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In this episode, I’ll talk about raising baby horses to be solid, reliable adults, discuss some do’s and don’ts, and the most common mistakes people make with young horses. I'll also go into what you should and should not do when it comes to training weanlings, foals and yearlings—and why. Finally, I'll share how you can create the ideal environment for young horses, and give them the enrichment they need to start life out on the right hoof.   Plus, in the What the Hay? Q&A segment at the end of the episode, I’ll answer questions straight from listeners about a reactive and temperamental horse, a horse that tries to jump out of the round pen when being worked, appropriate expectations when training an older horse, and how to prepare a horse to carry a parade flag.   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com   Show Notes & Resources: Julie's schedule: juliegoodnight.com/events Sign up for the my newsletter to get updates from Julie's ranch & more: juliegoodnight.com/news Lead Line Leadership Training Video: shop.juliegoodnight.com/product-tag/lead-line-leadership Round Pen Reasoning Training Video: shop.juliegoodnight.com/product-tag/round-pen-reasoning Resources for Young Horses: signin.juliegoodnight.com/tag/resources-for-young-horses  Resources to Calm Your Horse: signin.juliegoodnight.com/tag/resources-to-calm-your-horse Julie is a proud sponsor of Cosequin, the joint health supplement she mentions in this episode. Get more information: cosequinequine.com

In this episode, I’ll discuss what we mean by saying a rider has "good hands." I'll talk about hand position, feel, common mistakes, what horses hate that riders do, and what riders can do to improve their communication with their horse.    Plus, in the What the Hay? Q&A segment at the end of this show, I’ll answer questions from listeners about how to teach a horse to neck rein and dealing with emotional horses.   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com

In this episode of my podcast, I’ll talk about tricks of the trade I’ve learned throughout my career, about horse grooming and how to get a “bloom” on your horse. I’ll specifically—and separately—address the mane & tail, haircoat, face, and legs. We’ll talk about best practices for keeping your horse comfortable in the hot summer months and glowing with health year-round.   Plus, in the What the Hay? Q&A segment at the end of this show, I’ll answer questions from listeners about a horse that’s been bullied and ostracized from the herd, an older mare that won’t stand still for mounting, and a question from "downunder" about saddle fit on a barrel-shaped draft pony.   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com

Whether it’s the main goal or a stepping stone on the way, a clinic of any kind is a big investment of time, money and energy. In this episode, I’ll talk about different types of clinics, how to know if you are ready to attend a clinic, and how to find the right clinic or clinician for you and your horse. I’ll cover how to get ready for the big event, what to expect when you get there, and how to keep a positive mindset throughout the clinic.   Plus, in the What the Hay? Q&A segment, I’ll answer questions from listeners about a horse that rears, about how to achieve collection while keeping a horse calm and light, and how to know if you are ready to incorporate bareback riding into your development as a rider.   Show Notes: Julie's Trailering Checklists: Part 1: What to Know Before You Hit the Road https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/articles/free-articles/julies-blog/trailering-checklist-what-to-know-before-you-hit-the-road/ Part 2: Is Your Horse Ready to Hit the Road? https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/articles/free-articles/julies-blog/trailering-checklist-part-2-is-your-horse-ready-to-hit-the-road/ Resource Links: Rearing: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=rearing-resources Pulley Rein: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=pulley-rein-resources  Collection/Contact: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=collection-resources Proper Use of Seat, Legs & Hands: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=seat-legs-hands-resources Personalized Coaching from Julie: https://juliegoodnight.com/join

A horse is always learning—for better or for worse. The more you understand how horses learn and how this shapes their behavior, the more effective training is, the more responsive the horse is, and the more cohesive the horse-human relationship is.   Plus, in the popular “What the Hay?” segment at the end of the episode, I’ll answer questions from listeners about a young horse with bad trailer loading experiences, a mustang with trouble focusing, and finally, a dominant off-track Standardbred.   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com

