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Julie's Blog

How Much Does a Young Horse Really Know?

There are a multitude of reasons why people might end up with a young horse in their lives… You’re raising a foal from a beloved mare. You’ve been riding “made”
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How Horses Learn to “Read” Humans

If you’ve ever ridden with me in a clinic, you’ve heard me talk about how clever horses are at determining a person’s level of intention and determination, or lack thereof.
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A Look Back: My 2023 Horse Goals

My crew is always coming up with big ideas for helping riders and horse owners live their dreams. Like me, they are all on their own personal horsemanship journey and
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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
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Annie and Juliie cantering in the outdoor arena with mountains in the background.

Should I Let Someone Else Ride My Horse?

Photo Crredit: Melissa Arnold Should you let someone else ride your horse? There are two common points of view that I run into on this subject: “No! I do not
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Horse Goals Or Bust Part 8: Mental Strategies to Manage Day-Of Anxiety & Perform at Your Best

Whether your equestrian goals involve a competition, a trail adventure, or building the confidence to try something new, it’s likely that you will experience periods of anxiety and moments of
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View of an arena through a horse's ears.

Horse Goals or Bust Part 7: It’s Go Time!

We are now 7 months into Horse Goals or Bust—setting goals, planning, training, practicing, and preparing. It’s prime riding season in most areas, so now is the time to put
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Truck pulling a horse trailer.

Horse Goals or Bust Part 6: Your Trailer FAQs Answered

It’s been a lot of fun to hear about the goals, skill assessments, and training plans that we’ve all been working on this year in our Horse Goals or Bust! endeavors. Hopefully
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Julie grooming her horse, Annie.

Horse Goals or Bust Part 5: Grooming Tips from the Trail to the Arena

Whether your horsemanship goals for this year involve gaining confidence, an overnight trail ride, or competing in any given discipline, your horse’s appearance speaks volumes. Not only is grooming another
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Free Articles

Horse Report March 2024

My sweet little mare, Annie, is now 3/4 of the way through her pregnancy. She’s only 14.0 hands and very compact (short-backed), and the baby (I like to think of
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How Much Does a Young Horse Really Know?

There are a multitude of reasons why people might end up with a young horse in their lives… You’re raising a foal from a beloved mare. You’ve been riding “made”
Read More

January 2024 Horse Report

In the last month, most of the horse activity around my ranch has centered on the weather. January can be fickle up at 8,000 feet above sea level. We usually
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How Horses Learn to “Read” Humans

If you’ve ever ridden with me in a clinic, you’ve heard me talk about how clever horses are at determining a person’s level of intention and determination, or lack thereof.
Read More

December 2023 Horse Report

Winter is finally upon us, and as most of you know by now, Annie is in foal to Bet Hesa Cat. Her due date is April 28th, so she is
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A Look Back: My 2023 Horse Goals

My crew is always coming up with big ideas for helping riders and horse owners live their dreams. Like me, they are all on their own personal horsemanship journey and
Read More

September 2023 Horse Report: A Lesson in Letting Go

Many of you have followed along with my plans to breed my AQHA mare, Annie, to a top cow horse stallion, Bet Hesa Cat. At first it seemed highly likely
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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
Read More
Annie and Juliie cantering in the outdoor arena with mountains in the background.

Should I Let Someone Else Ride My Horse?

Photo Crredit: Melissa Arnold Should you let someone else ride your horse? There are two common points of view that I run into on this subject: “No! I do not
Read More

Training Articles

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Behavior Bummers

Does your trail horse paw, walk off when you mount up, or go at an inconsistent speed? Correct these behavioral woes with these techniques from top trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight. BY
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Julie Goodnight Q&A: Bit Tips

Question: I just purchased a seven-year-old gelding. The previous owner was riding him in a single-jointed snaffle bit. Now, I’m looking for a bit for him and he has responded
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Stop In An Emergency

    The Trail Rider ~ May/June 2016 Riding Right   Stop in an Emergency The one-rein stop is often taught as the go-to aid for slowing and stopping a
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The Pully-Rein Stop

The Trail Rider ~ May 2016 Ride Right with Julie Goodnight   To watch Julie Goodnight demonstrate how to perform the pulley-rein stop, go to TrailRiderMag.com.   The Pulley-Rein Stop
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Q & A – How To Introduce Kids To Horses And Riding

Q: What are safe tips to introduce my kids to horses and riding? I want them to love riding but don’t want to do too much too soon and end
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Q & A – How To Make Picking Hooves Easier

Q: Sometimes when I’m picking out my horse’s hooves, she pulls it down onto the floor. If I hold it tightly, she tries to jerk it away. How can I
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Extended Trot Instead Of Canter Cue

Julie Goodnight Q&A Q: How do I get my horse to move out at the trot without breaking into a lope? He’s a western horse learning dressage and the extended
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Cinching Up Just Enough – Julie Goodnight Q & A

Q: How tight should I tighten my horse’s cinch—and what is the right process. I don’t want to hurt my horse and I want to make sure he never becomes
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My Horse Consistently Breaks Gait From A Lope To A Jog On The Right Lead. Q & A

Q: My horse consistently breaks gait from a lope to a jog on the right lead. What may be causing this? –Haley White A: This is an interesting question—and I
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