Julie Goodnight On the Road

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through the Stages of Life Part 2: The Prime Time Horses

2013-05-01T10:41:00.002-06:00

Note: In this three-part series, nationally respected horse trainer/clinician Julie Goodnight talks about the three “wings” in her barn (the elementary, middle and high school wings) and discusses what’s important to the age groups and how to keep the horses there in top shape with age-appropriate training and nutrition. If you missed part one, catch up online at http://juliegoodnight.com/blog.

I keep thinking about the three schools in the small town where I live and how those schools—elementary, middle school and high school-- translate to the wings of my barn and the young and older horses there.

In the last installment of this series, we talked about the elementary school and how what’s learned there equates to what the youngsters at my barn are learning. Now, I’m thinking more about the students who are outgrowing the strict confines of elementary school and are seeking independence. They are coming into their own and ready to take on the world. The dedicated students in this “wing” of the school know their strengths and are eager to hone their skills. They are seasoned, active and ready to take on the world.

The horses in the “prime-time” section of my barn are mature, fully trained working horses. They get the highest level of care and the most luxurious accommodations because they work for a living. These are my working horses—partners in my business— and they get the very best we have to offer.

In this three-part series, I'll continue to share stories of the horses that occupy each section of my barn. You’ll learn what behaviors we expect from each age group, how we focus our training, how we keep them fit and the specific health and nutritional needs of each age group. Last month I talked about the youngsters; this month, it's about our prime-time horses. Next month I'll talk about the seniors.

Prime Time

From 8 to 15 years old, these horses are in the prime time of their lives. In my barn, they are

almost all geldings. We have a lot of time and money invested in their training, seasoning and care. I consider these horses to be partners and assets in my business and they are total pros at what they do. Dually, the horse I call my “number one” horse is in this section of the barn. He leads up a team including my new-to-me mare, Annie and my husband’s horse, Magic.

The prime-time horses have pushed hard their entire lives to get to the level they are now. They work hard when required and they are very good at their jobs. These horses have to be ready with a moment's notice to pose for a photo shoot for a magazine article, to model for a catalog or to make a training video or tape the TV show. I also use them occasionally for live performances at clinics or expos.

They are athletes who are well into their prime and they have used their bodies hard since they were very young. They need a lot of physical care to keep fit and pain-free and stretch out their careers as far as possible.

Behave Your Age

Middle-aged, with successful careers, my prime time horses have come to value the sweeter things in life. They like their comfortably bedded stalls but also want to meander out in the fields, hang out in the shade munching hay and socialize with their peers.

At times, they enjoy running rampantly and true to their heritage, our cow-bred horses like to take turns herding and turning back another horse for fun. Although they enjoy the comfort of their stall when it is dark, cold or windy, they prefer to be outside when it is light and tolerable weather. True to the nature of the horse, they want to be safe and comfortable.

Having worked hard physically for nearly a decade, maybe more, they are ready to kick back a little and not work so hard-- a desk job is sounding better and better all the time. However, they do enjoy and seek out the accouterments that come with their jobs-- the grooming and spa-like attention have become addictive and if left ignored for very long, these horses will become depressed and sullen.

Training Focus

Our prime-time horses are really fully trained-- they know their jobs and do them well.

Although they are occasionally required to learn new routines, mostly the training focus is about maintenance -- keeping their bodies fit and their minds and skills sharp.

Scientifically, there are four stages of learning for animals and humans-- acquisition, fluency, generalization and maintenance. First the animal must be taught a new skill (acquisition), then practice the skill repeatedly until it is easy (fluency), then practice the skill in new and different contexts (generalization). The final stage of learning is called maintenance, when no further learning/training is needed but skills must remain fresh. This is where our prime time horses are in their training.

For Dually, my emphasis is on keeping him sharp in his reining maneuvers while maintaining the level obedience required for performing bridle-less. We also have to focus on working cows correctly and I have to keep him tuned on the flag. I don't work on every maneuver every time I ride but instead focus on performing one or two maneuvers really well. Next time I'll work on something different.

Most of our training focus on our prime horses is in keeping them fit and legged-up, keeping them groomed and glossy. I may only ride my number one horse, Dually one day a week-- which is plenty of time to maintain his training; I ride more when I want to work on something new or to prepare for a performance. On days I am not riding, the horses still have a great exercise program.

Fitness

Because our horses get the same level of attention year-round and have never been grossly out of shape, they can stay pretty fit by being worked three to four days a week. They don't need much practice at what they do, just a good fitness routine to maintain their svelte figures, in an effort to stay young forever. A horse that was totally fat and out of shape would require hard work for 6 days a week for at least 90 days to get in working shape.

Since exercising is the major point in their works-outs and since we don't want them to get bored with monotonous routines, we try to mix it up a little. I try to avoid the longe line altogether, which is not only boring but hard on the joints too. Instead, we'll put two or three horses in the indoor arena and free-longe them as a group, the way horses like to run. As they exercise, they have fun with and remain competitive with each other, showing off their mojo while I maintain the upper hand, driving and herding them around the pen.

Other days, the horses will go out long-trotting on the dirt roads and trails for 20-30 minutes. Or they may be ridden through the obstacle course and hand galloped out in the grassy fields.

Health and Nutrition

Some years, our horses eat hay 365 days. Depending on our snowpack from the winter, some years our horses may have a few weeks or more of a grazing diet in the summer. Once the irrigation ditches stop flowing, it is only a matter of time before we have to restrict the horses from the fields.

All our prime time horses are fed whole oats with vitamins each day-- some only a pittance of oats, just enough to carry their supplements. Dually is not an easy keeper, so he gets a greater ration of oats plus several supplements and certain medicines to keep him healthy. He has always enjoyed the luxury of being able to eat as much as he wants without getting fat but his sensitive digestive system prevents him from having a vigorous appetite.

For supplements, maintaining joint health is our greatest concern and all of our performance horses are on Cosequin^® ASU Plus, the most advanced formula for maximum support. Cosequin ASU Plus contains the combination of glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate plus ASU which has been show to work better than glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate alone in cartilage cell studies. It’s hard to say, but it’s great to feed--Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU)--is a potent ingredient that protects cartilage. The prime time horses also get Welactin^® Equine, an omega-3 fatty acid fish oil supplement which supports cardio-vascular health and supports skin and coat health.

Dually and some of our other horses seem to benefit from a probiotic to aid in digestion. We use Proviable® EQ Powder, adigestive aid containing Saccharomyces yeast species plus prebiotics to encourage normal gastrointestinal function and health. All the prime time horses receive Proviable-EQ in the paste form whenwe are traveling. (Click for more info about these supplements).

Health maintenance is constant and expensive on these horses. Again, I can relate, being in the same stage of life myself. They are vaccinated twice a year to protect from the contagions they may encounter while traveling and often they need professional services like chiropractic, acupuncture, dental work. We tend to spend a lot of money to keep them in great shape and pain-free. Like most horse trainers, I spend more on my horses than I do on myself and they see the vet a lot more often than I go to the doctor.

Our prime-time horses are so important to us that we are happy to spend our time and resources on them. We don't mind going out in the barn late at night to switch blankets to make sure they are comfortable in the changing temperatures or to do one last check before lights out. I rely on them heavily for my business and am happy to invest in their well-being and fund their retirements. Now if only someone would do that for me!

Next month, I'll introduce you to the senior section of my barn and my two old mares “who ain't what they used to be.” I've owned them for more than 20 years and they have graduated through all the ranks of my barn, ending up in the “senior” nursing home. They've been there, done that and are resting on their laurels.

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Watch Horse Master Online
Julie Goodnight's top-rated horse training show on RFD-TV is now available online, with valuable training videos available whenever you need them. With well over 100 episodes covering different horse training topics, you'll find video lessons on almost any topic from halter training a 2-month-old filly to flying lead changes. Twenty-four new episodes are added each year, so you'll have access to the latest shows, too. You'll see Julie's one-on-one help in each show as she helps a different horse and rider achieve horsemanship goals in any discipline. Visit http://TV.JulieGoodnight.com for more information.

For more about Julie Goodnight’s training, watch her whole library of training advice and topics with her new online video channel (http://tv.JulieGoodnight.com) or catch Horse Master broadcast on RFD-TV every Monday at 12:30 and 10:30p EST - Direct TV channel 345, Dish Network channel 231 and on many cable outlets. Visit http://juliegoodnight.com/clinics for the clinic schedule. Sign up for the free monthly newsletter at: http://juliegoodnight.com/emailsignup.php. Goodnight is proud to recommend Myler Bits, Nutramax Laboratories, Circle Y Saddles, Redmond Equine, The Equine Feed Oat Project, Spalding Fly Predators, Bucas Blankets and Troxel. Goodnight is the spokesperson for the Certified Horsemanship Association.

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through the Stages of Life Part 1: The Young Horses

2013-03-28T15:34:00.005-06:00

Keeping Your Horse Healthy Through the Stages of Life

Part 1: The Young Horses

In the small town where I live, we have a large school complex with three different buildings-- the elementary, the middle school and the high school, each with a specific program designed to meet the particular needs of each age group. In my barn, we have the same type of divisions to help us better meet the needs of the horses we have in three different stages of life.

The elementary wing of our barn is for the youngest horses. These are our up-and-coming horses that we think have great potential but have not yet earned the same status as their upper classmates. We want the best for these horses but they also need to learn to toughen up and play by the rules. So just like in elementary school, structure, discipline, work ethic and manners are most important in this section of my barn.

The most prominent section in my barn is for my prime-time horses—the mature, fully trained working horses. They get the highest level of care and the most luxurious accommodations because they work for a living. These are my working horses—partners in my business-- and they get the very best we have to offer.

In a quiet corner of the facility is our geriatric wing, currently occupied with two stately old mares who will soon be starting their fourth decades of life. We do what we can for these elders, to make their final stage of life as comfortable as possible. They’ve given so much, to so many riders over the years and I am happy to give them a noble and comfortable, albeit expensive, retirement.

In this three-part series, I'd like to share with you the horses that occupy each section of my barn, the behaviors we expect from that age group, how we focus our training, how we keep them fit and the specific health and nutritional needs of each age group. We'll start at the beginning with the youngsters.

The Youngsters

We don't breed any horses, so the youngest horses in my barn tend to be three to six years old.

Julie and Eddie

Currently in this wing of my barn, I have two adolescents-- Eddie, who is four, and Doc who is six. I bought Eddie as a three year old; he is a well-bred quarter horse by a world champion versatility ranch horse stallion and I have big plans for him in the years to come. Doc is a great little QH ranch horse and he's fun to have around for our friends to ride and for when we need a spare horse.

I tend to buy more horses in this age group than I keep—I like having nice horses coming along but often I find a good match for them and then take great delight in selling them and buying another. But every now and then a young horse comes along that is really special and has the potential to grow into a prime-time horse for me. My youngsters are still in the primary training stages and my hope is that one day Eddie will be a replacement for my number one horse, Dually.

Behave Your Age

Horses in this age group are a lot like adolescent humans-- they can be cocky, they may challenge authority and test their boundaries. At one moment they seem all grown up, but the next they are acting like a baby. Younger horses often have more bravery and curiosity than they should, which is a good thing, and I like to encourage these behaviors so that they learn to be confident in new situations.

The youngsters are much more playful and energetic than their older barn mates, so they need lots of turnout time with horses that like to play and rough-house. To me, it's important that the youngsters also hang out some with the more mature horses when they are working, so they learn how to act appropriately in different situations.

Training Focus

At this stage, we spend a lot of time working on the basics: good ground manners, tying patiently,

Doc

trailering, and basic maneuvers under-saddle. We do a lot of ground work with these horses, to refine their manners, teach them to be focused on their handler and wait patiently for directives. I call this Kindergarten for horses. You don't go to kindergarten to learn algebra; you go to kindergarten to learn how to sit at your desk, raise your hand when you want to talk and walk in a single-file line. We want our young horses to learn to stand still when asked, focus on the task at hand, ground tie, respect boundaries and not act impulsively.

Our youngsters will spend a lot of time standing tied-- at the hitching rail, at the trailer, alone or in company-- learning patience. We like to ride them out in the open and expose them to novel stimuli as much as possible. We feed them in the trailer often, so they learn to like it. We spend a lot of time getting them used to ropes, opening gates from horseback, dragging logs, walking over tarps, etc.

It's really important that young horses develop a strong work ethic. At this stage of training, our young horses will get some long hard rides and have many wet saddle blankets. They'll learn to work by themselves, well away from any other horses; and they'll learn to work in a crowd of strange horses, maintaining good manners.

While we are working steadily to increase the horse's skill-level under-saddle at this stage, it is also very important to give them as many different experiences as we can and to make sure those early experiences are very positive. I'll take them to clinics and expos when I can, just to get them on the road, let them learn to sleep in a strange barn and work in strange environments. The more traveling and unique experiences they have at this age, the more settled they will be later in life.

Fitness

Although horses grow the fastest in their first two years of life, they continue to mature, both physically and mentally until they are seven or eight years old. In their adolescence, we want to make sure our horses grow strong and get fit, but without excessive damage to their joints. After the age of four, you can do just about anything with a horse, but younger than that we avoid lots of circling and hard maneuvers like jumping. We never take a horse younger than four to the mountains.

These horses need lots of work, not only to grow strong and fit but also to develop a work ethic. They may get worked 4-6 times a week, depending on the length and exertion of the ride. Part of the goals of their workouts will be to advance their skills-- learn new cues or more difficult maneuvers-- and part of their workout will be repetition of the basics-- to develop muscle memory and coordination.

Health and Nutrition

Our young horses get a high-quality diet of alfalfa/grass mixed hay, as well as whole oats. While they are still growing and filling out, we pump a fair amount of food to them to keep them in good flesh. In addition to growing, they are also worked pretty hard so their calorie demand is high. The young horses pretty much get all the hay they can eat, plus oats and supplements twice a day.

For supplements, I start our young horses on Cosequin as soon as they start working under-saddle. Although we think of joint health supplements for helping older horses that already have cartilage break down, the ingredients are scientifically formulated to support and maintain the health of your horse’s joints. So in my mind, the sooner they are started on Cosequin, the healthier their joints will be in mid-life. Our young horses also get Calxequin, a vitamin and mineral supplement that supports healthy hoof growth-- really important with the additional stress on their hooves from carrying a rider and working hard.

The youngsters in my barn are most important for the potential they represent. We want to develop them and nurture them and turn them into the best horses they can be so that one day they might fill the shoes of our prime-time horses once those horses are ready to retire. In the next article in this series, I'll introduce you to my best horses-- the prime-time working horses and the special challenges of keeping them healthy and strong.

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SisterCreek Ranch in Boerne, TX Welcomed Horse Master Crew

2013-03-05T07:49:00.001-07:00

Our week in Texas, taping the final eight episodes of Horse Master for 2013, was not without its problems. In spite of incredible weather challenges and equipment failures, we managed to get some of the best episodes we've ever taped, in my humble opinion.

We headed out early on Sunday (at least that was the plan), in order to get to the site early enough to see the lay of the and and get familiar with the ranch, its people and the place we would call home for the week. Had it not been for the raging blizzard happening in Denver, this plan would've worked.

