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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

Top Tips To Prepare Your Senior Horse For Winter

What defines a senior horse? While there is no consensus among experts about what constitutes a “senior” horse, most agree that it is not based on chronological age but on physiological age. Some horses may

Julie’s Tips On America’s Horse Daily

Find Julie’s tips from the AQHA publication. Tips about riding a rough trot, dealing with a head shy horse, links to safety videos, cantering tips, manners at feed time and more. Videos and articles await>>

Horseback Riding Basics: Using Your Aids, Part 2 from AQHA Daily

Clear, consistent communication is the key to smooth transitions with your horse. AQHA Professional Horsewoman Julie Goodnight explains that your horse comes to understand how you’re moving with how he’s moving and that you can

Your Horse’s Quiet Place; Teaching the head down cue

Getting your horse to drop his head gives him a serene, quiet place to be. It’s a great horse-training technique. From AQHA Professional Horsewoman and Certified Horsemanship Association instructor Julie Goodnight. Your horse’s head is

In-Depth Thoughts On The Combination Bit

Why would you use a rawhide nose band to achieve results with a lighter touch? Why not just do the training to have the horse understand the lighter pressure with a softer nose band? Rawhide

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

Fear Of Bugs?

Does Your Horse Have A Fear Of Bugs? Check out this Q and A with Julie Goodnight. Question: My horse has a fear of bugs, over the last year it has steadily gotten worse to

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

To Buy Or Not To Buy

To Buy or Not to Buy? Do you have your eye on a stock-horse breed for your next surefooted trail horse? Follow top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight’s seven expert horse-evaluation steps to help ensure a successful

Finding A Kid’s Horse

Finding a Kid’s HorseOlder is Better—You want a horse that is set in his ways, experienced and unflappable. The Rule of 20 says that the age of the horse plus the age of the rider,

The Secret? Keep It Simple!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE www.GettyEquineNutrition.com July 30, 2015 The Secret? Keep It Simple! By Juliet M. Getty, Ph.D. We know they’re out there. Horses who are enjoying life. Horses who are brimming with health – strong

Relationship Fix Series

Relationship Fix Series Bonding Dos and Don’ts By Julie Goodnight with Heidi Melocco Top trainer Julie Goodnight discusses how to show your horse affection without deteriorating your leadership in your herd of

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

ABC’s Volume 2 Care And Maintenance

First Aid Sometimes it seems like a horse could hurt himself even if you locked him in a padded stall. Running and playing with other horses keeps your horse happy but may mean he

What Supplements I Feed My Horses

With a high-quality forage, horses may not need concentrates or supplements at all, but all my horses get supplements because I want them to look and feel their best. For the most part, my horses

Horse Illustrated – Julie Goodnight Q & A

Cheating the Circle During Round Pen Work; Following the Herd Hierarchy at Feed Time Q: How can I get my horse to longe or round pen in a complete circle? He keeps cutting in to

Expert Trailer-Loading Fix

Have you ever had trouble loading your horse into the trailer — even when he’s loaded successfully in his past? There’s a chance you may unknowingly be contributing to his trailering issues. It’s easy to

Horses That Graze on Pasture All Day Eat More Slowly

Feeding Tips from Dr. Juliet Getty Horses That Graze All Day on Pasture Eat More Slowly If you let your horse out to graze on pasture for only a few hours each day, and provide

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

Ride Right With Julie Goodnight: Confidence on the Trail

It’s easy to lose confidence on the trail if your well-trained horse has defied you or refused to go forward. A threat to bolt or rear can make a confident rider worry and, in turn,

Bits Approved for Dressage Shows

The Barn Building Process

The planning and shopping process to build a barn on Heidi Melocco’s 2-acre place…. Installment 1: Do you keep your horses at home or are they boarded? Do tell! Hey all, it’s Julie’s TV show producer,

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

Riding Bridleless, Part 1 from Horse Illustrated

Julie talks about what you need to know before you even think about taking off the bridle. See the PDF>>Bridleless Preparation PDF

Canter Malfunctions

Top trainer Julie Goodnight helps you analyze your riding posture and prepare you for the perfect canter. Find out how rider errors contribute to wrong leads and more. By Julie Goodnight with Heidi Melocco Cantering

Stopping Saddle Squeaks

Stopping Saddle SqueaksThere’s nothing worse than riding around the arena in a saddle that’s so loud that everyone can hear you coming. The solution is simple. Take some baby powder and sprinkle it between

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

Ground-Work Exercises

RIDE RIGHT WITH JULIE GOODNIGHT Ground-Work Exercises Hone your horse’s manners and your leadership skills over the winter for a better ride in the spring with these tips from top trainer/clinician Unless you’re 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

My Horse Goes Where He Wants To Go

Does your horse always cut the corners in the arena? Does he veer around little obstacles—such as puddles—even though you told him to go straight through? Do your circles become smaller and smaller as you

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

Saddle Sore No More

As we get older, time in the saddle can bring on aches and pains. Here’s one horseman’s advice on how to minimize discomfort and enjoy your rides. http://www.equisearch.com/the-trail-rider/learn-ropes

Ask Julie Goodnight: Your New Trail Horse

Horse trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight answers a reader?s question about trail riding on a new horse and how to stay calm on the trail. http://www.equisearch.com/article/ask-julie-goodnight-your-new-trail-horse

A Walk On The Wilder Side

Forest or plains, mountains or ocean, Jim and Janine Wilder, with mounts Smoke and Max, have traversed almost every type of terrain in surefooted, confident style. http://www.equisearch.com/article/walk-wilder-side-15491

The Long Haul

Q: Dear Julie: Your trailer loading advice has helped me so much in the past. Now, I’m ready to take my horse on my first long road trip— we’re heading from Central Texas to a

Learn the Ropes with Julie Goodnight

Improve your Rope-handling skills with top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight. http://trailridermag.com/article/learn-ropes

Fix A Grass Grabber

Top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight tells you how to stop your horse from grabbing mouthfuls of grass during trail rides. Q. My young Quarter Horse gelding is always grabbing a “snack” while I’m riding through tall

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’

Winter Workouts – Ride Right With Julie Goodnight

The Trail Rider ~ January/February 2015 RIDE RIGHT WITH JULIE GOODNIGHT Winter Workouts Hone your horse’s manners and your leadership skills now for a better ride in the spring with these tips from top

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

HorseBooksEtc.com

Offering the largest selection of horse books & DVDs http://horsebooksetc.com/index.php?p=404

Horse Illustrated September 2014 issue

Be the first to read exclusive stories related to our September issue – only on HorseChannel.com. http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-magazines/horse-illustrated/

Bridling Basics With Julie Goodnight

Learn the right way to bridle your horse with these tips from the Certified Horsemanship Association; Julie Goodnight demonstrates. http://www.equisearch.com/article/bridling-basics-with-julie-goodnight

Horse Master Julie Goodnight Wearing The Troxel Rebel Cross

Horse Master Julie Goodnight wearing the Troxel Rebel Cross http://www.pinterest.com/pin/506232814334266524/

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