Training Advice | Julie Goodnight Academy

Resources for Training Advice

Issues from the Ground: Lead line leadership

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I know I need to teach my horse to respect me while I’m leading him at halter. He’s pushy and pulls me. How do I get started? How

Issues From The Ground: Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Groundwork?

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi Julie! I’m not sure if you remember me, but I was in your Attica clinic in June. I had Speedy the little white paint horse. We have

Issues From The Ground: Horse Turns And Faces When I Ask Him To Longe

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi Julie – First, thank you for all of the helpful advice on your Web site. I also have a library of your DVDs about Lead Line Leadership

Issues From The Ground: Horse Flies Backwards Out Of Trailer

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Greetings! I need your help! When unloading my horse (ramp style), my horse backs out way too fast! What can I do to get her to slow down??

Issues From The Ground: Head Shy In Stall

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I have been noodling this problem through for a long time but I don’t really know how to help my horse further. My big gray QH (“Saul”) and

Issues From The Ground: Hard To Catch In Stall

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Dear Julie, I recently purchased an 8 year old Shetland mare for my 5 year old daughter to ride, and she arrived at our barn a few days

Issues From The Ground: Hard To Catch Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Ground I would love some tips on the hard to catch horse. Spring fever has sprung and he is avoiding me. He figures if I can’t catch him I won’t

Issues From The Ground: Handwalking Injured Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi I have just started to care for a 5 year old Irish Draught x TB – he has a tendon/tendon sheath injury and was about to be

Issues From The Ground: Handling Feet

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi Julie, I have enjoyed your newsletters, and all the great training information. Also have enjoyed the tapes I purchased at the horse expo here in Denver. You

Issues From The Ground: Ground Manners For The Veterinary Visit

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: How do I train my horse to be a perfect citizen for the vet so that he gets gentle handling and is well-liked (and well-treated) by my vet?

Issues From The Ground: Ground Manners For Draft Horse

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I would like to ask your opinion on how to handle a very big Percheron Paint gelding. He is a PMU foal that I adopted. He is halter

Issues From The Ground: Difficult To Bridle

Question Category: Issues from the Ground 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 taking the bit. He

Issues From The Ground: Desensitizing To Touch In Sensitive Areas

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hello Julie, I recently purchased a 13 yr QH mare about six months ago. I had been riding her for about eight months with an additional two-month lease.

Issues From The Ground: Danger In The Cross Ties

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I have a 7 year old quarter horse mare that as a rule is very easy going. About 1 month ago the barn she is boarded at had

Issues From The Ground: Colt Kicks And Rears While Leading

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I have a three month old colt. We halter him every day to lead him to and from his pasture. We started leading him with a butt rope

Issues From The Ground: Clipping Ears

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hi, I have a yearling colt. I can clip all of him. But he will not let me clip his ears. I looked in your library and didn’t

Issues From The Ground: Biting In Showmanship Class

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: When I work with my horse on showmanship, she tries to bite me. What should I do? Should I hit her? Thank you. Answer: Biting is an aggressive

Issues From The Ground: Aggressive In The Round Pen

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Dear Julie, My friend’s coming-4 yr old paint gelding has started a very unsavory habit. When asked to move out in a round pen at liberty he will

Issues From The Ground: Advance And Retreat Techniques For Desensitizing

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Desensitizing a Horse to Scary Stimuli Answer: These days, with military actions and war consistently in the headlines, thoughts of aggression and war are far too close at

Issues From The Ground: 2 Y/O Gelding Acting Aggressively

Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Dear Julie, I have an AQHA gelding that will be 2 on April 26, who has started to become unpredictable. When my trainer bought him as a yearling

Horse Behavior: Xenophon: The Art Of Horsemanship

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Read this historical text that has much in common with today’s natural horsemanship training… Answer: Author: Xenophon Translator: H. G. Dakyns Release Date: August 21, 2008 Produced by John Bickers,

Horse Behavior: Video Of Fatal Kick

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Dear Julie, Thank you for providing such wonderful information. I don’t think any of the other trainers provide anything like it. Also, I really enjoy your TV show and wish

Horse Behavior: Your horse’s Squeal–What It Means

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Dear Julie, I have a 9 year old quarter horse mare that for the most part is a very good horse. She is a pleasure horse that I go camping

Horse Behavior: Sexy Gelding

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: 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

Horse Behavior: Raising A Well-Mannered Stallion

Question Category: Horse Behavior 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

Horse Behavior: Quiz: Is Natural Horsemanship Right For Your Horse?