Instead, Heidi (producer and director) and Susie's (key member of our crew) 8:00 flight was cancelled, my flight was leaving on time at 11:00 but there were no empty seats. The next flight out was to be at 9:00 pm-- and the airport wouldn't be open by then. Thanks to Susie's quick thinking (she had signed the two up for standby status on my flight as soon as the gate attendant announced there was technical trouble with the first plane) Susie and Heidi were at the top of the standby list for my flight, but it didn't look good. I boarded the plane and said goodbye to them as they waited at the gate. Sitting on the tarmac, my panic slowly rose--wondering how the shoot would go without a director. Could I run the crew and star in the show?

Just before the aircraft doors shut, I looked out the window to a beautiful sight-- Heidi, carrying her 6 month old baby, and Susie running across the 100-yard tarmac through a blizzard to get the last two seats on the plane. A wonderful United gate attendant carried all the baby gear and opened his coat to shield Heidi and the baby. It was a beautiful site. Praise the Lord! We were back in business!

Just moments after our little commuter jet left the de-icing station (for the second time) and took off, the Denver airport was shut down due to the storm. Thankfully we did not know about this until after safely landing in San Antonio when the young pilot confessed that he had never taken off in weather like that and couldn't believe he was allowed to take off.

Although we got to the Sister Creek Ranch (Boerne TX) late-- just before our cast meeting began, it all came off well. Even in the dimming light, we could see that the ranch was beautiful. The people were kind and our cast was understanding that we were late and helped us get organized. The ranch owners turned their 700 acre property into an equestrian paradise-- and built a cute old fashioned Western town right in the middle of miles of trails. We pulled up to the saloon, "Sniffy's" where a fire awaited us. Just next door were our two cabin style guest houses where the crew would stay. The barn had a wonderful apartment overhead where I had my own private quarters. It is gorgeous--even in the dark!

Little did we know, the next day the storm we battled in Denver would make our lives even more miserable in Texas. 80 mile an hour winds whipped through Texas in a bizarre and unprecedented fashion. Just the week before we had been told of the ranch's wonderful weather. We're sure if you decide to visit the ranch, you'll get that version instead of our luck!

Monday morning, we start taping at first light. It was pretty breezy and cold but we got the first episode started. The beginning of each show is the toughest part to tape. First, we don't always know what the episode will be about until we actually see the horse and rider in action-- and it often turns out to be on a totally different topic than planned. Horses don't work from a script very well and if we cannot catch the topic on video, we can't really make an episode out of it.

Nonetheless, our first show turned out great-- a cute but spoiled horse that, although he worked well at home, would throw fits when being ridden at new places. And in this case, the horse actually did what was expected-- throwing a wall-eyed fit a soon as the rider mounted-- ending with him rearing a couple times, then taking the rider straight to the gate where she promptly jumped off, waving the white flag.

The horse was a little spoiled and had learned to take advantage of his owner but I could tell he was a really was a good soul. In short order, with some productive ground work and a little authority, he quickly gave up his antics and decided maybe being a "yes mam" horse was easier than being a brat. As usual, getting a change in the horse is not hard; getting a change in the owner can take a while. But Kay rose to the challenge and rode with total control by the end of the episode.

By mid-morning, when we were starting the second episode, the wind had picked up to hair-raising levels. It was impossible to hear in the wind and at one point I remember looking up at the camera and seeing the whole crew of 5-6 people, take a sudden step back in unison to a big gust.

I could hardly hear anything above the wind except this horrible screeching sound; I looked up in time to see a panel of the round-pen roof lifting up off the rafters like it was headed for parts unknown. This is all happening right before I was getting ready to step up on a horse that had not been ridden in a year-- the subject of our second episode.

This episode also turned out really well; it was about riding a horse that had not been ridden in a very long time. In the middle of an "extreme wind event" wasn't exactly the ideal time to try this but the mare was a pro and she didn't miss a step-- proving my point which was that a well trained horse can take a long time off without any adverse affects to its training.

We broke for lunch to the the sanctuary of the saloon, where we watched the wind get worse by the minute-- 50 mph gusts blowing dirt sideways. I gave an impromptu lesson on bits to the cast and crew and by 2:00, we gave up and called it a day, knowing that we would be starting our second day, 3-4 hours and two episodes behind schedule. That is, if the wind stopped.

The next morning the wind was down to a reasonable breeze but it was cold! The day was going pretty well until I made a really bone-head mistake and left the microphone pack hooked to the back of my pants when I went to the ladies room. Have you ever dropped your phone in the toilet? Kind of like that but this was a wireless microphone worth thousands of dollars. oops.

After a great deal of scrambling and a frantic trip to San Antonio, we were back in business with a rental mic. I am grateful for an awesome crew-- the flexible never get bent out of shape! While Humberto made the run to town, we got some footage that only required one mic; so we made good use of time.

Our next episode was about a 4 year old Mustang mare who had no ground manners and walked all over her owner. It seemed like they would both benefit from some round pen work, so that is where we started. The mare worked through the process well-- she is very smart, as many spoiled horses are!

We also taped a great episode on cantering for the first time--leaving our crew cheering in the background-- go Bill! Bill is no spring chicken and it was great to see an older rider tackling a big challenge. He has a great little mare called Reba who patiently took him down the rail at a canter again and again as Bill found his seat.
As the week went on, the weather improved, although it was cold and windy every day. Even the dunked microphone dried out and started working again, which was very fortuitous since the rental mic stopped working at about the same time.

Our next episode was an advanced rider on a well-trained all-around horse, who wanted to advance her riding and training and work on total body control and bending. It's funny how the slightest adjustment in an advanced rider's position can be huge. Marijohn was asking her horse to bend but she was getting a sideways twist in the horse's neck rather than a bend. Just by adjusting her hand position and showing her how to use her reins and legs more effectively, we saw a big change in the horse.

Then we had Denise and her sweet dressage horse. My first impression was one of a tug of war-- both horse and rider were hanging and leaning on each other so hard! Denise is all of 100 pounds soaking wet but she was getting a major upper-body workout each minute she rode. My main interest was in stopping that cycle of pulling which was very hard on the horse and getting Denise's position all out of whack. That turned out to be easy with a bit change, a few minutes of me riding and showing the horse where to find the release, then Denise took over and did a remarkable job of changing old habits.

Since the pulling problem was eliminated so quickly, we spent the rest of the time on this episode teaching Denise how to feel her posting diagonals. The correct way to post is to begin posting on the correct diagonal-- not start posting, then look down and check, then fix if you are wrong. Denise got the feel, got the coordination and by the end of the episode, she was nailing her correct diagonal by feel every time.

The final two days of the shoot seemed so easy, by comparison. Mary Ann and her lovely mare Jezabel were our next victims and we took advantage of some of the incredible trails at Sister Creek Ranch. Jezabel, a seasoned trail horse, had started throwing a temper tantrum if separated from her number one buddy.

I've seen worse, but Jezabel could sure work herself up into a foaming tizzy until there was practically smoke coming out her nostrils. I showed Mary Ann a few exercises to employ when she acts this way, both from the ground and from the saddle, to help get her mind back in order.

The herd-bound horse plague is huge and if I could come up with a quick and easy cure, I'd be a rich woman. The cure always involves more ground work, more focus from your horse and more authority from you. Fortunately, Jezabel responded well to the exercises and I think Mary Ann is a good enough rider to nip this behavior in the bud.

Our final episode of the shoot was one that left us all choked up and mesmerized. Marte is a lovely and elegant lady who has turned to riding later in life, after caring for her ailing daughter with MS, who recently passed away after a long battle.

Riding is Marte's therapy to help her deal with her grief and she has a wonderful horse, Diego, as a partner. He's a hot blooded, forward horse with some baggage that has left him fearful, but his trust in Marte, and her trust in him, was amazing to see. We were all so taken by Marte's story and fell in love with her horse-- leaving us all chanting, "Diego for President!"

Marte was riding Diego in a long-shanked Tom Thumb, which was definitely adding to his fear level and causing his urge to run off every time she asked him to trot. I changed him to a 3-ring combination and taught him not to be afraid of contact and to lower his head when he felt it. In about five minutes he had his head low and was trotting slowly, totally soft and relaxed.

The next challenge was to get Marte in a better riding position so that she could learn to post correctly. Again, just a few adjustments and she looked like a whole new rider! This was an awesome episode because of Marte's story, which she told so eloquently and because both the horse and rider made such dramatic progress. What a great way to end the shoot!

My crew and I owe a big THANK YOU to the owners and staff at Sister Creek Ranch. Thank you to Bruce, Beth, Trish, Beau and Kayley. We ate too much good food, laughed a lot and worked hard all week. But we had beautiful and comfortable accommodations and a fabulous facility to work out of and miles of gorgeous trails in the Texas hill country. SCR is a wonderful equestrian resort and a perfect destination for trail riders who want a little taste of luxury on the side.

We look forward to returning there someday!

Enjoy the ride,

Julie Goodnight

The Horse Master Episodes I Remember Most

2013-01-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

We've taped, edited and aired 116 episodes of Horse Master since 2008. Oddly enough, even though I work with hundreds of horses and riders each year at clinics and expos, I can still look at the list of episodes and remember each horse and rider I've worked with on the TV show over the past five years. And don't forget, you can watch episodes on my online channel at TV.JulieGoodnight.com.

Perhaps it is because I get to work with the horses and riders one-on-one when we are taping the show or perhaps it is because I watch the show again in the editing phase and once again when it airs, that I can remember each one so well. Or maybe it's because we work hard to find the best story in each episode-- the one that is most compelling and the one the audience will benefit from most-- and that isn't always the topic the person stated in their application to be on the show.

Take for instance the barrel racer in episode 501, "Forward Progress." It was supposed to be an episode about a young competitive rider who wanted to improve her times, but turned out to be on one of the most basic fundamentals-- that forward movement is the basis of all training.

The young lady in this episode stands out in my mind as an excellent rider-- very brave and riding a wild and crazy horse-- and the recipient of some very bad horse training advice. Anytime she would ask the horse to move forward, it would take off running and bucking across the arena until she picked up on one rein, pulled its neck into a pretzel shape and disengaged the hindquarters. Once she let the horse have its head, the whole thing would start again. Honestly, she couldn't go 4-5 strides without disengagement.

I jumped on this topic in a hurry because it's one of my biggest pet peeves about so called "natural horsemanship"-- the over-use of the one-rein stop. It is not the answer to everything and I've seen many horses that I would say are terrorized daily by this idea. Ask it to go somewhere, then jerk its head to the side and tangle up its feet. I've seen plenty of horses at their wits end when disengagement is over-used. Although it can come in real handy at times, too much of a good thing is a bad thing and a horse has to move freely forward before training can begin.

The good news is that both the horse and rider in this episode did really well and once the young rider understood what to do, they both made tremendous progress. Once she got the horse to move forward without restriction and contradiction, they developed trust in each other and went on to do good things. I love it when helping a rider turns out to help a horse.

Another episode that really stands out in my mind from the last year is episode 513, "Positioned for Success." Like the barrel racer, this horse seemed to be a problem-- too fast, won't stop, won't slow down, but in actuality, all that needed to change was the rider.

Mike was fairly new to riding and had purchased an older Arabian at auction because the horse was reported to be well-trained and reliable. Clearly, the horse's past included endurance racing because once you pointed him down the trail, he was all-business--hell-bent for leather, even though that was not Mike's intention.

Once I rode him, I was immediately enamored of this horse and I could tell he was a good soul with a lot of miles on him. But because Mike was a novice rider and didn't know much about correct position, and because he felt like the horse would be taking off with him, he had developed some defensiveness in his position-- legs braced forward and hauling back on the reins. This almost always makes the horse go faster.

It was amazing to see the transformation in both horse and rider once Mike's position was corrected and I showed him how to use his weight to slow down instead of constantly pulling on the reins. The results were almost immediate and by the time we taped the conclusion of the show the next day, both Mike and his horse had found a new appreciation for each other as they went casually down the trail on a loose rein.

Are you beginning to see why I love my job?

One of the horses that stands out most in my mind from 2012, in episode was a little Paso Fino who was supposedly deathly afraid of plastic (521, "Plastic Makes Me Spastic"). Often the picture I see in the horse does not compute with the explanation coming out of the owner's mouth-- and this episode was the perfect case in point.

He was a mature and well-trained gelding-- very fiery like a Paso Fino should be, but also very smart, thinking and well-mannered. Everything I saw in this horse told me he was trying his best to do the right thing. It didn't take long for me to decipher the problem-- the horse was not afraid of plastic; it was running away anytime plastic was presented to him because that is what he had been inadvertently trained to do.

People train the wrong response into horses all the time. As it turns out, the previous owners of this horse had chased him around the field in a Gator with a plastic bag on the end of a stick. So, in his mind, what he was supposed to do evertime he saw a plastic bag, is run like crazy away from it.

Although horses are one of the most sensitive mammals, they are also the most easily desensitized. It should happen fairly quickly (as it did in this show, once the correct technique was used). If desensitization doesn't happen quickly, then something is going wrong and you may be engraining a fear response into the horse instead of eliminating fear.

With most horse training issues-- the critical factor is the timing of the release of pressure. Whatever your horse is doing at the moment you release him, is what you just trained him to do. What they had done with this sweet little gelding is release the pressure every time the horse showed a fear response-- thus rewarding the fear response. Eventually, the horse came to believe that what he was supposed to do was run like crazy anytime he saw a plastic bag.

As you can see from watching this episode, in a matter of minutes I was rubbing plastic all over him and waving it in his face while he stood still and relaxed. He was a very smart and willing horse-- often the most misunderstood. He did not want to run or be afraid, he just wanted to do what was expected of him. It's all in the timing of the release.

Most of the training problems people have with their horses are really quite common-- the same issues come up again and again, and these are the topics we try to cover in Horse Master. What we are all tempted to describe as a horse problem, the horse would probably describe as a human problem if he could.

Looking back over the past five years of Horse Master, I remember so many cool horses and great people--both on the cast and crew. Time and time again, it's amazing how a little bit of information and a few smalls corrections in technique can cause such huge results in a short amount of time.

I'm looking forward to all the horses and riders I'll meet in 2013 and helping them work better together. Until then...

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Raise Your Foal Right

2012-11-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Recently I was in Hamilton, New Zealand, as a clinician at EquiDays--- their national horse expo. I met a lot of great people there, including three talented horsewomen, who were demonstrating their skills in a colt-starting challenge. I was the emcee for the event, explaining what they were doing in the three round pens, as I fielded questions from the audience.

When asked what kind of handling a trainer hoped a "colt" would have before coming for training under saddle, we all four agreed that no handling at all was preferred over poor handling or over-handling. This really perplexed the crowd, so I went on to explain…

Young horses are very impressionable and the younger they are, the more impressionable because their brief life experience has not yet led to engrained learned behaviors.

Also, horses are very fast learners, at any age. They learn much faster than humans—for better or for worse. These two qualities together mean that it is very easy for young horses to learn the wrong thing. Very easy.

For instance, foals are very tactile and love to be scratched, rubbed and cuddled. In their enthusiasm, foals will learn to lean into the pressure they get when someone scratches them. The more handling they have, the more engrained it becomes in the foal to lean into pressure and to disregard the personal space of the handler, while demanding his scratches.

While this might not be a problem when the foal is a month old—when it is eight hundred pounds and leaning into you and crowding your space, it is not so cute any more.

Beyond the safety and respect-for-space concerns, everything that you will later do in the young horse's training under saddle will require it to move away from pressure, not into it. Over-handling and desensitizing a young horse can cause big problems later on when you expect it to be sensitive to cues, responsive to your aids and attentive to you.

