Training Advice | Julie Goodnight Academy

Resources for Training Advice

Proper Position In The Saddle

Proper position unites the balance of horse and rider, giving the picture of a team moving as one. If I were to guess at the single most common equitation error I see, what immediately springs

Reason’s For Rearing

Ask Julie Goodnight Question: 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 have a 6 Yr. old

Future Clinician?

Ask Julie Goodnight Dear Julie: I have a 13-year-old daughter who has been in 4H since she was eight years old. She has become a great rider and is interested in learning how to become

Changing Direction/Changing Speed Many “forward” horses come to trainers because they are challenging to train. Here, I’ll share some of the techniques that I use to get the horses slowed down a little and to

Wrong Therapy Horse

Dear Miss Julie Goodnight, I am a Wounded Warrior at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, and have sustained spinal injuries in Iraq. I have had surgeries and now am left using a cane due to nerve

Starting Over With A Fractious Horse

In the episode of Horse Master that we aptly called “Starting Over,” we worked with Clare and her horse “Lux” at a farm outside of Portland, Oregon. Our shoot site, Tanz-Pferde Dressage Farms (www.tanz-pferde.com, the

Pulling On The Rein

Question: I have been riding for eight months at a stable and am taking classes once-twice a week as well as clinics. I bought a horse from the stables I go to, he is a

Fearing The Transition

In Devon Danvers’ “Lost in Transition” episode of Horse Master, I helped a teenager who was ready to stop showing—and riding—because his horse exploded into the canter and just wasn’t fun to ride. The episode

Attacks In Round Pen

Dear Julie, My friend’s paint gelding has started a very unsavory habit. When asked to move out in a round pen at liberty he will do it for a moment, then pins his ears and

Trailering Issues

During the episode of Horse Master that we nicknamed, “Loaded Up,” I helped Laura Barnhart of Tuscon, Arizona teach her horse to walk onto the trailer instead of throwing a fit, rearing and bolting when

Why Are Horses So Spooky?

Question: Why are horses so spooky? Answer: 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

Dominance Rehabilitation

Question: I have a very dominant 9-year-old Tennessee walker. He is very proud, and was abused and starved. I’ve had him for 3 years. I am having problems with him on the ground and in

Teaching Green Horse Collection

Question: I have a green horse that frequently trips with hind feet as he does not have proper headset or collection. How do you go about helping a green horse become balanced and collected with

Split Rein Hold

Split rein hold Split reins are commonly used by western riders and there are several ways to hold them– the two-handed trainer’s hold (with the reins bridged and both reins in both hands), one-handed trainer’s

Establishing Dominance

Question: I tend to be a big softy when it comes to dealing with my horse. Now I have created a horse that knows this and takes advantage of me, especially when doing groundwork. He

No Biting Allowed

In the Horse Master episode, “Raising Her Right,” I worked with Elaine Shabazian, a longtime horsewoman and Friesian breeder with a farm on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Elaine was recovering from knee surgery and wanted

Hierarchy At Feeding Time

Hierarchy at Feeding Time Here’s a question from a reader: I have a question about hierarchy. I still treat my oldest horse (17) like he is alpha because I love him the most. I also

Fearful Of Riding My Thoroughbred

Question: I need you! I have a 16.2 hand Thoroughbred that after having the greatest relationship with for 2 years I am now petrified to ride. I even think about going on the trails and

Advance And Retreat

While shooting a Horse Master episode on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts I was introduced to a woman, Vickie Thurber, who had an accident with her young pinto eventing horse and wanted help introducing “Poco” to

Dominated Horse

Dear Julie, I have a 13-year-old Paint Horse mare who is very dominant. She came to my barn as a two year old and I already had an18-year-old gelding and a 4-year-old mare. In just

My Horse Spooks And Lacks Focus

Dear Julie, I have a 10-year-old horse that was born on my farm. From day one has been an ADD/spooky horse. He has been a challenge! Although we have made progress, it seems like I’m

High Headed Pony

Dear Julie, My pony keeps her head up when I’m attempting to ride her in a collected frame. When I first got her she was so nervous about the bit in her mouth and what

Trots Down Hill

Dear Julie: My horse is generally great on the trails, but has one annoying habit that makes him uncomfortable to ride. Every time we head down a hill, even a small ditch crossing, he trots

A Bit Of Comfort

A Bit of Comfort “When connecting reins to the bit, I prefer to use a leather to leather connection for softness and a better feel. While having metal snaps in the ends of your reins

Two-Handed Reining

I have a question regarding using one rein, versus two, while riding and stopping your horse. When I ride with two hands or use the one-rein stop on my horses, it seems to calm them

Loose Reins VS Slight Contact

Dear Julie, I work part-time for the Forest Service at a horse campground. If often hear trail riders who come to the campground say they’ve been told to ride with very loose rein. They have

My Horse Spooks At Traffic

Dear Julie, I rescued a Standardbred mare two years ago. She was badly abused by her previous owner and has shown some residual signs of fear. The problem that I now have with her is

Boot And Foot Position

Make sure you ride with your boot far enough into the stirrup so that the ball of your foot is weighted. If you just place your toes into the stirrup, you’ll bend your foot and

Manners At Feed Time

Minding Manners at Feed Time Is your horse cranky at feed time? Does he pin his ears, bare his teeth and stomp his feet? Or worse, does he grab the hay out of your arms

Burned Out

This Issue: Burned Out Recently I was a speaker at the PATH International therapeutic riding conference—the annual convention. The crowd was full of hundreds of physical therapists, mental health specialists, therapeutic instructors, horse handlers, side