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Understanding Natural Horsemanship Part I of a three part series on Natural Horsemanship By Julie Goodnight READER’S QUIZ Will Natural Horsemanship Help My Horse and Me? Take this quiz to

Horse Behavior: Proper Handling Of A Foal

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Dear Julie, I recently purchased two Thoroughbred mares, because I want to breed Hunter Under Saddle Quarter Horses and Paints, and am really excited to tell you that I have

Horse Behavior: New Bucking Behavior

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: I have a 5-year-old Mustang…she is very docile. Recently she has started bucking when she doesn’t want to do something, like when we work around the cones, or do ring

Horse Behavior: Mutual Grooming

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Dear Julie, First of all, I would like to thank you for your website and the information you share on it. Your Training Library is quite extensive and I am

Horse Behavior: Handling A Stud Colt

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Hello, I just bought a wonderful 3yr old AQHA colt/stallion. I read in your answer to Lindsay about letting them in a herd setting when they are young….I have a

Horse Behavior: Do Horses Prefer Male Over Female Riders?

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Hi Julie, I’ve got a question about our five-year-old Paint gelding. My wife swears that he prefers men riders to women riders. I’m almost to conclude the same thing, even

Horse Behavior: Dealing With A Blind Horse

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Dear Julie, I am a bit intrigued by all the writing you have done on equine behavior…..especially since my horse has lost his vision, and I was wondering if you

Horse Behavior: Background Music In The Barn

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Julie, First, thank you for taking out the time to answer my emails. I have a question and I didn’t see a separate area on your site to submit questions.

Horse Behavior: Aggressive Kicking In The Pasture

Question Category: Horse Behavior Question: Hi Julie- My husband and I have both benefited so much from your training DVDs, halters and lead ropes, as well as your wonderful television show. We look forward to

Cantering Help: Won’t Take Right Lead

Question Category: Cantering Help Question: I have a question about my 4 year old paint mare. I have been working with a trainer on and off for almost a year and I cannot get her

Cantering Help: Training Young Horses To Lope

Question: Dear Julie, I have started riding my 2-year-old paint gelding. I’ve had him since he was 3 months old. He’s super gentle-almost too gentle. I have taken him out trail riding with other horses,

Cantering Help: Throws Head At Canter Transition

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

Cantering Help: Resistant To Canter Cue

Question: I have a 4 yr old Arab gelding, has a wonderful jog and walk, but when ask to canter or anything faster than the jog, he displays a bad attitude, pinned ears and curled

Cantering Help: My Horse Can’t Canter

Question: Julie, I have just gotten another horse that I have fallen in love with!!! She is a Fox Walker (Tennese Walker Fox Troter) Buckskin…. I have been working hard on my balance as well

Cantering Help: Losing Stirrup At Canter

Question: I have constantly found that I am loosing the left stirrup when I canter. In various readings it suggests that I am collapsing on my left, hence loosing the stirrup. I tried to stretch

Cantering Help: Horse Bites When Saddled, Wrong Canter Leads

Question: I have a 9 yr. old gelding that I have had for 3 yrs, I have shown walk trot English/Western for 2 yrs. My husband and myself are still novice to the show world,

Cantering Help: Fast And Rough Canter Departures

Question: Julie, I have a question that I am hoping you can help me with. My gelding canters on the lunge line with no problem. However, when I am riding, it is difficult to make

Cantering Help: Cross-Cantering

Question: Hi Julie, I enjoyed your January newsletter and loved the idea of combining working out with riding!!! I have a problem with a horse that I hope you can help me with. I recently

Cantering Help: Bucks At Lope

Question: I recently began training a 7 yr old quarter horse gelding who had never been ridden (or anything else). I was really surprised at how smoothly everything was going, i.e., longeing, saddling, trailer loading,

Cantering Help: Bucking Fits At Canter

Question: Dear Julie, I have a bit of an issue with bucking (sometimes so unexpectedly…) when asking my mare to lope (slow canter). If I let her go off at her own pace (at a

Building A Better Relationship: Women’s Connection With Horses

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: How do you explain the connection women have with horses? Answer: Without question, there is a connection between women and horses. This bond lures both young girls and

Building A Better Relationship: Will Groundwork Help My Spooky Horse?

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Hi Julie, I have a gorgeous 6 yr old Irish sport horse gelding Bernie. I purchased him from a personal friend’s eventing farm almost 2 yrs ago. He

Building A Better Relationship: Training And Learning Natural Horsemanship

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Julie, I own a green horse, she is a quarter horse. She has had ground work and has been ridden. But she doesn’t seem to respond well to

Building A Better Relationship: Should I Sell My Horse?

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Hi Julie, I met you at the 4 day clinic at the Winding River Resort in June 2004. I have the sorrel with a wide blaze and 3

Building A Better Relationship: Pawing

Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Hi Julie, Awesome newsletter as always, my name is Tina and I have a question about pawing. I am a new horse person I have had my Arabian/