I remember when I was in college and working on a racehorse breeding farm. We foaled about a dozen mares each year and the foals had very little handling except to be halter-broke when weaned, then started under-saddle as a long-yearling. Otherwise, they were turned out with the herd to romp and play and learn the manners of the herd.

We had some neighbors that had adopted an orphan foal--the classic recipe for over-handled and spoiled horses. I'll never forget going over to check in with them a month or two later, to see their "pride and joy." I was stunned at how many mistakes they had made in such a short time.

The colt was turned out in a big pen with its adopted uncle; both horses were at the far end of the pen when we stepped inside the gate. Immediately the colt's head came up, ears perked forward and he came running straight towards us at a dead run. Humorous at first but the closer he got, the less cute it was.

Right before he ran into us at full speed, he slammed on the brakes, wheeled a 180 and backed his tail right into the owner, pushing her back into the fence. She sheepishly smiled as she started scratching the foal's rump to satisfy his itch (and reward his antics). Can you list all the things that are so very wrong about this picture?

Foals can be very shy and tentative, sweet and demur or wild and rambunctious. It depends on the temperament they hit the ground with. While fillies tend to be more docile and colts tend to be more mischievous, these are generalities-- and certainly no guarantee.

I remember a fine young Quarter Horse colt I raised, from the Dash for Cash bloodlines out of a cutting bred mare. This colt had no longer hit the ground than he was up and about, looking for trouble. He was afraid of nothing and very full of himself. By the time he was a couple months old, he was sparring with any person or horse that he could get close to-- rearing, striking, kicking and biting his way through life. Not because he was mean; he was just full of himself.

This colt required a bit more training at a young age because of his rambunctious, king-of-the-world temperament. Even though he was a handful, I knew that if that fearless energy could be channeled into something positive, he would be a heck of a horse. And he was. It took some careful and strict attention to good manners and following the rules, but he turned out to be an awesome riding horse.

In a memorable episode of Horse Master, I worked with a very similar yearling Thoroughbred filly. Kicking, biting and striking were her favorite modes of expression and she could sure throw a temper tantrum! Although she was a challenge, she did learn some manners and once her owner learned the proper way to handle her, they got along much better. Too bad she didn't get help before the filly kicked out and broke her hand.

Whether a foal is a colt or a filly, wild or demure, big or little, it is extremely important that the handling he gets in his earliest years is good and consistent with what will be expected of him later in life.

His first learning experiences impress him the most, so make sure you get it right. If a foal learns the wrong things as a youngster, it will be reflected in his behavior and performance throughout his life.

Learning boundaries, good manners, self-control, patience, respect for the space of others and respect for authority are critical to a foal's success, not to mention how safe and pleasant it is to be around. Although foals need good training to have these fundamentals, too much handling is not good for their mental state or behavior. Let them grow up and have a fun youth, before too much training begins.

Avoiding the common mistakes that amateur owners tend to make with foals can definitely be a challenge. Get all the help and advise you can from reliable sources; you only have one chance to get it right.

Enjoy the ride!
Julie

Advancing Training Skills

2012-11-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud of my young horse, Eddies Pick, a 3 y/o AQHA gelding from the famed 6666 Ranch, by their World Champion stallion, Sixes Pick. I bought Eddie back in April from the Legends of Ranching Sale at Colorado State University as a green-broke colt, just about 60 days under saddle. I must say, he has far exceeded my expectations in the past six months.

He's come a long way since April, with lots of miles and wet saddle blankets; with four road trips from one end of Colorado to the other, where he helped me teach multi-day clinics. He's learned that the trailer is not a bad place, that he can be comfortable and safe even when sleeping in a strange place and that sometimes life involves hard work. He's also learned that in most cases, it's good to be the instructor's horse; watching the other horses work from the middle of the ring has it's advantages.

I've been spoiled from riding my finished bridle horse for some time and it was a re-awakening to be riding a green-broke colt again. Most of the time I just refused to treat him like a baby, choosing instead to ride him like a 'broke' horse, and most of the time he rose to the occasion. But we did have our share of green-bean moments-- an occasional reminder that although Eddie was calm and compliant, he still didn't know much.

But now, as the seasons change and Eddie is approaching his four year old year, it is time to get a little more serious about his education. We've got the basics down-- he's a 'solid broke using horse' now that stops, turns and goes as directed. Now he's ready for more refinement in his training and for the more advanced maneuvers required in his job description. It's time we set some bigger goals!

Up to now, we've been focusing on fundamentals-- going straight and steady on a loose rein in all gaits; maintaining obedience to the path and speed I dictate-- not leaning toward the gate or speeding up when we turn toward the barn; responsiveness to basic cues to stop, go and turn; going over obstacles, through the creek, over the tarp and under the low-lying branches; and just learning, in general, that sometimes you have to work hard, even when you don't want to.

I'd say Eddie is officially 'broke' now; he's no longer a baby and it's time to move onto more lofty goals. Coming into the fall of his three year old year, it's time to move past primary school and on to high school. As we progress to more advanced training, it is important that he learn the advanced maneuvers that will be required of him, and that he learns them in a technically correct and precise way. To excel in performance, athletes must learn the technical aspects of their sport. From the first moment he starts learning more advanced skills, I want Eddie to be doing it right. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Even in his fundamental training, Eddie has learned to listen to and respond well to my seat and legs. Ultimately he will be my bridle-less performance horse so from day one, I have been guiding him more with my body and less with my hands. As I constantly preach in my clinics-- reins are reinforcement to the cue-- not the cue itself.

The middle school skills I am working on now with Eddie include collection at the canter and the beginnings of lateral work. We are loping more circles, focusing on the bend in his body, the lifting of his inside shoulder, bringing his hind-quarters underneath him and coming into a more rounded frame. This is not his favorite thing-- he much prefers riding on a loose rein with his nose poking out, but he is getting stronger and more coordinated each day that we do more collected work.

While Eddie has been moving off my leg well for sometime, now I am starting to ask more of him by leg yielding or two tracking. Understanding the correct body position the horse should be in and how he moves forward and laterally, bent in the opposite direction of travel, how you use your seat, hands and legs together to achieve this result are paramount. If the rider does not fully understand the maneuver and how to use her aids, how can it possibly be correct? How do you know if your horse is doing it right? It is at times like this that I appreciate my early schooling in classical riding.

As my youngster develops himself in a more collected frame, bending well on the circle and leg yielding at the walk and trot, we are also starting to work on the all important Western maneuver-- pivot on the haunches. As a working cowhorse, this maneuver will be foundational for the reining patterns he will be expected to complete, as well as when working cattle. Starting with quarter turns taught from a spiraling circle, we are now advancing to complete 360 degree spins. Again, knowing how to use your aids to get the correct response is key to a young horse's success in learning these difficult maneuvers.

While my focus is on advancing Eddie's training, I still want things to be fun for him. Sometimes going around in circles and drilling maneuvers gets tiresome so I also plan time to ride around the ranch, opening and closing gates, dragging logs to and fro, going up and down the ravine to strengthen his back and hindquarters. But even during this 'casual' riding, I have an awareness of my horse being correct and having total body control. He can't just pile through the gate-- he has to be patient and make the correct movements in the correct sequence, waiting for my cues and not anticipating the next move. In this ranch work, Eddie has proven himself to be a star, just like his papa.

I'm proud of my young horse and I am patiently setting goals for him and for me that are attainable and progressive in nature-- you have to walk before you run. I won't get in a hurry because I know that being methodical and technically correct in our maneuvers will be faster in the long run and bring out the best talent in my young horse.

What about you and your horse? Do you have training goals? Do you periodically reassess them so that you know you are constantly moving forward? Isn't it plausible that a total recreational rider with no plans to compete might be interested in advancing your horse's training and being technically correct in your riding? I think so. How about you?

Enjoy the ride,
Julie Goodnight

A Kickin' and a Pullin'

2012-10-03T12:39:00.000-06:00

I've been working with horses and riders for almost 30 years now-- teaching people to ride better and have a greater understanding of their horses. Periodically I try to calculate the numbers of horses I've worked with and it's well into the thousands-- I'm shooting for more than 10,000 before I retire. I figure by then, I'll really know something.

In every clinic I've ever done, I've worked with riders that are pulling on the horse's mouth at the same time they are kicking the horse forward. Some riders pull all the time no matter what the horse is doing. I don't think that any trainers or instructors are surprised to hear this-- we see it all the time from the middle of the arena-- but I think that most nonpro riders would be surprised at the frequency with which this occurs. Sadly, most riders are totally unaware that they are doing it. But their horse is not.

Technically speaking, a "rein of opposition" occurs anytime the rider pulls backward on a rein because the rein aid is in direct opposition to the horse's forward movement, like with the direct rein. (more about rein aids here, http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=26 ) It's a very simple concept to understand but a huge challenge to many riders. There are times when you want to inhibit forward movement, like when you are stopping or turning hard. But most of the time, you want the horse to move freely forward without restriction-- like when you are crossing a creek, jumping a fence, coming out of a roll back or even executing a simple canter departure.

Usually, riders have no idea they are even pulling on the reins at the same time they are asking the horse to go more forward. Sometimes it's from a lack of coordination (every time the rider kicks, she reflexively pulls on the reins), sometimes it's caused by fear (a white-knuckle grip on the reins and a fetal position), sometimes it's because the rider is a control freak and over-uses her hands (micro-managing every step of the horse). I call it greedy hands versus giving hands. Greedy hands are always taking away rein. A horse loves the rider that has giving hands- always reaching for the mouth, stretching forward with every stride.

The result of greedy hands is an unhappy horse that becomes frustrated and may act out with undesirable behaviors-- his temperament will dictate his response. A horse that is insensitive and lazy (those qualities often go together) will usually default to stopping, slowing down and constantly breaking gait when he gets a conflicting signal like kicking and pulling. The rider is telling him to go and stop at the same time and since his preference is to stop, he'll usually default to that. Usually these horses will start leaning on the reins and rooting the reins and get very stiff and bracey in their necks. This is considered a "fault" in the horse yet it is almost always caused by the faults of the rider (and often exacerbated by an inappropriate bit). Although these are annoying habits that the lazy horse develops from too much pulling, they are not too scary.

The result of greedy hands on a hotter, or more sensitive horse that is eager to move forward, can be much more of a challenge. Often the problem is worse in a hotter horse because the rider has more concerns of the horse going too fast so she tends to hold the reins even tighter than she would on a lazy horse. Because the horse is more sensitive to both the go cue and the inadvertent stop cue, the conflicting signal is much more frustrating and melt-downs can happen quickly. Since this type of horse is more eager to move forward, his default behavior when given conflicting signals is to speed up. And here's the part that most riders cannot comprehend-- that the more you pull, the faster the horse will go because horses are hard-wired to run away from things that cause them anxiety and discomfort.

Sadly, the worst mistake you can make with a horse like this is the one that many people default to-- they use a stronger bit but do not change their riding habits (or ever consider that it may be something they are doing that is causing the problem). With a hot horse that is too fast, changing to a stronger bit almost always makes them worse. Usually a milder bit makes them better because going to a stronger bit increases the anxiety in the horse and anxious horses go faster—that’s the flight response. Reducing the anxiety with a milder bit will usually calm and therefore slow down this type of horse.

If you recognize any of these problems, either in your own horse or horses and riders that you may have occasion to work with, there are a few things you can do to improve riding skills and thus help the horse out of his dilemma. First and foremost, the rider should work on exercises that improve balance on the horse without the use of the hands. One of my favorite exercises is riding in the standing or two-point position with your hands behind your back (in a confined area with reins secured) while the horse walks. Later, as your balance improves, practice at the trot and canter. Volume 3 in my DVD series on riding is called Perfect Practice and it shows this and many other balance exercises; there is also a handy pocket guide to take to the arena. http://shopping.juliegoodnight.com/Goodnights-Principles-of-Riding-vol-3-Perfect-Practice-GPRV3DVD.htm

Riding with your hands behind your back not only improves balance, but also helps develop an independent hand and the confidence to know your horse will remain obedient, even wihtout the reins in your hands. There are many great exercises in the video and arena guide that help with balance, riding without the reins and cueing with your seat and legs.

Stressing the points of keeping the hands in proper position, with a straight line from the rider's elbow to the mouth and the hands ALWAYS in front of the pommel will help the rider and the horse. Riding is a constant process of shortening and lengthening reins, depending on what your horse is doing or what you are asking. When the horse relaxes and lowers his head, the reins should be loosened; when he lifts his head or before you ask him to do something, the reins should be shortened.

The types of reins you use can make shortening and lengthening easier or harder. A closed-loop rope rein or an English rein is easier; split reins are the hardest to shorten and lengthen. The reins I designed are a heavy closed-loop rope rein, specifically designed for ease of use. http://shopping.juliegoodnight.com/Goodnights-Rope-Reins-JGReins.htm

For fearful riders that are tense and clenching on the reins, getting them to sit well back with shoulders over the hips; relax their back, shoulders, arms and hands; and breathe deeply are the first steps. Three important skills will help the fearful rider-- keep your eyes focused and looking around taking in information in your environment; deep abdominal breathing; and using confident body language even when you don’t feel that way. I've written a lot about building confidence in my Training Library, http://juliegoodnight.com/q&a.php, and I have an inspirational audio recording called Building Confidence with Horses, that is available in a CD or by download. http://shopping.juliegoodnight.com/Building-Confidence-with-Horses-BYC.htm

Finally, making the rider aware of when she is inadvertently pulling on the reins or micro-managing the horse and the negative effects it has on the horse, will go a long way toward helping the situation. In my clinics, I usually have riders loosen their reins then place their hands down on the neck or saddle pad in order to work on the horse’s responsiveness and obedience without the rider constantly interfering with the reins.

At first, the riders become aware of how obedient their horse actually is—some are constantly veering off the rail or changing direction or speed. With a few corrections, then going back to the hands down on the neck, the horse becomes responsible for his own actions. Next, we start working on turns and stops without picking up the hands off the neck, so the rider learns to cue the horse with her body and not with excessive use of the reins. Horses love this stuff and usually are more obedient and willing when less reins are used.

To me, the ultimate challenge for both horse and rider is to ride bridle-less. Getting your horse so obedient that he never challenges your cues for direction or speed and getting him so responsive to your seat and legs that you do not need the reins any longer is satisfying beyond words. To learn more about my training progression to attain these goals, visit http://www.juliegoodnight.com/bridleless/

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Reflections on Riding Bikes and Riding Horses

2012-09-04T12:03:00.001-06:00

To celebrate our anniversary, my husband and I recently bought new mountain bikes and made a commitment to get in better shape. Living in the land of mecca for mountain bikers as we do, a high-mountain town where there are more bike stores than shoe stores, it seemed like the right thing to do. http://salida.com/

And we need another sport-- somehow horseback riding, snow skiing, boating, fishing and golf were not enough! As with all things I do and think about, it wasn't long before I started relating it to horses and riding.

We used to mountain bike a lot but somehow through the years, other sports seemed to take over. I was impressed at how much mountain bikes have changed in the 15 years of our hiatus. The high-tech materials and design have increased tremendously, along with the price. But the one thing that they haven't improved much on is the seat. Clearly the bike designers have never ridden in one of my saddles, specially designed for seat comfort!

