing, with a motor like a freight train. Aboard Scout, my father climbed all over

November 2020 Horse Report

It was a fitting end to my travel-year, when my last remaining clinic was cancelled, not due to the pandemic, but because of raging wild fires in northern Colorado. This has certainly been a year

Mamma Joy and baby Remi at Julie's ranch.

November 2020 Letter from Julie

Dear friends, As this bizarre year comes ever so slowly to a close, there is so much to reflect on. It’s easy to get caught up in the negatives and dwell in the gloom and

View from behind horse's ears of treed hills and mountain range.

The Making of a Trail Horse, Part 3

Foundational Training Under-Saddle With solid ground-handling skills in place, half the battle of under-saddle training is behind you. As the young horse’s training progresses from ground manners to riding skills, there are certain philosophies that

October 2020 Horse Report

After five months with no horse expos, no clinics and no traveling, in the last four weeks I’ve traveled to three clinics. It’s good to be back, and we had fantastic events in Jackson Hole

The Making of a Trail Horse, Part 2

Manners and Skills There are many ingredients that go into the making of an exceptional trail horse and just like in the kitchen, quality ingredients can make the difference in an average dish or an

October 2020 Letter From Julie

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

September 2020 Horse Report

Summer came to a screeching halt around our ranch, just two days after record heat on Labor Day, when we were hammered with well over a foot of snow and temps in the low 20s

The Making of a Trail Horse

My youngest horse, Pepperoni, just successfully completed his first high mountain ride in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness Area, a steep mountain range in southern Colorado. It was an arduous test of his skills and

September 2020 Letter from Julie

Dear Friends, This fall brings a transition like no other. Normally, I take a break from business travel in the summer and ease back into full swing, traveling to horse expos, clinics and conferences in

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

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

July 2020 Horse Report

With more time at home than ever before, you’d think I’d get my horse ridden every day. I guess it’s not surprising that having to totally reinvent the way you do business might take some

July 2020 Letter from Julie

Dear friends, It’s definitely been an interesting summer so far. Like so many of you, I’m getting used to a new way of doing business, and so far, I’ve managed to fill in the holes

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

June 2020 Letter From Julie

Dear friends, The last three months have been a whirlwind of disappointment, worry, having expectations, lowering expectations, exploring options, reinventing business, getting used to a new normal and gradually gaining hope about the future. Like

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

Helping Horses in Need—It Takes a Village

Dear Friends, This is a story about one horse that needs our help, and the dozens of people stepping up to help horses in need every day. But the truth is, he is only one

May 2020 Letter from Julie

Dear Friends, Another month has gone by while we all do our share to fight the spread of this awful virus. Here in Colorado, we are slowly rebooting the economy and I am hopeful that

The Unwanted Horse in the United States: An Overview of the Issue

Author, Tom R. Lenz, DVM, MS, DACT provided permission to post. Horses in the United States no longer wanted have been sold or discarded by their owners throughout history, but it is only in the

The Unwanted Horse issue – Where is it today? 2020

This article is posted with the Author’s Tom Lenz DVM, MS, DACT permission. Horses in the United States no longer wanted have been sold or discarded by their owners throughout history, but it

April 2020 Horse Report

In the four weeks since my last horse report, we have been on lockdown. Most Americans, and indeed people all over the world, are affected by this pandemic but for each of us, the effects

Horsemanship Homework

Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. Despite our best efforts, there are times when life-events will supplant your horsemanship activities. Putting in too many hours at work, an illness in the family, a new job,

April 2020 Letter From Julie

Dear friends, What a difference a month makes! Here in Colorado, we are in our third week of shutdown and second week of stay-at-home orders. We are all taking the pandemic seriously and doing our

March 2020 Horse Report

Had I written this report a week ago, when I was supposed to, it would have sounded much different. Then, I would’ve been whining about being on the road too much and how little ride-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

March 2020 Letter from Julie

Dear friends, The valley I live in is known as “the banana belt of Colorado” for a reason. At a high altitude, winters are long and in spite of lots of snow and cold in

February 2020 Horse Report

We are in the midst of a long, hard winter! Typical this time of year, one day might be sunny and warm with highs in the 40s or 50s, and the next is single digits,

Pepper walking in the snow between two tree branches.

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

February 2020 Letter From Julie

Dear friends, Is it Spring yet? Once the holidays are behind me, I’m always eager to get the year underway. I’ve got places to go, people to meet and horses to ride! I’ve been busy

January 2020 Horse Report

All of the horses are currently healthy, hairy and happy. And for that, I am grateful. Even old Dually (now 20 years old and retired from active duty) is occasionally spotted running and bucking in

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