If you are just getting to know a new horse, working with a horse with an unknown training history, going back to basics with a training project, or simply developing a new training plan—start with a thorough evaluation.   In this episode, I’ll talk about how to find the holes in a horse’s training, determine what problems need solving, what new skills must be taught, what experiences are needed, and how long it might take to achieve your training goals. I’ll share some of the actual evaluation tools I’ve developed for my online coaching program, that help me understand where the horse is currently in its training and where we need to go from here.   Plus, in the popular “What the Hay?” segment at the end of this show, I’ll answer questions from listeners about how to deal with a horse that paws, about a new horse gone rogue, and finally, about re-establishing leadership with a pushy horse.   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com   Show Notes & Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Julie’s upcoming riding retreats: Juliegoodnight.com/events Online Coaching Program, memberships, and short courses: JulieGoodnight.com/join Go to Juliegoodnight.com/news to sign up for Julie’s newsletter Article: Nurturing the Try in YOur Horse https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/articles/free-articles/julies-blog/nurturing-the-try-in-your-horse/ Article: Adversarial Relationships with Horses https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/articles/free-articles/julies-blog/adversarial-relationships-with-horses/

Today’s topic is about the importance of establishing boundaries—in our personal lives, our family lives, and yes, even with our horses. I’ll talk about why establishing boundaries with horses is important for your own safety and the safety of those around your horse, and how clear and consistent boundaries lead to developing a strong bond of trust with your horse.   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com

This episode is about how to help your "cinchy" horse. This is a horse that's become emotionally reactive to the tightening of the cinch or girth when saddling, and who may act out with dramatic behaviors anywhere from biting to kicking or worse. I'll discuss what "cinchy" behavior is, what causes it and how to find solutions for a happier horse. Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com   Episode Notes Julie's Clinic & Expo Schedule: JulieGoodnight.com/events Free Training Resources, Memberships, & Short Courses: JulieGoodnight.com/Academy Training Tools, Videos, Apparel & More: Shop.JulieGoodnight.com   Resources: Replacement Training Resources: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s="replacement+training" Desensitizing Resources for Cinchy Horses: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=cinchy Saddle fit resources: https://juliegoodnight.com/saddle-fit   Mentioned in the Episode: Podcast Episode, "Different Temperaments of Horses & How They Affect Training" (skip to 20:19 for info about hot-blooded behavior/highly sensitive horses): https://juliegoodnight.podbean.com/e/different-temperaments-of-horses-how-they-affect-training Boundary Stick: https://shop.juliegoodnight.com/product/boundary-stick

This episode's topic came straight from one of our listeners! Horses are truly individuals—each with their own tendencies, quirks and idiosyncrasies (just like people). Still, there are certain characteristics that some horses share, there are types of horses which is important to understand, and there are behavioral tendencies that can be genetic or learned. Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com

I’m excited to have a special guest in this episode—Dr. Barbara Page, founder of the International Foundation for Equine Podiatry Research. We’re going to talk about hoof health and disease prevention, and her research on feral horses and how we can apply the lessons she learned to domestic horses. This is a fascinating and important topic, and one we all stand to learn a lot from!    Click here to see Dr. Page's Hoof Photos Referenced in the Episode   Show Notes & Resources: Find out more about Julie's upcoming clinics and expos at JulieGoodnight.com/Events   Get information about Julie's riding retreats (Women's Riding & Wholeness Retreat, 2 Ranch Riding Retreats, and the 5-day Horsemanship Immersion) at C Lazy U Ranch at CLazyU.com Ireland Riding Vacation & Retreat: JulieGoodnight.com/Ireland Nov. Horse Report: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/articles/november-2021-horse-report/   CHA International Conference: https://cha.horse/international-conference/ Training Resources: JulieGoodnight.com/Academy Memberships & Short Courses: JulieGoodnight.com/Join Tack, Training Equipment, Grooming, Resources, Gifts & More: Shop.JulieGoodnight.com