Knowing what we know about the importance of having good equipment in any sport, we got two really good mountain bikes, with full-suspension to take care of our aging bodies. After all, the main reason we decided to get back into mountain biking was to replace running with a joint-friendly form of exercise. Although horseback riding is joint friendly and fun, the horse is doing all the exercising.

After a couple bike rides on some mellow dirt roads, we decided it was time to hit the single-track. It was sort of like taking a pampered show horse and putting him on a challenging mountain trail. I was reminded that like riding, mountain biking is a sport that seriously challenges your balance. And like horses, it is critical to keep your eyes ahead of you. Your bike and your horse tend to go where you look so DO NOT LOOK DOWN!

Right away, I noticed a big difference in bikes and horses. Bikes are 100% obedient. They never challenge your authority. They always go where you steer them. They speed up and slow down as directed and the brakes always work. They do not suddenly leap into the air when a plastic bag blows by and bikes do not startle if they un-expectantly encounter a horse coming down the trail. I wish I could say the same for horses.

When I ride and train my horses, I am always thinking about their obedience-- it is what I expect from them. An obedient horse is somewhat like a good bicycle-- it goes in the direction you point it at the speed you dictate. Once you've set your horse on a course, he should stay there. If you have to constantly re-direct him because he veers off the path, if he speeds up or slows down without a cue, if he tries to argue or negotiate with you, he is not obedient.

Here's a little test to issue to your horse the next time you ride. Set him on a course of direction with your eyes focused on a far-off target, at either a walk or slow trot, with a slightly loose rein. Then drop your hands down to touch his neck or the saddle pad in front of the saddle and leave them there (thus negating the use of the reins) and expect him to continue on without your interference.

Does he speed up or slow down? Does he veer toward the gate or cut the corners? Do you have to constantly pick up your hands to guide him? When you ask him to canter does he drop his shoulder, lean into the middle of the pen and make an ever-smaller circle? If so, you may have an obedience problem.

Make sure you and your horse are not co-dependent and you are not enabling his disobedience. Remember, an obedient horse continues in the direction and speed you dictate without you constantly telling him what to do. For instance, once you ask your horse to canter, he should continue at that gait and speed until you tell him to speed up, slow down or stop. If you have to constantly tell him to canter, if you're pedaling him like a bicycle; he is challenging your authority and you have become co-dependent. He is constantly threatening disobedience and you are constantly enabling him.

But how about this picture? While keeping your hands on his neck, can you keep him on the path you dictate by just using gentle leg pressure to steer? Can you control his speed by simply shifting your weight back or forward? Can you reverse directions and make circles and serpentines with your hands down on his neck? If so, good for you! You are not dependent on the reins for control nor is your horse dependent on your constant guidance with the reins to be obedient.

Horses constantly challenge our authority with small disobediences that you often don't notice until they become really big problems that you can't seem to solve. For instance, riders rarely recognize when their horses are puling toward the gate or barn or when they speed up when turning toward the barn or slow down when turning away. But when the horse won't leave the barnyard or jigs all the way home, we see the problem. Yet it was caused by the hundreds of small disobediences that occurred prior to the big problem.

Having a greater awareness of your horse's behavior and motivations is a great place to start. Their motivations are simple. Horses seek out safety and comfort-- those are the two things that motivate them most. And because they get both of these feelings from the herd, that is where they want to be. Once you can demonstrate that you can give him the same sense of comfort and safety that he gets from the herd, he'll want to be with you and will constantly work hard for your acceptance and approval. You can read a lot more about this in my on-line Training Library. http://juliegoodnight.com/

Your horse needs you to be a strong leader-- the Captain of the ship. Call him out on his disobedience by correcting him and letting him know you do not approve. But then leave him alone and trust him to do the job you've asked of him and praise him when he does. Your constant nagging on the reins prompts his disobedience.

Instead, direct your horse to go a certain direction and speed, then drop your hands down on his neck. Give him a chance to be obedient and expect him to do the right thing. If he makes a mistake, call him on his behavior, make a quick and effective correction, then put him back on the path and drop your hands again to show him that you trust him. No more enabling or co-dependence. Expect your horse to be as obedient as your bicycle and he may surprise you!

Horses thrive off of good leadership. A good leader sets the tone, enforces the rules and trusts her first mate to do his job. A good horse happily follows orders and tries hard, seeking out the approval of the leader. That's what makes horses more fun than bicycles!

Enjoy the ride,
Julie

Good Horse Gone Bad

2012-08-06T13:21:00.001-06:00

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times. "My new horse has turned out to be a nightmare. The seller misrepresented him as a well-trained horse. I think he was drugged when I looked at him."

The scenario goes something like this: she bought the horse a few months ago. When she looked at it and rode it at the seller's place, it was perfect-- truly a dream horse. But a few weeks or months go by and the horse has fallen apart at the seams-- no respect or deference whatsoever for the handler, looking outside the arena constantly, spooking, calling to other horses, distracted, dominant and sometimes downright nasty in it's frustration.

How did a good horse go so bad in such a short time? For most people, the logical conclusion is that the horse was drugged when they bought it (as if drugging will turn a horse into an obedient and well-trained mount-- if so, I'll take some of that drug!). From experience, I know that this is rarely the case.

Often I can just look at the horse and know it is not his fault. Maybe he has a big kind eye or the refined thin-skinned look of an overly sensitive horse. Sometimes the breeding and age of the horse are clues that he should be doing much better than that.

At my clinics, I can easily spot a good horse gone bad from poor handling but I always follow up with questions to confirm my diagnosis: how long have you had him? how much training has he had? what happened when you brought him home? what history do you have on this horse? Usually the clues all point to a consistent diagnosis-- the rider has "untrained" the horse.

By observing the handler, it is usually pretty obvious what the problem is-- under-correction, over-correction, lack of awareness of spatial issues, tolerating and condoning poor behavior, not setting rules or boundaries, poor timing and just a general lack of leadership skills. Often conflicting signals and miscommunication are involved, so the horse's frustration turns to bitterness quickly.

The first few weeks or months after buying a horse, are critical to developing a strong relationship with him. In the beginning, each encounter you have after bringing your new horse home leaves a strong impression. It pays to be careful and methodical during this time.

Horses are very relationship oriented and you cannot buy the same relationship with a new horse that his previous owner or trainer had. You have to earn it yourself-- no one can do it for you.

Because horses are so relationship oriented, they must have a reason to want to be with you over the herd. Since horses prefer being with other horses, not humans, the only reason he has to stay with you and work with you is if you exude strong and fair leadership and make the horse feel safe and comfortable-- these are the benefits he gets from the herd.

Horses are also very context- or location-specific in their training, meaning that leaving their home, herd and normal routine and relocating to a new place can be very confusing, disorienting and stressful to a horse. Unless he is a well-traveled, seasoned veteran, coming to a new home may cause a lot insecurities and undesirable behaviors in a horse.

There are a few things you can do to help get off on the right foot with your horse in the beginning. Start with giving your horse time to settle into his new home and get to know the new humans and horses in his life. Carefully monitor his introduction to a new herd. Spend a few days or a week, just showing him around the area, petting him, grooming him; doing easy and stress-free stuff with him as you get to know and trust each other.

This is a good time to do some groundwork with your new horse to help establish your authority and develop a line of communication with him. If you haven't done groundwork before, check out my training library http://www.juliegoodnight.com/ for specific techniques you can use.

During this orientation period, make sure your horse minds his manners, but cut him a little slack if he feels insecure as he gets used to his new home. Be firm and confidant, but do not over-expose him to stimuli he's not ready for, so that your horse learns he can trust you to keep him safe and so that he builds confidence.

This is also a good time to check out your equipment to make sure that everything fits, is properly adjusted and suitable for your horse. This can be tricky when it comes to finding the right bit. The more background you have on the horse, the easier it will be to decide what bit is appropriate. The bit the horse came with or the one you already had hanging in your tack room, may not be the right one.

Consult expert help on saddle fit and choosing the right bit-- a mistake at this stage, while your horse is forming an opinion of what life will be like with you, could cause lasting problems. The Myler Bitting Assistant is a good resource for any horse owner when it comes to bit selection. http://www.mylerbits.com/bitting_assistant.php

When it comes to riding, there also needs to be an orientation period during which you and your horse get to know each other. Be patient; this can be weeks, months or perhaps even a couple of years, in the case of a high-performance horse. Horses have to understand what you are asking of them and it takes time to understand your cues. Be patient and work on consistency.

If the horse has mostly been ridden by one person its whole life, a new rider may be disconcerting to him. If he has primarily been ridden by expert riders or professional trainers (which is often the case with very well-trained horses), having a novice rider with shaky balance and inexact cues can be very stressful for the horse and totally outside his frame of reference. Having periodic expert guidance during this time can be a critical factor in your success.

Remember that this time of orientation with your new horse is going to leave lasting impressions, for better or for worse. If he gets hurt from ill-fitted or inappropriate tack, he'll have a hard time trusting you. If you put him in frightening situations that result in a big dramatic wreck, that is what he will come to expect of you. If you give him conflicting signals, like kicking and pulling at the same time or over-cueing him to go then jerking back on the reins when he does, he will become frustrated and resentful toward you.

During this relationship-building time, it is important that the horse sees you as his protector, a fair but strong leader, one who sets the rules and enforces them. One who insists on obedience, respect and good manners at all times but rewards the horse frequently for his efforts.

As your horse's leader, it is imperative that you don't ask something of him that he cannot give you and don't put him in a position to get hurt-- or even think he could get hurt. He needs to learn he can trust you in all things-- trust that you will keep him safe, make him comfortable when he puts forth effort to please you and trust that you will enforce the rules and correct him when he makes mistakes.

As many good horse trainers already know, slower is usually faster when it comes to training horses. Take it slowly at first with your new horse and work out the small issues before tackling bigger ones. Seek help from someone more experienced when you encounter turbulence (or consult my training library; chances are, if you're having a problem, I've already written about it).

Take the time to start your relationship out right with your new horse and instead of just saddling up and going for a rip-roaring ride, invest some time in your new relationship. Be patient, be consistent, fair and kind and remember to always look to yourself as the cause when there are problems.

Enjoy the ride,
Julie Goodnight

Conquering the Canter

2012-07-02T14:36:00.000-06:00

In every clinic that I teach, there are riders eager to canter; all they want to do is canter-canter-canter and maybe work on lead changes. Then there are those that want to canter but dread it, especially with 15 horses in the pen and everyone watching; and there are those that have no interest in cantering whatsoever—they are happy to just survive the walk and trot.

Then there are riders for whom the mere mention of the C-word makes them want to puke. There’s plenty to be nervous about the canter; if things are going to go wrong, they tend to do so at the canter. It can be as stressful for the horse as it is for the rider, maybe more. Add an ill-fitting saddle, an out-of-place rib, or a rider slapping its back and jerking on the bit and the horse can morph into a pogo stick in a heartbeat.

It doesn’t bother me at all if someone isn’t ready to canter in my clinics—there’s plenty to work on besides that. Plus, I think it is really important to meet people where they are in their horsemanship at that moment and help guide them to the next step. Riding involves a lifetime of taking small steps forward in skill, understanding and experience. The art of teaching is to figure out what the next small step is for each horse and each rider. When neither horse nor rider has much training, it can be a sometimes be a challenge to know what to do next!

At my last clinic, there were several people with horses that were new to them and they had not yet mustered the courage to try them at the canter—a common occurrence. Usually I offer to canter the horse for them and once they see the horse cantering well, it’s a little easier to take that leap.

Sometimes, the horse has not been asked to canter in so very long and the rider’s cue is so very confusing that no matter how hard the rider tries to cue the horse, the horse just carries on in a ground-pounding, jaw shattering trot. Usually the quickest thing for me to do in these cases is get on the horse, cue it up to canter a few times, so the horse is thinking about it again and understands the cue.

But then comes the hard part—the rider has to change too. Now that rider needs to re-learn the correct way to cue a horse for canter. We spend a lot of time in my clinics improving riding skill and clarifying cues, especially the cue for canter. It can be the most miserable experience for the horse when executed poorly. A hit on the mouth, followed by a slap on the back-- not something horses will tolerate much, if ever.

Watch any horse canter and you’ll see his nose drop down on the third beat of every stride; this is especially true on the first stride, when he is launching his whole body off the ground. It is critical that the rider reaches forward and drops the hands at this moment when the horse launches into the canter, to avoid hitting the horse in the bit, in effect, punishing him for doing what you asked him to do.

Unfortunately, this is also the moment at which the rider, who lacks confidence in cantering, will instinctively suck in her breath and raise her hands as if to stop. If the rider is sucking back on the reins at the very moment the horse’s nose dives in the canter, it is the double-whammy on his mouth. This is a sad truth for far too many horses. And that’s why I don’t push riders to canter before they are ready—in skill-level, in understanding and in confidence.

Happily, riders can be trained to cue the horse the correctly, which just so happens to be my specialty and what we work on a lot at my clinics. So whether the riders all work at the canter, or just watch and learn as others work on it, hopefully everyone goes away with a better understanding of cueing for canter.

I am not one to push riders into much canter work until they are ready. There’s an old saying in classical horsemanship that says, “the best way to improve the canter is to improve the trot.” I understand that at a very profound level and see it personified every time I do a clinic; that’s why the saying has been around for a few millennium. There is much to work on at the trot-- riding, control, collection, etc. When the time is right, you will be ready to canter; don’t get in a hurry.

For those that are ready to take the leap to canter, the most important thing, I have found, is to break down the cue—making certain the rider has a clear understanding of how to use the aids and reaches forward at the moment of departure. Next, I have to set them up well in the arena, coaching them through the transition at a certain spot where the horse will be easiest to transition and is most likely to take the correct lead. I want the horse on the longest, straightest line to canter and also I’ll consider whether we need gate-gravity to encourage the horse into the gait or whether we want to canter the other way, so barn gravity is helping to slow down the horse.

People learning to canter often get into trouble cantering after the first 4-5 strides, especially when a turn is approaching (because the rider tenses). I like to keep these people on a straightaway and cantering short distances, then easing back into a slow trot. Riders learning to canter almost always inadvertently pull back on the reins when approaching a turn, causing the horse to nose dive into the bit, thus breaking to a hard road trot and pounding into his back as the rider struggles to maintain balance in the turn.

Keep it straight and keep it short. Canter 4-6 strides then cue the horse back to a slow sitting trot (instead of the horse breaking gait at the turn), get your wits about you at the trot and when you get back to that perfect spot in the arena, cue for canter again. After enough of this, the next step is to reach forward and canter around the turn without breaking gait. In the meantime, with the trot-canter-trot transitions, you are perfecting your cue and departure, which begs another profound wisdom in classical horsemanship—“all of training occurs in transitions.” Another infallible truth.

Nice stretches of trail can be awesome for learning to ride the canter. A long, straight, slightly uphill grade with good footing is ideal for training both horse and rider. Few horses will buck going uphill. Arenas aren’t the easiest place to learn to ride, just the most controlled and convenient for teaching.

Once people are able to canter through the turns and all the way around the arena, often the horse’s circle gets smaller and smaller, with the horse beginning to drop his shoulder in and dive toward the middle of the arena. Therefore, the next step in conquering the canter is to ride with straightness down the long side of the arena and a proper bend around the short sides. Then start putting together large arcing circles.

