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Resources for Training Advice
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“Bit” Of A Problem

What to do when your horse fights taking the bit. Question: Our horse, a 12-year-old Quarter Horse, has started a bad habit. Recently, we had our vet float his teeth, and since then, he fights
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Stirrups

They aren’t a foot rest. http://americashorsedaily.com/stirrups/#.VGaIjE10xet
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Rough Trot

Expert advice to smooth out a bumpy ride on your horse. http://americashorsedaily.com/rough-trot/#.VGaJBU10xet
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Horses That Kick

Expert advice to quell a kicking horse’s bad habits. http://americashorsedaily.com/horses-that-kick/#.VGaGnU10xet  
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Training Outside The Round Pen

Learning cues outside the round pen http://americashorsedaily.com/training-outside-the-round-pen/#.VGZ5K010xet  
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Your Horse’s Quiet Place

Getting your horse to drop his head gives him a serene, quiet place to be. http://americashorsedaily.com/your-horses-quiet-place/#.VGaFJU10xet  
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Nervous Horse

Solid training advice to get a troubled horse headed toward recovery. http://americashorsedaily.com/nervous-horse/#.VGaD8k10xet  
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Left Brain, Right Brain

Knowing how horses operate can help your training efforts. http://americashorsedaily.com/left-brain-right-brain/#.VGaFhk10xet  
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My Horse Takes Advantage Of Me

Teaching leadership to horse owner’s http://bayequest.info/static/my-horse-takes-advantage-of-me.htm  
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Riggings

Learn the different riggings for western saddles. http://americashorsedaily.com/riggings/#.VGZ4pk10xet  
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Riding In Perfect Position

Your position in the saddle affects your horse’s ability to move freely. It also affects your safety, and how you’ll feel during and after your ride. http://www.equisearch.com/article/riding-perfect-position-15651  
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Trail Bits And Bridles

Improve your and your horse’s comfort and control on the trail with the right trail bridle and bit. http://www.equisearch.com/article/trail-bits-bridles  
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Equine Photography

Hone your digi-pix skills with this guide from a top professional equine photographer. http://www.equisearch.com/article/equine-photography  
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6 Key Horse-Hunting Questions

When you’re hunting for a new equine trail partner, look for an experienced horse with a mellow, kind, forgiving attitude. For trail riding, also look for a horse that’s been out and about, hauled around
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How To Settle Your Cinchy Horse

Is your trail horse cinchy? That is, does he act up when you saddle him, even before you reach for the cinch or girth? (Generally the term “cinch” is used for a Western saddle and
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Bridle-Less Riding

Bridle-Less Riding http://juliegoodnight.com/bridleless/  
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Look, Breathe, Sit Back To Boost Riding Confidence

Three steps to overcoming riding nervousness–plus, a way to remember them when it matters most. Fear can make you tense and defensive. That, in turn, can cause you to be rough with your horse. It’s
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Stop The Jig With Julie Goodnight

Is your horse “jiggy” and tense on the trail? Does he trot anxiously in place, refusing to move forward slowly and calmly? If so, you’re likely tense and worried that he’ll take off if you
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Ground Manners To Prepare Your Horse For The Vet

Prepare your trail horse for the veterinarian with these lessons in ground manners from noted clinician Julie Goodnight http://www.equisearch.com/article/ground-manners-to-prepare-your-horse-for-the-vet  
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Riding Skills: Making Smooth Gait Transitions

Clinician Julie Goodnight tells you how to use pre-signals and breathing techniques to improve your horse’s transitions between gaits. Are your horse’s transitions between gaits as smooth as glass? Or do you hold your breath
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Stop Your Horse Without Pulling On The Reins

Stop Your Horse Without Pulling on the Reins http://myhorse.com/blogs/horse-trainers/julie-goodnight/stop-your-horse-without-pulling-on-the-reins/  
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Become A Professional Riding Instructor

Become a Professional Riding Instructor If you’re looking for a riding instructor, you’d want to work with someone who has lots of horsemanship knowledge and experience. http://www.equisearch.com/article/horse-professional-get-certified
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Ponying With Confidence

Simply put, ponying means to lead a horse alongside the horse you’re riding. On the trail, the task comes in handy when you’re training a new horse and helping him get used to obstacles and
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How To Stay Comfortable In The Saddle

Question: Julie, I have a question about how to be more comfortable during my long rides. What causes my knees to hurt after about an hour riding at a walk? What can I do to
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Saddle Trees Fit And Riggings

Saddle Trees Fit and Riggings I’m often asked about saddle fit and tack— what’s the best type of saddle tree for my horse? How do I know if my saddle fits? And how should I
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On The Trail Survival Guide