Every now and then, we get such a backlog of really great questions from our listeners that we devote an entire episode to answering as many questions as we can. This month, you get a full hour of What the Hay? Q&A, with topics ranging from how to handle displays of aggression, to motivating lazy horses to respond, and controlling the speed of faster horses. Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com   Resources: Find out what's coming up in Julie's clinic and expo schedule at JulieGoodnight.com/Events Get more information on the Certified Horsemanship Association International Conference coming up in Fort Worth, TX at CHA.horse Resources On the Academy: Round Pen Resources: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=round+pen Interacting with Other Horses: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=interacting+with+other+horses Golden Moments: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=golden+moments About Spurs: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=spurs On Biting:https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=biting Jigging on the Trail:https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=jigging Herd-Bound/Buddy Sour: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=herd+bound

Today’s podcast episode is about “reading the horse,” as it’s commonly referred to by horse folks. It’s about observing and interpreting the horse’s emotional and communicative behaviors so that you have greater insight into its motivations and intentions.   Plus, I’ve got some brand-new questions to answer, straight from our listeners, in my "What the Hay?" Q&A segment.   Resources from This Episode:   Events: The 2021 programs at C Lazy U Ranch are full, but check it out for 2022! Visit JulieGoodnight.com/Events for more info. Nov 9-11: I’ll be in Fort Worth, TX for the Certified Horsemanship Association International Conference. This is an awesome hands-on educational program, open to anyone, and I will be doing clinics and workshops there. Get more info at CHA.horse. I have three horse expos lined up for late winter/early spring of 2022, in Oregon, Idaho and Wisconsin. I can’t wait to see everyone and do live presentations again! Find out more at JulieGoodnight.com/Events. Go to Juliegoodnight.com/Join and check out my online short course on building your confidence with horses, also we offer online training resources, curriculums, and personalized coaching programs.   Horse Behavior Resources: Speak the Language: Horse Behavior (Streaming or DVD): https://shop.juliegoodnight.com/product-tag/Speak-the-Language-Horse-Behavior Articles from My Training Library: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=horse-behavior-resources   What the Hay? Q&A: Restarting an Older Horse Podcast Episode: “Start Out on the Right Hoof” from September 2018 More resources: JulieGoodnight.com/Restart

Today’s topic is about how to deal with training setbacks with your horse.   We've all been there at some point or another in our journey with horses where things don’t go according to plan. The horse that normally walks right into a trailer suddenly refuses to load. Or your horse has one bad experience at a horse show, and that turns into an ongoing problem. Or maybe you had a frightening experience on a normally unflappable horse, or an incident that overwhelmed your horse and broke down his confidence.   Horses have wills of their own, and they are predictably unpredictable. They're flight animals, they are sensitive and reactive, and they run the full gamut of emotions—from utter contentment, to fear, anger, and resentment.   Sometimes when horses go south on us, it’s because we made a mistake. But sometimes you have a training setback with a horse due to situational circumstances, like getting a bad draw in a cow class or someone else’s horse spooks and runs off on a trail ride, causing your horse to have a meltdown.   It’s unreasonable to think that in the long-term training of a horse, which takes place over years and decades, that everything would always go perfectly and you would never encounter a setback. Neither human nor equine are robots and stuff happens.   In this podcast, I want to focus on what to do after the setback, how to analyze the situation, dissect what went wrong, and be proactive in developing a plan to get your horse back on track.   Plus, I’ve got some brand-new questions to answer, straight from our listeners, in my "What the Hay?" Q&A segment.

Today's podcast topic is about spoiled horses. I'll talk about what that looks like, what causes well-behaved horses to act poorly, and how sometimes the owners are blissfully unaware that other people think their horse is spoiled. Most importantly, I'll talk about how to improve your handling techniques, and turn your little monster into a perfect angel.