From there, we progress to shortening, lengthening and collection at the canter and onward toward some rider’s most elusive goal, the flying lead change. With horses and riding, it just never really ends. There’s always another step. You should ride where you and your horse are today and just focus on making things a little bit better with each ride.

If you need a study guide for the canter, check out my number one best-selling DVD, Canter with Confidence, an A to Z training video about riding the canter. http://shopping.juliegoodnight.com/Goodnights-Principles-of-Riding-vol-4-Canter-with-Confidence-GPRV4DVD.htm

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Hay at a Premium Yet Again

2012-06-28T15:29:00.000-06:00

After a record-breaking low snowpack here in the Rocky Mountains, a brittle dry spring, triple digit heat and single digit humidity, it should come as no surprise that the price of hay has set a new record, here in Colorado.

The low snow pack made for a terrible ski season last winter, which in turn means that the irrigation water that would normally last until August, has dried up in June. No water, no second cutting of hay; and the first cut yield is very low. Our local economy is based on agriculture and tourism (skiing and white-water rafting), so the drought is a double-whammy to our local economy.

It is so dry around here that some areas of our pastures look like winter—brown, brittle and sparse. With wildfires raging all over the west, the tinderbox conditions are frightening. The nightly news is plastered with frightening images of houses burning and thousands of people being evacuated from their homes, prompting us to update our evacuation plan for the horses. It is an important exercise for all horse owners to do, especially those of us in areas prone to natural disasters. Do you have a disaster plan for you and your animals?

Last year we had an abundance of water and hay, but because of the drought in Texas, and the pressure that put on our local market, hay prices spiked. Before that, it was the increase in fuel prices. It has been my experience in the past 30 years of buying large quantities of hay, that some unusual circumstance will drive the price up each year, but the price of hay never goes back down when the circumstances go away.

So I found it a little ironic that on the very day and hour that I have 200 bales of $10/bale hay (delivered), after months of drought, the sky is now black and it looks like the bottom could drop out at any moment. This is so typical of hay season. It never rains until you have fresh cut hay sitting out in the elements. After all the grower’s hard labor to work the fields, irrigate, fertilize, cut, rake and bale, their pay check may get cut in half with one 20 minute deluge.

What’s the hay like this year in your neck of the woods? Abundant or scarce? Are there unusual conditions driving the price up there too? I’d love to hear what you’re paying—while it’ll pain me to hear about lower prices, I know some of you have it worse than us—like my friends in Hawaii for instance. I heard a rumor that small bales were selling for $25 down in Albuquerque and I cannot believe it’s true. Please say it isn’t so.

To calculate the real cost of hay, you must figure it out by weight, since hay bales can range from 60 pounds to a thousand pounds. To calculate the cost per ton, figure out the average weight of your hay bales then divide that number into 2000 to get the number of bales per ton. Then multiply the cost per bale times the number of bales to the ton.

My new hay comes out to be $297 per ton and $330 per ton, delivered and stacked. Can you beat that? By the way, the easiest formula for figuring out how much hay you need for the year per horse is to calculate 1/3 a ton per horse per month (or about 4 tons per year for the average horse), which should give you a slight excess in case of spoilage.

Let me know what your hay conditions are this year and how much you are paying per ton. If you are boarding your horse somewhere, are hay prices affecting your board? Or do you have enough nutritious grass so that you never have to worry about hay prices? What a fantasy that would be!

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Guest Blog: My Top 3 Lessons from the Julie Goodnight Yoga & Riding Retreat

2012-05-29T15:06:00.004-06:00

Enjoy this guest blog from our friend, Amy Herdy and be sure to sign up for her My Horse Daily blogs here>>

By Amy Herdy

I’m going to be brutally honest here: I was a fan of clinician Julie Goodnight before attending her ”Women’s Riding and Yoga Retreats and Ranch Riding Weekend at C Lazy U Ranch” in Granby, Colorado.

But after four days of riding with Julie, that’s changed.

Now I’m a groupie.

I learned so much at this clinic that my brain is still buzzing, and you’re going to be reading about all the different lessons for a while. But today, I’m going to narrow down my favorite three, in the order in which they appeared:

Golden Moments
Headlamps
Ba-Boom

My First Day on the Job, By Eddies Pick

2012-05-29T14:40:00.000-06:00

My name is Eddies Pick and I come from a long line of working horses. In this, the third year of my life, things have really changed for me.

It seems like only yesterday I was back on the Four Sixes ranch in Texas, running through the fields with my cousins; a pasture full of mamas and little ones nearby. Life was easy then and I had absolutely no responsibilities until the fall of my second year, when I was sent off to college.

At first, it was a rude awakening-loaded into a big trailer with a few of my friends; we went on a very long trailer ride from Texas to Colorado State University in Fort Collins. 34 of us two and three year olds arrived at the school in September-we were just silly children then. At college, we were each assigned our very own human-mine was named Taylor and she was beautiful and kind. Part mama, part personal trainer and part confidant, Taylor was with me every day and took excellent care of me.

At my first semester of college, we mostly had to work on minding our manners and learning the rules and I must say, I did quite well at this. Taylor and I quickly rose to the top of our class, getting lots of praise and good marks from the professor. By the time the Christmas break rolled around, Taylor had taught me all about the saddle (which I was not too keen about at first) and had even sat on my back a few times. Overall, I was pretty cooperative but I did feel compelled on occasion to test Taylor. After all, she was the one making the grade.

During the Christmas break, all us youngsters had a month-long party out in a big field. It was almost like being home on the ranch again, with no responsibilities whatsoever. But when the second semester started and Taylor came back to school, it was all business. Every day, she brushed me, saddled me and we played all sorts of games-going round and round, stop-go-turn, learning how to stand bravely in the face of flapping plastic, or tarps on the fence or ropes swinging around my head.

I really grew up during my second semester of college and I was pretty sure I was beginning to know it all; BMOC as it were. Taylor and I worked together almost every day and as the semester came to a close, all the students and all of us colts were getting ready for "the big day." I wasn't really sure what the big day would entail but it's all everyone talked about. The anticipation was building and the exciting day finally came. Little did I know how much my life would change that day.

On the big day, Taylor bathed me, primped and polished me until I was gorgeous and buff! A big number 47 was painted on my hip and many people came to our school and us colts were paraded around while people watched and pointed and consulted their little books. Taylor saddled me up and I took her for a ride around the arena, although I was a little nervous with everyone watching me.

All the strangers took their seats and then the excitement began in earnest as one by one we were brought into the little ring as the announcer shouted unintelligible words and the strangers raised their hands in obvious excitement. Eventually it was my turn to come into the ring and that is when
my life took a big turn-one minute I was in college with Taylor doting on me every day, the next thing I know one of the strangers in the audience loaded me in his trailer and drove me away. Suddenly, I was alone in this world.

It seemed like a life time in that trailer all alone but finally we arrived at my new home late at night and it appeared as though this stranger who took me away from all my friends was my new human. I was scared and tired and missing Taylor something fierce, but this new guy seemed nice and he
tucked me into my new stall, petting me and talking to me and welcoming me to my new life. The other horses in the barn were older than me and were none too impressed by my presence. They took every opportunity to explain to me that I was a peon nobody and that they were much more important than me.

Over the next couple days, I got a lot of attention from my new human and this new life didn't seem so bad but little did I know that I hadn't even met the real boss yet; soon it would become obvious that I wasn't at college anymore and the time had come for me to grow up and get a real job. After a
few days, I met the boss, Julie. She seemed to like me a lot, except when I nuzzled her with my lips. Taylor always liked that and petted and kissed me in return, but the new boss would have none of it.

It was the little things, like scolding me when I got lippy, that clued me into the fact that my new human was not a push-over. Sometimes she made me stand tied up at the hitching rail all by myself, with no attention what so ever! It was boring and I got impatient and fussy but it did absolutely no
good. After a few days, I realized that I may as well stand there and wait patiently. But it was still a few weeks later before it became clear to me that I was now a working horse.

Just when I thought I had figured out this new life, we got up early one morning and the boss loaded me in the trailer and we went for a long drive. We arrived at a beautiful ranch in the mountains with over a hundred horses and dozens of people. The boss settled me into a stall and fed me some lunch
but by the end of this day, it would become clear to me that now that I had graduated from college I would be working for a living.

After lunch, the boss saddled me up and we headed to the arena with over thirty other horses and riders for what turned out to be the longest ride of my life. I'll admit, I was a little overwhelmed with all the strange horses. Most of the horses were quite a bit older than me and some were downright
mean and ugly. I had to watch where I was going every second and be prepared to get out of the way of those mean horses at all times. Fortunately, I have a keen awareness of things moving around me and I am a quick and agile mover, since I come from royalty. After all, my father was a world champion ranch horse.

It gradually dawned on me that my human and the boss of me, was also the boss of all these strange horses and people! They seemed to listen to every word and do what she said. It wasn't long before all 34 horses were walking in an orderly fashion around the arena, stopping, going and turning as the
boss issued commands and the riders took control of their mounts. On this, my first day on the job, I learned something really important-it's very good to be the boss's horse.

At the end of the day, I was so tired I could hardly hold my head off the ground. The boss dismissed me a little early and one of her nice assistants took me back to my stall, unsaddled me and gave me a nice rub-down. I was the most tired I had been in my whole life but it was a good tired. I felt
like I had accomplished much and I was very proud of myself and I think the boss was proud of me too. Even if I am not the number one horse yet, it looks like I'll be a good second-stringer.

The next day, the boss saddled me early and as we came into the arena, it dawned on me that I might be there all day. I decided it might be smart to pace myself-no extra movement unless absolutely necessary. No baby horse silliness-that takes far too much energy for us serious working horses.
Often we stood in the middle of the arena as all the other horses paraded around us while we supervised and offered them advice; it turns out being the instructor's horse is a pretty good deal all the way around.

Sometimes all the other horses stopped and turned to watch us and the boss and I would show them how it's done. I worked extra hard during these demonstration times-it was worth it for the praise we got from the other riders but mostly it was great to see a big smile on the boss's face and the rubs she gave for a job well-done me made me feel very proud and good inside.

Even though this riding all day stuff was hard and tiring, I sort of learned to like it-for the first time in my life I had purpose. Often the boss gets off of me to help someone or demonstrate something from the ground and I learned to stay close by her side and follow her wherever she goes. I even
got brave enough to clown around with the boss a little and we got some good laughs out of the crowd. If I say so myself, we worked well together that way. Humans are always happiest when they are laughing, so I figured the more I can help the better.

By the end of the weekend, I had a whole new prospective on life. I am no longer a baby horse; I am grown up. I am important to my boss for helping her do her job and I am working for a living and earning an honest wage. Although I have never been so tired in my life (I could barely step off the
trailer when we got home) it was a good tired and I was very proud of myself.

I've got a long way to go to be as good as the boss's number one horse, but I know I will get there eventually and I will try hard. Even number one looked at me a little differently after my first clinic-no longer as the obnoxious little baby, but as a peer. It feels good to be needed. It feels good to be a good horse.

Signed,
Eddies Pick
PS- thank you to Amy Herdy for the photos!

Horse Trainer's Visit to The Elephant Farm

2012-05-07T16:18:00.000-06:00

Sometimes my job and my standing in the equine world opens up some incredible doors for me. I am so fortunate to do what I do and I have met so many interesting people through my travels; some of whom have becomes friends for life. Yesterday was no exception.

It was like a dream come true for me. I got to meet, up close and personal, five amazing Asian elephants: Dixie, Rosie, Becky, Kitty and Tai. What incredibly beautiful, intelligent, kind and gentle animals! To stand in the middle of five huge elephants while they surrounded me, sniffed me all over with their trunks and felt around my face; hearing their deep guttural purring, their barking and screeching calls as they greeted us; and getting fanned by their giant ears was a special thrill I’ll never forget.

I had met the owners and renowned elephant trainers at a horse expo in California a couple of years ago (they also have a team of matched ponies that perform liberty acts) and after hearing of my fascination with elephants, they extended an open invitation to come visit their farm and yesterday, Twyla and I took them up on their standing invitation, after we finished a clinic in Norco, CA.

Their facility is incredibly beautiful with spacious areas for the elephants to hang out; it is meticulously clean, neat and safe for the elephants and the care these animals get on a daily basis far exceeds what you would expect to get at a 5-star spa. Here, they explain to Twyla and I how the bull's pen was constructed, while Kitty and Tai have a drink behind them.

We arrived at the southern California elephant farm a little after 8:00 am, two hours after the daily chores had begun and just as the last elephant was finishing her daily bath and head-to-tail scrub down (with Murphy’s Oil Soap). She’s not inside an enclosure or restrained in any way as picks up her feet, lifts her trunk, lays down and turns around on command as three handlers scrub every square inch of her body; they use a power washer to rinse. This daily cleaning is essential to maintain healthy skin but it is clear that the elephants love every minute of it. Their hide is thick and leathery with coarse hair all over.

The entire time we were at the farm (about 4 hours) the elephants were totally loose, with no restraints of any kind and all the gates wide open (except, of course, the perimeter fence which doesn’t so much keep the elephants in as keep the rest of the world out). Keep in mind this is a private training farm-- not open to the public. Most of the time the elephants obediently walked by the handler’s side, doing anything they asked with simple voice commands spoken softly: “Rosie, come here,” “Kitty, move over,” “Becky, lay down,” “Tai, trunk,” (means lift your trunk and prepare for a command). The elephants are happy, content and want to be with their handlers; obedient to every cue and repsonsive to the slightest gesture.

After bath time, it’s time for their daily exercise and with the simple command, “tail,” they got in a single file line, grabbed on to the tail in front of them, and began their march around the large pen (with the wide open gates). They walked in a line, trunk to tail, deep into the corners, maintained a steady march and went through their paces without argument or protest. I thought about how hard it is to get a horse to do this when you are on top of him and holding onto two reins and guiding his every step yet these gentle giants (mega herbivores—the technical classification) did it willingly from one voice command from the handler standing at a distance, with no physical contact.

After about 20 minutes of walking, Gary showed us some of the tricks the girls use in their performances—a 360 degree spin, lay down, sit up, do a hand-stand, wave their trunks, stand on their hind legs. All of this done with simple and quiet voice cues. With incredible grace and strength, they happily performed these difficult maneuvers, clearly eager to please Gary and perhaps to show off in front of us. Here’s a video—turn up the volume so you can listen to his soft simple commands.

When the girls were told it was okay to do whatever they wanted, with an “alright, go on,” cue from the handler, all five of them immediately came to us, clearly eager to check out who we were and to say hello—just like a friendly dog would. It was an incredible experience to be surrounded by five elephants, each over eight feet tall and weighing over 8,000 pounds. In their excitement, they started screeching, barking and making deep guttural purring noises as they vied for our attention, feeling and smelling us up and down with their trunks, fanning us with their ears, but all the while moving gently and carefully around us. While I would never stand in a the middle of five strange horses vying for attention, I had no concern with the elephants—they are so polite and gentle, coming close but never pushy. Here’s the video I took while holding my phone—again, turn up the sound and listen for the deep purring.

We toured around the farm, looking at all the specially designed pens, barns and trailers. These elephants perform in movies, commercials, parades, circuses and fairs around the country and around the world. Every detail of their safety, care and well-being is catered to—from the 9” diameter pipe fencing, to the spotlessly clean barn, to the custom built trailers that carry such a precious load. During our tour we found out that there are only about 300 Asian elephants in this country—in all capacities, including zoos, privately held and performance animals. Each one is precious and the responsibility of their handlers is keenly felt. They have worked relentlessly, all of their lives, to take care of these majestic animals and help preserve this endangered species and educate people about them.