Even if you haven’t had a big wreck with your horse, you’ve imagined what can happen out on the trail. You’ve felt your stomach tie in knots as you headed up a steep hill, passed
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Veterinary Visits “The Best Patient”

If your horse is well-trained, well-behaved and easy to work with, you’ll make your veterinarian’s job much easier and more effective. Even the best veterinarian must struggle to examine a horse that’s stomping, biting, moving
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Hauling Hints

7-Step Program Here’s the proper trailer-loading and -unloading order for optimum safety and results. Step 1. Prepare the trailer. Hook up your trailer to your vehicle. Drive your trailer to a flat, open area. Securely
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Forehand Turn

To hone your basic gate-opening skills (see “Open a Gate,” Horsemanship & Maneuvers, The Trail Rider, January/February ’10), master a turn on the forehand. In this maneuver, your horse obediently and slowly swings his hips
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Crossing And Wading Water

Water crossings are common on most every trail. Do you and your horse cross without worry, or do you ride along the shore hoping the water will dwindle to a drip? Does your horse move
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Tongue Trouble

Q Recently, while trail riding, a friend’s horse stuck his tongue out to the side as soon as she asked him to canter. Another friend said, “Oh look, her horse is licking and chewing. That
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“Levels” Of Horse Camping

Question: I would love to camp with my horse, but it feels like a scary step to take. I have taken my horse on daylong trail rides, but I haven’t stayed overnight. I would like
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Condition For Long Rides

Condition for Long Rides Q I’m planning ahead for summer, when I plan to go on daylong trail rides. I haven’t been riding much, because I work full-time. I want to make sure my horse
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Shut Down

Dear Julie, I’ve been thinking a lot about this problem, since I didn’t find that our instructor found the right thing to do. Instead of finding an answer, he did what a program told him
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Rolling Horse

Dear Julie, I have known Joe to roll for years and always warn riders if he puts his nose down and smells the ground get the nose up and move him or he will roll.
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Stallion-Like Behavior

Hi Julie – This is an unusual question that I haven’t seen addressed thus far. My friends recently bought an 8 y/o paint gelding from a ranch in Okla. Both their trainer and veterinarian observed
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Keeping Saddle On

Dear Julie, My friends and I have a problem with our saddles rolling over to the side when we get on. My horse in particular has a flat broad back with wide withers. Any suggestions?
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Canter Control

Dear Julie, I have had my horse for 10 months. I am scared to ride her outside because every time I ask her for a canter, or if another horse canters off ahead of her,
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Q&A: Dominant Trail Horse

Dear Julie, I have a 15-year-old quarter horse that has decided he must be in the lead on the trail. I ride alone most of the time but do enjoy the company of others. When
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About Face

Dear Julie, My Rocky Mountain/Arabian horse cross is five months old—I’ve had him for two months. He is calm and usually well behaved. However, he’s starting a new and scary behavior. He turns his rump
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What Bit Should I Use?

Question: Dear Julie, I am currently schooling and riding in a D-ring snaffle bit. I want to start training for Western Pleasure. What kind of shank bit do you recommend for the transition? Thanks, Kim
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Saddled Down

Dear Julie, My new gelding has started lying down when I put his saddle on. When I first had him on his two-week trial, he was in poor physical condition—his ribs showed. He had been
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Jealous Colt

Hi Julie! My colt is now 11 hands and 275# and he’ll be 5 weeks old on Monday. He’s learning what ‘no’ means and understands he’s not supposed to bite, but he still is invading
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Jealous Little Girl

Dear Julie, I have a two-year-old mare that’s an eager learner and wants to spend time with me. She readily approaches me and wants to be in on the action when I work with other
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Self Inflicted Pain

Dear Julie, My 11-year-old horse recently started biting at his sides—digging deep and mutilating his skin and hair coat. Before I bought him last year, he was gelded and was away from other horses during
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Grieving The Loss

A grieving horse may constantly look for his missing friend—checking out the empty stall and waiting for a return that won’t come. When horses realize another won’t return, dynamics within the herd can quickly change.
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Settling In

It can take weeks for new horses to settle into an established herd—be prepared to see aggressive behavior during the initial introduction. Adding a male to a female brood can extend the time and add
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Feeding Frenzy

Dear Julie, I have just taken in two mares, ages 27 and 20. Both were well trained as performance horses in their youth, but have recently been neglected and poorly fed (pastured on 140 acres
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Raising A Breeding Stallion

Question: I am buying a 3 month old colt that I would like to remain/turn into a stallion. I would like to teach him to be well mannered and to give specific commands for breeding,
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Afraid Of The Canter Cue

Question: Dear Julie, When riding in the arena at the canter, for the first few strides my horse throws his head up in the air. Why is he doing this? Puzzled Answer: Dear Puzzled, This
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