This episode is all about the horse that rears. Whether you're on the ground or in the saddle, it's one of the scariest and most dangerous behaviors of horses. We'll talk about: What Causes Rearing How to Avoid It What to Do if it Happens How to Stay Safe Around a Rearing Horse  Plus, I've got some brand new questions to answer straight from listeners like you in my What the Hay Q&A segment at the end of this podcast! Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com

Has your horse had an emotional meltdown at a show, on a new trail, when he's away from his herd, or other new situations? It's important to understand that horses, as both prey and herd animals, tend to adopt the emotions of the animals around them. Horses have the same basic emotions that humans do, and they reflect the emotions you are feeling when you are with them—nervousness, anxiousness, fear, etc.   When a horse becomes overwhelmed by these emotions and reactive, it tends to escalate if we don't take active measures to get the horse out of that downward spiral of emotions. Any horse is susceptible to an emotional meltdown given the wrong situation. So in this episode, we're going to talk about what's happening when your horse's emotions build up to the breaking point, and what you can do to bring him back from the brink.

This episode is about repurposing, retraining or restarting a horse under saddle. We'll talk about what that looks like, and why it might be needed. Then we'll look at it from two different angles: From the Horse's Point of View: Why that horse might need a new career, and how we go about repurposing or rehoming a horse. From the Rider's Point of View: What about changing disciplines? What about my desire to do something different with my horse? I'll show you how to get started by thoroughly assessing the horse. Then I'll give you my tips to get a fresh start with your horse, or head in a new direction with your horse. Finally, I'll share my philosophy and methodology when I set out to repurpose, retrain, or restart a horse under saddle.

This month's episode is about connecting with your horse: how to establish or reestablish a bonded and productive relationship with your horse—one in which the horse:   Accepts Your Authority Respects Your Boundaries Is Calm & Focused Seeks Your Acceptance   We'll take a look at what the objectives are, and I'll give you some specific step-by-step actions that you can take right now to improve your relationship with your horse. Plus, I've got some brand new questions to answer, straight from listeners like you, in my What the Hay? Q&A segment at the end of the episode!   Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email podcast@juliegoodnight.com   Show Notes: Find more information on what Julie talked about in this episode! Learn More About Private Clinics: JulieGoodnight.com/PrivateClinic Upcoming Riding Retreats at the C Lazy U Ranch: JulieGoodnight.com/Events Resources: Find Goodnight Academy Online Memberships & Short Courses: JulieGoodnight.com/Join Establishing Boundaries Videos (Daily Doses): https://youtu.be/7f9g6lNuJY4  Articles About Boundaries: SignIn.JulieGoodnight.com/Boundaries Articles About Leadership: Signin.JulieGoodnight.com/Leadership Speak the Language: Horse Behavior Video: Shop.JulieGoodnight.com/Behavior HandsOn Grooming Gloves: Shop.JulieGoodnight.com/HandsOnGloves Lead Line Leadership Training Video: Shop.JulieGoodnight.com/LLL Ready to Ride Training Video: Shop.JulieGoodnight.com/Ride

Today I want to talk to you about the trot—with tips both English and Western riders need to know. I'll talk about ways to improve your posting technique. Whether you're just learning this handy skill for the first time, or you're an old pro, there's a lot more to posting the trot than simply going up and down. I'll also cover trotting diagonals—what the heck they are, why you need to know them, and how to feel what diagonal you're on. Plus, I've got some brand new questions to answer, straight from listeners like you, in my What the Hay? Q&A segment at the end of the episode!   I've also got some brand new questions to answer, straight from our listeners, in the 'What the Hay? Q&A' segment at the end of this podcast. Check it out—you may hear your own question answered!   Want your question answered in the What the Hay? Q&A segment? Email it to podcast@juliegoodnight.com

Today's podcast is about New Year's resolutions for horse lovers! Recently, I did an interview with Christy Landwehr, the CEO of Certified Horsemanship Association, and the sponsor of "Training Tuesdays" on the popular radio show, Horses in the Morning. We talked about my philosophy on New Year's resolutions (how to make them and keep them), plus I shared some of my personal resolutions. We also discussed popular ideas for New Year's resolutions for horseback riders, riding instructors, horse trainers, and barn managers.   I've also got some brand new questions to answer, straight from our listeners, in the 'What the Hay? Q&A' segment at the end of this podcast. Check it out—you may hear your own question answered!   Want your question answered in the What the Hay? Q&A segment? Email it to podcast@juliegoodnight.com