After showing us around the exquisite training farm, two elephants had head dresses put on so that we could ride them. The huge halter-like head-dress fits over the ears and under the throat and was not there for control or restraint, but just for the rider to hold on to. I got to ride Tai, a forty-six year old female and the star of Water for Elephants. Her trainer of over 25 years asked her to kneel down, I stepped up onto her leg then hoisted myself up onto her neck much like getting on a horse bareback. As we paraded around the farm in their slow lumbering gait, I felt like I should be wearing leotards and sequins. At one point, Gary said, “Hold on Julie,” and gave the command and Thai lifted her front legs up into the air like a rearing horse. Holy cow! What a ride!

The trainers were awesome to show us their precious elephants and let us get up close and personal with them. They answered my constant stream of questions about their behavior and training and care. Oddly, they said that training elephants was really no different than training horses. You break it down into small components, reinforce and reward; you maintain a strong and quiet leadership and authority and the elephants want to be with you and please you. At least the females—the male elephants are only tractable until they are about 15 years old or so. Once they reach sexual maturity, they become very dangerous to handle or be in the enclosure with.

After four decades of living for and with elephants, the trainer's sense of responsibility for their charges and indeed for all elephants everywhere is very clear to anyone listening or observing. At this elephant farm, there is only one way to do things—the best way. Their entire word revolves around the elephants—not just to the ones that they feel so fortunate to have spent their lives with, but to all elephants everywhere, Asian or African. Since elephants have a life span similar to humans, and they are all middle-aged, the trainers hope to spend the rest of their lives with Kitty, Rosie, Dixie, Becky and Tai. In a perfect world, they and their five girls will all die peacefully of old age in the same week.

Thank you for a meaningful experience I will never forget. I cannot wait until the time when our paths cross again.

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

How Working Cattle Helps Your Horsemanship

2012-04-13T15:25:00.002-06:00

I asked Julie to tell me a little about why she loves cow work and how it has improved her overall riding.

Read on to find out what Julie loves about cow work, then check out the clinic and join us there to teach your horse to work cattle, or to get some great tips if you already love the sport: http://juliegoodnight.com/clinics/chino.html

--Heidi Nyland Melocco, Horse Master Director

Julie, when did you first start working cattle?

It wasn’t until I graduated from college and moved to Colorado that I first enjoyed the thrill of working cattle from a horse. After the hunter/jumper identity of my youth and the race track jobs of college, I was eager to try something totally new with horses and learning about western performance horses became my personal ambition. My professional ambition still kept me busy teaching people and training horses of all persuasions, so it was really only in my down-time that I got to pursue the nitty-gritty work of the cow horse.

Since I already knew a lot about herding, from a lifetime spent with horses, moving cattle, rating cattle and sorting cattle was easy for me to understand, in concept. But putting it into practice, slowing down the high-adrenalin rush that comes with working cattle and learning the precision of the technique takes a lifetime to master. I’ve had the opportunity to train with many great cow horse trainers over the years and continue to study as much as I can, but not as much as I’d like to. Like a lot of you, my real job keeps me pretty busy.

Working with cow horses that are bred for the sport and live to conquer the cow, is a thrill all its own. The concept of letting a horse do his job and think on his own, of putting your hand down on the neck and trusting the horse to do the job for which he was selectively bred for many generations is an important lesson in letting go. Working with an incredibly cowy horse and keeping him well-disciplined while letting him think and work on his own is an interesting exercise in trust.

What did it feel like to rope your first cow?

I never really threw my first loop until about 10 years ago. After more than 40 years of riding, the most important thing for me to work on in roping was building a loop (the first great challenge), throwing with accuracy and learning when and where to swing and throw. Unfortunately I was not very disciplined about practicing on the dummy but fortunately, I had a finished rope horse that was great on both ends and knew exactly how to get you to the right spot to throw. So I did practice some. He taught me a lot, once I managed to learn how to handle a rope.

I’ve taken a bunch of roping clinics and learned from some top-notch pros in the sport, from Florida to Hawaii. Beyond rope handling, rating a cow and throwing with accuracy, you have to learn how to dally and stop a cow and that is the tricky part—the part where you can lose your thumb. From ponying colts for years, the dally wasn’t too foreign to me and again, with good instruction, I learned to dally fast, safe and without looking down (thank you Charlie).

I threw a bunch of loops at live cows before I finally caught one. It turned out my first catch was during a competition—quadrupling the thrill that comes with roping, catching and stopping a running cow. I had participated in a ranch roping clinic the day before with one of my favorite clinicians, Merritt Linke. The day of the competition, I sat outside the arena with Merritt and watched the dozens of competitors that went before me. He showed me the predictable pattern the cows were following and where the sweet spot in the arena was to throw your loop. Rider after rider, I saw the cows turn and memorized that spot in the arena and now many strides before it I would start my swing.

It was the working ranch horse class—the hardest of the five classes of versatility ranch horse competition. First you ride a reining pattern, then call for a cow, box the cow on the end of the arena, turn him twice on the long fence, then get your rope out, build a loop while you are following the cow and rating him, then throw, catch and stop the cow. All of this within six minutes of entering the arena, so there is a little time pressure.

My horse reined well, boxed brilliantly, then we took the cow down the fence and made two high-speed turns. I got out my rope as we loped behind the cow, my horse patiently rating the cow while I built my loop. Then I looked up and saw we were about two strides away from the sweet spot—just enough time for two swings and a throw. It was exactly as I visualized talking to Merritt but still I was stunned as I watched the loop settled around her neck, seemingly in slow motion. Miraculously, I kept my wits about me long enough to straighten out with the cow, dally and stop. What a thrill! What an honor to ride such and incredible horse that works so hard in so many different things and teaches me how to ride.

How has learning cow work impacted your riding?

First, what I love about good cow horses is how athletic they are, quick thinking and even quicker reacting. To work cattle head-to-head like with cutting, with a horse that is hooked on to the cow so hard that every cell in his body is attuned and you are just along for the ride—one hand on the horn, pushing yourself back into the saddle while your rein hand sits on the neck of the horse, sitting back and trusting him to do his job. The stops and turns the horse makes on his own cause a real rush of adrenalin; staying in the middle of the horse and staying out of his way requires balance, relaxation of all your joints, good reflexes and the ability to move with the horse exactly as he moves.

Turning a big cow running at full speed down the long side of the pen is a thrill that has to be equivalent to sky diving, but you’re much closer to the ground. When I was youthful, I got this kind of thrill from riding jumpers; in college it was race horses. Now, to me, the ultimate ride is on the back of a good cow horse.

Cutting horses and reined cow horses are among the most elite equine athletes. To be able to ride one, knowing that it is trained and bred to do the job, with only your occasional guidance, and knowing that at best, you will stay out of the horse’s way as he performs, makes you want to become the best rider you can for your horse.

The skills of the ranch horse are many and varied—trail obstacles, riding a pattern of transitions similar to dressage, reining maneuvers, cutting, working cattle, dragging logs, roping, opening gates. Having total body control from head to tail and being able to put your horse in any situation and rely totally on his compete obedience. Any one of these pursuits are fun and challenging; to have a variety of things to work on keeps the horse and rider fresh.

What does it teach you about your horse?

Moving and controlling cattle is like herding horses. Understanding and putting into practice all the spatial understanding involved in herding, learning the balance points, how to move cows slowly, one step at a time and control their every movement makes you a better horseman too since horses and cattle behave the same way in this respect. Whether you are working a horse in a round pen, on a lead line, in a pen full of horses or even riding in a group, it is useful to know how to move horses and where the pressure points are.

Working with a horse bred to work cattle is much like working with a champion border collie or retriever. They instinctively know how to do their job and they live for every moment of working cattle. The rider just keeps the horse correct and makes him follow the rules of play, work on command and remain obedient to the rider. One thing I learned about my over-zealous cow horse is that his reward for performing correctly is getting to work the cow. If every time he makes a mistake, I pull him off the cow as punishment and he has to endure his personal walk of shame for losing the cow, those mistakes soon disappear.

Not all horses can become high-level cutters or cow horses; most are not athletic enough and not all horses will be cowy enough to hook onto a cow intensely. However, most horses can learn the job of a ranch horse and although they may not be naturals, they can be taught how to work a cow with the rider’s help. The same could be said for jumping.

In versatility, since the ranch horse has to do all the tasks of the ranch horse, he may be a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. Hence the term “ranch cutter.” In ranch cutting, the rider is not penalized for assisting the horse and picking up his hand from the neck for guidance while he is cutting. The ranch cutter may never beat a “hand down” cutter, but if he performs well in all the other disciplines, he’ll rise quickly to the top in the competition.

What skills does it help even if you don't necessarily want to compete in cutting or cow events? What's the benefit for all?

Learning total body control of your horse and how to communicate with imperceptible aids through transitions and turns. Working in partnership with a horse that is totally obedient and willing to listen to the cues of the rider in any situation that might occur on the ranch. Challenging yourself and your partnership with your horse to try new things, cross new obstacles, teach a horse to work cattle. Set a variety of goals to improve your own horsemanship and your horse’s training, while having fun and never getting stuck in a rut. Even if you never worked a cow, learning the skills required of a cow horse—go forward willingly, stop, turn, back, leg yield, stay calm and focused—are sure to improve your horsemanship and your horse’s training and are lofty goals.

In my ranch horse clinics, we work on understanding the requirements and skills of the working ranch horse; the classes and procedures, the rules and philosophies of judging versatility ranch horse competition. We explore the skills required of the horses and riders; and work to progress toward those goals. Join me there: http://juliegoodnight.com/clinics/chino.html

--Julie Goodnight

Is saddle fit more important to the horse or the rider?

2012-04-05T16:40:00.000-06:00

I’ve just recently returned from my first clinic of the year in Topeka, Kansas. It was a great group of riders and horses and I enjoyed working with all of them. We had green horses, finished horses, novices and experts, a variety of breeds and disciplines and everyone had fun and progressed well with their horse. I learned a long time ago that the more I can help the people, the better off their horses will be.

I don’t always know exactly what topics I will cover in a clinic because the content is often shaped by the group. Although I have some standard sessions that I always include in a clinic—the fundamentals of our sport that all riders need refreshing on—often people in the clinic have specific goals or issues to work on. I start each clinic by asking the riders to introduce themselves and their horses, and ask them specifically what they want to work on throughout the weekend. I always make a list, to make sure I cover it all.

For the most part, the lists from one clinic to another all look more or less the same: control, communication, hone riding skills, confidence, bit problems, slow down/speed up, canter cue, leads, and of course, the inevitable, flying lead changes. Sometimes a person has a specific training issue, like their horse won’t take the right lead or their horse won’t bend to the right and so on.

At this clinic, I one of the riders was a lovely woman from Arkansas, who had hauled her Paint mare eight hours to ride in the clinic. MaryAnn was a sponge of a student—my favorite kind. She was knowledgeable, experienced and a very good rider that couldn’t learn enough. In the introductions, she stated that her biggest problem was that her horse bucked at the canter. Never a good thing.

We did ground work all morning, and the mare seemed pretty good; MaryAnn seemed to have a good handle on her. I started getting the picture that the mare perhaps had a touch of what I call PMS. Pissy Mare Syndrome. Kind of cranky and kind of bossy, but overall doing what MaryAnn asked of her.

It wasn’t until after lunch that I first saw the mare under-saddle. As we warmed up at the walk and trot I didn’t see much that concerned me; although the mare was a little cranky, she did everything asked of her. The first time I ask people to canter, in a clinic with 15 horses that are unfamiliar to me, I always ask them to canter two or three at a time. That keeps my blood pressure down.

When it was MaryAnn’s turn, her horse stepped right up to the canter on the correct lead, but as she proceeded around the arena, it was obvious her horse was not happy—crow-hopping around like a pogo stick with her tail was wringing like a propeller. Unlike a cold-backed horse (check out my Training Library if you aren’t sure what this means), the mare didn’t warm out of it. Taking a closer look at the picture, my mind went immediately to a physical problem; specifically a saddle fit issue.

MaryAnn had a very nice saddle with a Wade tree—a popular kind of Western saddle that is built up in front with a deep seat to help keep the rider seated. Very popular amongst colt-starters, for the same reason MaryAnn liked it—helps you ride through the bucks. Although it was the right saddle for MaryAnn, it just wasn’t the right saddle for the mare.

When I evaluate the saddle fit on a horse, the overall balance is important, as well as checking some specific areas on the horse. If I step a few paces back and look at the horse from the side, I want to see the saddle (be it English or Western) sitting pretty level on the horse’s back. If it is sitting downhill, the horse’s shoulders or withers could be uncomfortable and if it is sitting uphill, the horse may be getting undue pressure at his loins. In either case, the rider’s balance and position is impaired when the saddle does not sit level and balanced on the horse.

I could see from looking at MaryAnn’s saddle, and the uphill slant, that the horse was getting a lot of pressure on the loins from the way the saddle fit her. It is not surprising she protested the canter since she has to round up her back and lift it with each canter stride; not to mention that the rider’s weight can come down hard on the saddle at the canter. So I tactfully suggested that perhaps MaryAnn might like to try the demo saddle I had brought to the clinic. I knew the saddle she had was not cheap, nor was it the first one she had purchased for this mare, so I know the thought of getting yet another saddle to resolve this problem was not what she wanted to hear. But of course she did.

It was at the end of the first day—all the horses and riders were beat an headed for the barn, but quite a few spectators stuck around to see what happened when MaryAnn tried the new saddle. She trotted a circle or two and cued her horse up to the canter. Although the mare still seemed tense and tight in the back—there was a noticeable improvement in my opinion and many of the spectators saw it too. Unconvinced, MaryAnn was eager to try the saddle again the next day.

After the ground work, MaryAnn saddled her horse with my Monarch Arena Performance/Trail saddle. We spent a long time working at the walk and trot and when she cued her horse for the canter, she was smooth, relaxed and with her ears perked forward. Gone was the crow-hopping, wringing tail and pinned ears. MaryAnn went home with a brand new saddle and a smile on her face, thanks to her sweet husband who watched the transformation and bought the saddle before MaryAnn got off her horse.

It’s amazing how often horses work day in and day out with ill-fitting and inappropriate equipment. Imagine working on your feet all day in shoes that caused you pain. Did you ever notice the number of horse’s that have white pots on their backs? Did you know those white hairs are scars caused from pressure points? Sometimes, when the fit-issue is fixed, the hair color comes back but over time the scars become permanent.

The other things that are important to check on the saddle is the clearance at the withers (can you stick your whole hand in there?)—even the pad pressing on the withers can cause painful pressure. Check to make sure it is not pinching at the withers at the front of the tree and, in the case of Western saddles, that it is not too long for the horse and or pressing into the loins or hips.

Most of the saddles in my line of saddles made by Circle Y have a Flex2 tree. Although the flexible tree is not suitable for all riders (can’t rope in it; the rider must weigh under 230#), it offers greater comfort to the horse and fits a wider variety of horses than a traditional wood tree Western saddle. It has enough rigidity to distribute the weight of the rider while flexing enough to conform somewhat to the horse’s back. As the bars of the tree flex slightly, the front of the bars open up just a little, giving the horse much more freedom in the shoulders.

