When Horses “Shut Down”
A horse owner recently reached out to me asking for guidance with a 3-year-old colt that came to her completely shutdown. His eyes glaze over and he statues-up in response to [any cues] … as
Resources for When Horses Shut Down
What’s the Temperature of Your Horse’s Temperament?
Horses are unique individuals with differing temperaments and a variety of idiosyncrasies. Even within one breed or type of horse, temperament can vary greatly between individuals. The more you know and understand about your horse’s
Does My Horse Like Me?
Recently I had a question from one of my podcast listeners, Benjamin. He asked: “Many blogs, books and online training resources talk about helping you develop the relationship you always wanted to have with your
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
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
My Horse Is Tossing And Shaking His Head
Common Complaints My horse is fussy with his head. Help keep your horse from shaking his mane with these anti-head tossing tips from Julie Goodnight. When you ride, does your horse fuss with his head,
Issues From The Ground: Pulls Back When Tied
Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: Hello Julie, Your Incident article has prompted me to write. Thank you for stressing the dangers of pullers, and the comment of kissing a horse on the muzzle
Issues From The Ground: Overwhelming Your Horse
Question Category: Issues from the Ground Question: I was hoping that I could pick your brain on something… I’ve been thinking a lot about this problem, since I didn’t find that our instructor found the
Building A Better Relationship: Mare Versus Gelding
Question Category: Building a Better Relationship Question: Hi Julie, I was in attendance at the Murdock’s clinic on Thursday night. I heard just a bit of a statement you made about mares. Something to the
Issues From The Saddle: Horse Won’t Turn When I Ask Him To
Question Category: Issues from the Saddle Question: Hi Julie, I just have a quick question. I have a 4.5 year old Warmblood that stands at a massive 17.2. He is very well behaved on the
Why One Rein Is Better Than Two
This is the heart of clinic season for me and I have been on the road almost every weekend—WA,CA, OH, CO, MA. They were all great clinics with interesting people and horses. This weekend I