Since I have a demo saddle with me everywhere I go, I’ve tried it on a lot of different horses around the country and have been very impressed by the fit and balance to most horses. The design of my saddles also takes the rider into consideration—the saddle should be fitted to horse AND rider and be comfortable for both. So for the rider, my saddles have a very narrow twist (the part that is just in front of the seat), close contact to the horse’s sides, highest quality pre-softened leather, pre-twisted stirrups and memory foam in the seat. Need I say more?

The seat size of the saddle should be comfortable for the rider—neither riding on the cantle or crowded by the pommel. With Western saddles, the style of the saddles vary so greatly that you probably need to sit in a saddle, to know for sure how it fits you. The stirrups should be the right size for your feet with the leathers short or long enough so that you ride in the middle hole. The width of the saddle is important too—you should not feel outward pressure on your seat bones or get the feeling that your legs are being wedged apart. The comfort and balance of your saddle are huge factors in how well you ride so these are things you don’t want to compromise on.

There is much to know about saddle fit, for both horse and rider, and I always appreciate advice from professional saddle fitters. I am by no means and expert but after decades in the business and working with thousands of horses and riders, I’ve developed an eye for it. If you’re not sure about the fit of your tack, consult a professional and get the best advise you can. If your horse has “issues” under-saddle, always consider a physical cause first. If you have “issues” in your riding, you may want to check your saddle.

I’m glad I could help MaryAnn and her mare and I look forward to hearing more about how they progress. One down, thousands to go!

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Preventing Herd-Bound Behavior

2012-03-15T08:22:00.001-06:00

Horses are instinctively herd-bound. It’s one of seven categories of instinctive behavior in horses and it is known as gregarious behavior. A desire to be with others. BTW, the other categories of instinctive behavior in horses are flight, combative, ingestive, eliminative, reproductive and investigative behaviors.

Yet, even though gregarious behavior is instinctive in horses, somehow we speak of it as if it is an affliction. Barn-sour, gate-sour, buddy-sour, herd-bound, spoiled and even ruined. Horses are instinctively drawn to the herd; it’s up to us to provide the training and leadership the horse needs to transfer this draw to us instead of his own herd.

What motivates the horse to want to be with the herd are two simple things: safety and comfort. That’s what horses seek out the most and that is what motivates their behavior. Teaching the horse that he will get those two things from you, even more than he does from the herd, is the secret to success. Unless and until your horse gets the same feeling from you that he does from the herd, he will not want to go anywhere with you.

For your horse, a sense of safety comes from being in the presence of a truly alpha leader, an individual that is confident, aware of the environment, in charge and in control of all those around. An individual that dictates and enforces rules and is fair and consistent in punishment and reward, thus providing structure and meaning to an otherwise chaotic world.

Comfort comes in the form of feeling of accepted, reassurance, rest, praise and stroking. Discomfort comes from having to work hard, admonishment or aversive pressure such as the bump of the lead rope. Make your horse comfortable when he does the right thing and uncomfortable when he does the wrong thing. He will always seek out comfort.

Keep in mind that all behavior in all animals, is either instinctive or learned. Horses are extremely fast learning animals and highly sensitive to their environment. Sometimes instinctive behavior can turn to learned behavior over time or on the very first instance.

For example, if a horse is being led away from the barn and the safety of the herd, he might become emotional and distraught (instinct) and his antics may cause him to break free from the handler and run all the way back to the safety and comfort of the barn. From this experience, he may learn that all he has to do is break away from his handler to get what he wants and thus it becomes a learned behavior.

A riding horse is considered to be well-trained and obedient when it goes in the exact path dictated by the rider and at the speed dictated by the rider. A horse is disobedient when it voluntarily varies from the path or speeds up or slows down, unauthorized by the rider. Almost always, when a horse varies path or speed, it is intentional and in a direction he wants to go, like toward the barn/gate/buddy.

It has become increasingly obvious to me, through the decades I’ve spent teaching people to handle their horses, that most people are totally unaware of the small infractions horses make all the time, particularly as it applies to barn-sour behavior. When small disobediences are ignored, it leads to bigger ones. If they are corrected, the barn-sour behavior goes away.

Does your horse pull toward the gate? Is he looking around all the time, never focusing on you and the path you have dictated? Does he slow down when you pass the gate and speed up as you round the corner toward the gate? Does he turn easily toward the gate and sluggishly when you turn away? These are all small and subtle disobediences—even if he only varies the path by six inches, he knows he’s doing it and he knows when you ignore it (or don’t notice it) and therefore you condone the disobedience.

All a rider needs to do to stop this disobedient behavior is first and foremost—notice it—be aware of what your horse is doing with his whole body at all times and be aware of what motivates him. Then, call him on it (“I know what you’re doing!”) and admonish him appropriately—finding the amount of pressure that motivates him to change.

When you ride in the arena, put your horse on the rail then lower your hands to his neck and expect him to stay there. You shouldn’t have to constantly tell him to stay on the path—if you do, your horse is disobedient and you have a co-dependent relationship with him. If he comes off the rail or cuts corners (moving on a path that you did not dictate), pick up the reins and correct his direction right away, scolding him as you do. Get him back on the path and drop your hands again, expecting him to stay on course.

Insisting on your horse’s obedience and focus on the task at hand is a minimal requirement for your horse to think of you as his leader. Be aware of his behavior and motivations and correct him consistently, with enough pressure that he feels like he’s gotten in trouble and thus, looks for ways to avoid getting in trouble again. Reward his good behavior with a release of pressure, a few kind words, stroking and letting him rest. With this kind of strong leadership, your horse will accept you as a capable and authoritative leader and will gladly go with you anywhere.

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

Here are some related articles from my Training Library that may help:

http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=67

http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=110

http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=286

http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=309

Adversarial Relationships with Horses

2012-01-29T17:01:00.001-07:00

I see it all the time at clinics, expos and at TV shoots. Sometimes it’s between untrained horses and inexperienced riders/handlers—a constant battle of the wills; but sometimes the opposite is true—often I see experienced handlers with trained horses and everyone is going through the motions but the horse has his ears laid back and a sour expression on his face. Maybe he’s doing what’s asked in the groundwork, but he’s giving subtle signs of disrespect such as crowding you with his shoulder or moving sassily with his hind-end cocked for action.

There are many causes for this type of adversarial relationship with your horse. Generally there exists poor communication between horse and human—either the rider giving conflicting signals (a painfully common occurrence) or the person over-cues the horse (then jerks back on the reins when the horse goes too fast). Or the rider drills the horse relentlessly, never recognizing the efforts of the horse and not releasing and rewarding the horse often enough.

Often a horse’s crankiness comes from the feeling it is being shouted at when it knows the cue well and is perfectly willing to do it. The cues of novice horsemen are often awkward and obtuse or, as an experienced handler trains a horse new skills, the cues are exaggerated and reactionary. But the horse is an extremely fast learner—he learns the cue and appropriate response right away, but the rider/handler doesn’t lighten his aids and is still, in effect, yelling at the horse to do it.

The horse has every right to be cranky when it feels like it is being yelled at constantly and for no reason. Too aggressive cues (especially when using a hard stick as a “motivator”) and too many repetitions can make the most willing horse begin to display signs of irritation, aggravation and even rebellion. Often, when a person has an adversarial relationship with their horse, it stems from a failure to read the signs of submission and obedience in the horse and thus, the “golden moment” is missed.

When a horse shows that he is willing to acquiesce to your authority and you keep hounding him—do it again, and again, and again—he starts feeling like he is being bullied. Some horses will take the bullying indefinitely while others will begin to fight back; but in all horses that are bullied, resentment will build and an adversarial relationship will develop.

Learning to “read” a horse, looking for the subtle changes in your horse’s behavior and emotions and giving the appropriate release of pressure, will make him eager to please you. Looking for changes in the elevation of the head, the licking and chewing when he understands, the relaxing of his frame, the head bobbing to the ground and rewarding this compliant and submissive behavior by letting him rest and giving him lots of praise will develop a horse that is respectful and eager to do your bidding.

At some point, you need to trust your horse and give him the latitude to prove he can and will do what you ask from a simple request and not from forcefulness. Sometimes this means loosening the reins or putting down the stick and asking him softly and kindly. He may make a mistake every now and then, which you should tactfully correct, but if you’re always pushing him around and doubting he’ll do what you ask, he’ll lose his willingness.

I don’t want a horse that is “jumping through the hoops” but with a bad attitude. I don’t want a horse that has animosity toward me and is only responding for fear of getting walloped with a stick. Instead, I want a horse that looks up to me, is always willing and attentive to my commands and who is eager to please me and win my approval. One that wants to be with me and knows that I will always treat him fairly and recognize his efforts.

Horses, being herd animals, are strongly inclined to seek out the approval of their peers. Acceptance into the herd is essential for their survival. I want a horse that seeks out my approval, is willing to try anything to get it and who craves the stroking and petting he gets from me for a job well done.

Beyond all else, horse seek comfort and security. That’s why making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard is an incredibly effective training technique and why horse’s thrive on strong leadership—for the security it gives them. Horse gain security in knowing that rules will be enforced, good effort will be rewarded and discipline will be meted out as necessary.

In spite of what many trainers would like you to believe, there is no “cookie cutter” training recipe that works on every horse. Each horse is an individual with a distinct temperament and its own experience and view of the world. Your training methods have to be adjusted to the individual—the strong pressure used to motivate one horse might over-whelm another horse. But all horses seek comfort and security and all horses respond to good leadership.

It’s not to say that I never get in a fight with a horse—sometimes it is unavoidable. But I try not to start a fight with a horse—the risk of losing is too great. When you do butt heads with a horse, it should be a very temporary situation and should result in the horse acquiescing and your acceptance and appreciation of his subordinate attitude. If you continue to treat him as an adversary after that score is settled, he will continue to be one.

When you examine the relationship you have with your own horse, would you say it is cooperative and based on mutual respect? Does your horse respect your authority, look up to you and seek your approval? Or does he constantly challenge your authority or do what you ask of him but with resistance and a bad attitude? If the latter is true, it’s time to examine your relationship, see what culpability you have and look for ways to make a positive change. I love to help people (and their horses) make this change—so maybe I’ll see you at a clinic this year!

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Ready to Ride

2012-01-07T11:00:00.003-07:00

Lately, I’ve been focused on editing my newest video, a full length training video on starting a young horse under saddle—what we used to refer to, crassly, as “breaking” a horse. It is a good sign for the state-of-the-horse-union that this term has fallen out of favor. However, keep in mind that there is nothing better than a very “broke” horse.

No more snubbing posts, no more wild bronc rides (hopefully), no more drama in the colt-starting process that leaves some horses scarred for life. These days, after decades of breeding horses for temperament and performance, horses have gotten pretty tractable and training techniques have changed drastically. A well-bred, well-tempered horse can be so easy to start under saddle that sometimes it seems as if it was already trained. Sometimes; but not always.

When a young horse is well-prepared and a solid training foundation is in place, the first few rides should be uneventful. Still, there are many steps involved in saddling, mounting and riding a young horse for the first time and a mistake at this crucial stage in its training can cause problems throughout its career. And more importantly, there are many mistakes that can be easily avoided, if you know what you’re doing.

For years, I’ve had requests for a colt-starting DVD, but it’s taken me a while to get it done (please pardon the use of the slang term “colt” which, in this case, refers to a young untrained horse, not gender). For one thing, that much info won’t fit on one DVD, so first I had to make three full-length DVDs about all the foundational work that comes before saddling, mounting and riding. In fact, the colt-starting DVD turns out to be the fourth in my “From the Ground Up“ series. Round pen work, lead line work and training the horse to respond properly to bit pressure comes before saddling up and riding.

Then we had to find the right horse, the right time and the right place to make the video. Turns out we found the perfect young warm-blood to feature in the colt-starting video. She was a three year old Hanoverian filly (now four) named Picabo YC http://www.yarmonycreeksporthorses.com/picabo.html and she is a well-bred, well-tempered youngster whose foundational training had been done using my methods and by a trainer who used to apprentice with me. The right time and place was my ranch, in the heart of the Rockies, in the middle of the summer. Perfect on all accounts!

Picabo YC was a very cooperative subject for the video—she was very tractable and compliant, with just enough acting-out to show that she really hadn’t been ridden before. At first, the training went so smoothly that I was concerned that it might look like a set-up. But as luck would have it, she did protest being mounted just enough to add a little excitement to the video. The sessions went so well that we decided to use some of the footage for a four-part series on colt-starting on Horse Master, which will air on RFD-TV in February/March and again in April/May.

The TV series and the full-length training video, called “Ready to Ride”, is divided into four parts: first saddling; mounting/dismounting; getting the horse used to the weight and balance of the rider; and teaching the horse to accept cues from the rider (the video has about twice the content as the TV series). We taped one section each day, four days in a row. Within each section, we broke it down into even smaller steps, discussing all the little things that can go wrong at each turn, how your horse might respond, how to be extra-cautious in the critical steps and when to move onto the next step.

Picabo YC moved through all four stages outlined in the video with relative ease. She fussed and kicked a little over mounting, but with patience, repetition and releasing the pressure at the right time, she got over it quickly and put on her big girl pants. I know she will turn out to be an awesome sport horse and I know her training has progressed well since we taped the video last summer. I look forward to sharing her individual progress with viewers as well as all the information on colt-staring within the video.

The advantages of sending your young horse to a reputable and professional colt-starter are many; experience is invaluable. An experienced trainer makes fewer mistakes and is better able to foresee and avoid training problems. Under a qualified and experienced trainer, your youngster should progress faster and have fewer set-backs. Still, a lot of people would prefer to train their own horse, and for those people, I made this video. It’s not rocket science but it sure helps to know how to avoid common mistakes.

Starting your own horse under saddle is a fun and rewarding experience that will give you a long-term sense of satisfaction and is a major milestone for serious horsemen. For riders that are skilled and knowledgeable, colt-starting is the next logical challenge. Having a systematic, step-by-step approach and having the knowledge ahead of time about what can go wrong and when, makes starting a young horse under saddle much easier. In making this video, it is my hope that this critical stage in a horse’s training will be easier, safer and less frustrating for both horse and human.

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

NOTE: We are in the final stages of editing for Ready to Ride, and we hope to have it to the replicators by the end of January, delivering the first copies in February. A pre-release special is currently running ($5 off and free domestic shipping) and expires 1/31/12. http://shopping.juliegoodnight.com/Ready-to-Ride-Colt-Starting-DVD-RTR.htm

New Year's Resolutions

2011-12-31T09:42:00.001-07:00

The last day of 2011 is shaping up to be memorable around here, but not in a good way. We are having what the meteorologists call a “fierce wind event.” Living just below the Continental Divide and at the mouth of a river canyon (a big wind funnel), the wind can definitely wreak havoc around here. Right now the wind is howling—shaking the window panes-- but later today we are expecting gusts over 100 mph.

Even the horses are staying holed-up in their stalls rather than coming out to soak up the first rays of sun as they usually do. They don’t have to see the weather report on TV to know what kind of day it’s going to be. Today is one of those days where being in a stall and bundled in a blanket doesn’t seem so bad to them.

I love making NYs resolutions. I do it every year and almost always keep them. Last year one of my resolutions was to use up all the food in my freezer. I almost succeeded. This year, I have three resolutions that have to do with my personal life, my horse and my professional life. Here they are:

First, I resolve to finish my project of cleaning out every nook and cranny of my house—getting rid of unused clutter and organizing the remaining stuff. I’ve made it through my dressers and most of the bathroom. Just have the mud room and kitchen to go. Watch out Good Will—here I come!

Secondly, I resolve to work on Western Dressage with my horse and perfect our bridle-less riding. This doesn’t really take much resolve on my part because I love doing it but a person needs to have goals. Actually, I set these goals because of some presentations I will be doing at expos this year, so I thought I’d co-opt my goals and turn them into a resolution. Why not? If you’re going to do it anyway, may as well make a resolution out of it!

My professional resolution is to focus on bringing our new programs to fruition. We have been working on developing a “study club” for individuals and groups who want to get together with others and study horsemanship. Think book club. We have also been working on an apprenticeship program and I am hoping to bring both these programs to fruition in 2012.

I love this time of year because looking ahead to the new year-- it is all potential. A fresh new start. New opportunity awaits and who knows what exciting adventures the new year could bring! I love making resolutions because it is an opportunity to challenge yourself and do better. What about you? What’s your resolutions?

With all the wind today, it looks like a good chance for me to hole up in my house and start cleaning out closets. Believe it or not, that sounds like fun to me!

Happy New Year!

Julie

Horse is Terrified of Being Mounted

2011-12-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Julie,
I have a 4 yr old registered paint gelding, Zippo Pine Bar bred, tall and gorgeous that I have had for just over a year!!! But, he is terrified of being mounted. I bought him knowing he had a troubled past, but I can't seem to make any new progress with mounting. I have done a ton of ground work and desensitizing which he does great with. The problem comes in when I am on the mounting block. His body gets very tense, his lower lip will quiver with concern and his eyes look terrified. I usually stand on the mounting block doing stretching exercises and touching/patting him all over until he relaxes- which sometimes doesn't happen! If I get on without using my stirrup he is OK, still nervous but stands fine. However, if I even start to put weight in my stirrup he will bolt away from me, and once that has happened I will not be able to mount that day (he gets way too freaked out). Strangely enough though, once I am on you would never know he is such a challenge to get on. He rides like a dream, still green, but a wonderful 4 yr old! I have all the time and patience in the world for this horse, he truly is an amazing animal that was damaged by an uncaring human by no fault of his own. I just want some direction on where to go with him!
Thank you so much!
Nichole

Nichole,

Sounds like your horse was lucky to find you! It is not hard to make drastic mistakes in the process of starting a horse under saddle. There are many steps at which things can go very wrong and there are many stupid mistakes to be made by people in the complicated process of training a young horse to be ridden.

Who knows what happened with your horse, but chances are it was entirely preventable. That’s why I always encourage people to hire a professional to put a good foundation on your young horse—it is a time that can make or break a horse’s riding career. In your case, it seems like his previous training left him broken, but not broke.

During the process of introducing a horse to the saddle, to mounting, to balancing the weight of the rider, to taking cues from the rider, there are many crucial steps that, done wrong, can turn into a very negative training experience for the horse which may cause problems for the rest of his life. Something went wrong with your horse—either something hurt him physically like an ill-fitted saddle or something scared him so badly that his reaction caused him to get hurt (a self-fulfilling prophecy to the horse).

So now you are left to undo the damage that was caused when the horse was “broke.” Good training and many many repetitions (until the good experience far outweighs the bad) will fix this horse. The good news is that he is young and still impressionable. It’s really good news that he is working well under-saddle—it tells me if you find the right technique, he will be entirely fixable.

It’s critical to make sure your saddle and/or poor mounting technique is not causing the problem. If it is digging into his wither or shoulder when you mount, he has good reason to react poorly. Unfortunately, the fear of pain may have originated from his previous training so even if your saddle is not currently causing a problem, in his mind, he may think mounting will always hurt him.

After you’ve ruled out a physical problem, only time and patience will reprogram your horse. You need to retrain the mounting process as if you were starting from the beginning, only it will take much longer. It always takes much longer to undo training mistakes than it does to train a horse right to begin with. Wouldn’t it be nice to know about all the potential mistakes you could make in training a horse before you actually do it?

We have four new episodes of Horse Master coming out in February 2012 about starting a young horse under-saddle—each step you take, how to do it right and what mistakes to avoid. This same info is also available in my full-length training DVD, Ready to Ride. One whole section is on mounting and I would use the same process on your horse. It is my hope that this information will help people avoid making the mistakes that were made with your horse.

Based on the info stated in your question, the first thing I would do is get rid of the mounting block. It is possible that it is contributing to his fear and I would want to see what his reaction to mounting was without it. I’ve seen a lot of training problems that involve a mounting block.

Of course, this means you have to be very good at mounting from the ground and getting your weight centered over the horse’s back as soon as possible, so as not to hurt his back. I have also seen many mounting issues caused by poor mounting technique on the part of the rider.

Next, you’ll break down the mounting process into tiny steps and then use a process known as pattern conditioning, where you repeat a certain pattern over and over until the horse has a conditioned response that is relaxed and accepting. Your horse already has a conditioned response to being mounted, but it is not a good one. Breaking it into small steps, releasing the pressure on the horse when he responds correctly and repeating this pattern again and again, will fix your horse.

There are a lot of articles in my Training Library, http://juliegoodnight.com/q&a.php, on desensitization and dealing with fearful behavior. You may want to read some of them—even if the articles are not exactly the same as your horse, you will likely find some info that helps. It is important that you fully understand the process of advance and retreat desensitizing and when you give the release.

Also, be sure to tune in to Horse Master on RFD-TV in February to see the episode on first mounting. If you don’t get RFD, you may want to order the DVD, Ready to Ride. It is the fourth DVD in my “From the Ground Up” series and covers the very critical stage in a young horse’s training when you first begin riding him. BTW- the previous three videos in the series are pre-requisite to this stage and cover round pen work, lead line work and training the horse to respond properly to bit pressure.

Take your time, have lots of patience and you will get past this problem with your horse. He sounds like a good egg—he just needs some reprogramming.

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

A Winter for Riding Indoors

2011-12-27T18:30:00.001-07:00

I love the meditative state we get into, my horse and I, riding round and round in the endless monotony of the indoor arena. Nowhere to go, nothing to look at, no distractions, no surprises. But don’t get me wrong, every day through the winter that I ride in it, I thank my lucky stars for having it.

With more than a foot of wind-packed snow blanketing the outdoor arena and treacherous ice on all the trails, the indoor is a blessed sanctuary. Almost any avid rider that lives in Colorado would kill for an indoor arena this time of year. But they are so expensive to build, few people can justify the cost.

I live on a dead-end county road where there are less than a dozen homes—most of them horse owners. And there is an indoor of moderate size on about every other property. When you live in the high mountains of Colorado, the value of an indoor to a rider is way bigger than the hit to your savings account.

My arena is insulated and passive solar heated, so you can see why I thank my lucky stars. It’s cozy warm and a solid barrier against the wind and blowing snow. The kind of riding I do in the winter is far different than the rest of the year. Circles, collected work, school figures, reining maneuvers (minus the big stops because our horses are barefoot this half of the year). Later in the winter we usually set up the cutting machine, for a fun change of pace.

Always in the winter I find one or two major goals to work on. It helps you forget about the monotony in the indoor. A few years ago I rode bareback all winter and my end goal was to cut a cow on my horse bareback—not an easy feat with the quick dives he loves to pull on a cow. I made it as far as working on the cutting machine before the spring thaw and I went back to riding outdoors in a saddle.

This year, I have two different-but-complimentary goals for the winter term, both having to do with new presentations I will be doing this year at horse expos: western dressage and bridle-less riding. My horse and I have been doing both for some time, but doing presentations on it requires a lot more focus, practice and contemplation.

There’s nothing like taking your bridle off while riding in front of a large crowd in a huge stadium to motivate you to practice a little more. Dually and I actually practice bridle-less riding a lot, so he’s pretty good at it. Lately, I’ve found a workout pattern that makes him even better.

After 20 minutes of collected trot and canter, transitioning through all the specified gaits of a western dressage test, http://westerndressageassociation.org/ circling and school figures, Dually is ready to shed the bridle and work in the frame he wants. He loves the freedom of riding bridle-less and he is willing to work extra hard at finding my signals for the chance.

Based on the condition of the outdoor footing, it looks like we’ve got a lot of time to practice between now and the expos that start in February. http://juliegoodnight.com/schedule.php We had a great work out today and I’m looking forward to tomorrow, even if it’s single digits again. What’s your winter riding plan?

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Horses Aren't Pets

2011-12-15T06:41:00.001-07:00

I watched a new sitcom this week on CBS, called Two Broke Girls. The reasons why I didn’t like this show could fill a book, not the least of which is how it portrays women and how it portrays horses. In my opinion, the show does a great disservice to both.

The story line involves a very rich and privileged perky blonde whose father is in jail due to white collar crime and she loses everything and is suddenly broke and waiting tables. She moves in with another server—a buxom rough-cut brunette. Turns out the rich girl had a show horse, which she could not part with so the horse lives in the back yard of their apartment, hanging his head into the kitchen whenever he wants a cookie, reminiscent of Mr. Ed, although he does not talk.

The show is predictably full of sexual innuendo and while there is some clever writing, I just can’t get past the stupidity of the premise of the show. The women are portrayed as idiots and loose and trashy. I used to wait tables—you actually have to be smart, organized and have good people skills. But my biggest objection is how the horse is portrayed.

For starters, the horse’s name is “Chestnut.” A particularly clever and creative name, since the horse is bay in color. That was my first clue that the writers, producers and actors know absolutely nothing about horses. You’d think maybe they’d hire a consultant. But when it comes to horses, most people don’t know what they don’t know.

So it’s no great surprise that the horse is in the back yard of their tiny apartment and that they think they are doing the horse a big favor keeping him there. Now I seriously doubt that someone will watch this show and rush out and acquire a horse to live in their back yard, without any thought to his physical and emotional needs. But I just hate it when horses are portrayed this way.

These days, with critical numbers of unwanted horses in this country, the last thing we need is for the average person to think of horses as pets. They are not pets and horse ownership involves a higher level of skill, knowledge and responsibility than owning a pet.

While I appreciate a good laugh on TV and I realize that even reality shows do not portray real life, I think I’ll stay away from this show. Have you seen it? What did you think?

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

horses in the cold

2011-12-06T22:04:00.001-07:00

It was 6 below zero this morning. Relatively warm by some standards, when you compare it to 25 below, which our neighbors had. That’s why our valley is known as “the Banana Belt of Colorado.” http://coloradoheadwaters.com/chaffee_county/colorado_mountain_weather.cfm

While we recorded a mere -6° this morning, the valleys to the north, west and south of us all were all in the 25 below range. Now, you may think there is not much difference between 6 below and 25 below, but I’m here to tell you there’s a big diff! while we got well into the 20s today, the South Park (yes, there really is such a place in CO and it is much like the cartoon!), Gunnison and San Luis Valleys were lucky to crack zero today.

That’s the difference between being able to work horses or not.

We have all kinds of rules about the weather—from what blankets the horses wear-- according to the temperature, to when it is too cold to work them. When it is single digits or below, we don’t work the horses because of the potential for lung-burn. Have you ever experienced it yourself? I have, and it is a serious physical issue that can turn into a respiratory nightmare (a factor of high-altitude, dry, cold air and breathing heavily).

Also, it’s very tricky working horses in ultra-cold weather, especially in a warm indoor arena (ours probably got up to 40° today). If the horses get warm and break a sweat, not only do they have to go back out to the sub-zero temps, but if they are wet, they will NOT dry and will have a serious chill all night.

That’s why we blanket, ironically, to try and keep their hair coats down so we can work them in a warm indoor without a huge amount of body sweat and to keep them warm at night even if they are damp. It’s a complicated scheme. Thank goodness for the Bucas full-body coolers and power turnout blankets!

When the weather is so extreme, you have to be diligent to check the waterers (are the heaters working, are they drinking?), feed extra hay (make sure you have straight grass hay so they can eat all night long), are their feet getting sore from cold and hard ice?

Horses are incredibly adaptable animals and able to adjust to the most extreme environments. That’s how they’ve not only survived but thrived through the millennium. But adjusting them to meet our personal demands (live in a high-altitude mountain environment but still be on a performance horse regimen) sometime takes some strategy.

Thankfully, tomorrow should be a warmer day, but we still have plenty of sub-zero temps to go this winter. The horses will be waiting for the first rays of sun in the morning, no matter what the temps—standing in the very spot the early morning sun hits first. And I’ll be watching out my window, wishing them warm thoughts.

Enjoy the ride,

Julie

Do you leave your horse's halter on?

2011-11-21T16:58:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was driving home from my last trip of the year, relishing the thought of being home for eight weekends in a row. As I drove through South Park (yes, there really is such a place and it is well depicted in the cartoon), looking out over hundreds of thousands of acres of pasture land with thousands of cattle, horses, elk and antelope ranging, I was fantasizing about how much I will enjoy being home over the next couple months.

My day-dreams were rudely interrupted by a scene that irritates me every time I see it: horses turned out with halters on. Unfortunately, we see that a lot around here; sometimes the horses are turned out in rope halters, which is even worse since they will not break. I am not sure whether this is done out of ignorance, laziness or simple incompetence, but I am sure it is not a good idea.

In my opinion, there’s no good reason to turn a horse loose in a halter and leaving a halter on 24/7 is very poor horsemanship. It is uncomfortable, potentially dangerous to the animal and it will not resolve any training issues that the horse might have. Turned loose in a halter, the horse may potentially snag the halter on something and be stuck. Maybe he’ll panic and break free, maybe he’ll throw himself on the ground and struggle; either way the potential for hurting himself is huge.

Besides, how would you like to have that thing on your head all the time? Maybe some people think because we leave collars on dogs, it is ok to leave halters on horses, but a dog does not have the same capacity for panic and destruction that horses have.

Often I hear people say they leave a halter on because their horse is difficult to catch. But guess what? That’s not fixing the problem—it’s avoiding it. Training and good handling will fix a hard-to-catch horse (how? http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=12 ); leaving a halter on 24/7 will not. I’ve worked with many wild, unhandled or traumatized horses and the temptation to leave a halter on is great. But until the horse is desensitized to your approach, your touch and the halter going on and off, your problem is not solved.

I can imagine that in some circumstances leaving the halter on might be a reasonable temporary solution, but at some point the horse has got to be trained. Leaving the halter on 24/7 does not train the horse to accept these things—only physically doing it will. Have you worked with a horse you had to leave the halter on? Why? Was it temporary or permanent?

There are some horses in my neighborhood that have their halters on 24/7 and it makes me cringe every time I drive by. I am not sure who owns them or why they leave halters on some horses and not others, but I’ve never seen anyone handling these horses or doing anything with them. My guess is that it is done from sheer ignorance.

I’ve known a lot of horse breeders through the years who like to halter break their youngsters by leaving a halter on and dragging a lead rope for weeks on end. I’ve even known people that will tie the lead rope to a big tire and even to a mule. This has always bothered me because I think it is very uncomfortable and confusing for the young horse.

There are a lot of training techniques out there that I would never use but I respect the rights of others to use them as long as they do not hurt the horse and if they have good results. But for me, it has to make sense to the horse and respect his right to be comfortable on his own time. What training techniques have you seen or heard of that don’t make sense to you? I’d love to hear about them.

Enjoy the ride,

Julie