January 21, 2023 • 55 mins
In this episode, we’re continuing with step #2 of my “Horse Goals or Bust!” series. Last month, we reflected on the past year—what worked, what didn’t, what we wish we did more of, and less of—and we used those revelations to brainstorm new goals for this year. This time, let’s talk about finalizing those goals and how we make a plan to get you where you want to be with your horse, nine months from now!
I'll share the stories of two longtime students of mine, who jumped onboard the HGOB train with me, and are kind enough to let me share their journey with you. Finally, I’ll share my own personal horsemanship goals for this year, and how I came to the decision to do something I swore I’d never do...
Plus, in What the Hay, Q&A, I’ll answer questions from listeners about a mule that bolted under some crazy circumstances, how to lead a Thoroughbred by some menacing neighbors safely, and when sharing grooming tools can get a bit... well, "hairy."
Show Notes:
- Download Julie's Horse Goals or Bust Goal Setting Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XiIke6guNi0nx6YsK4TUM6e61rfuCGjPS6q1qyjhvII/edit?usp=sharing
- Join the #HorseGoalsOrBust Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/horse-goals-or-bust
- Julie's Event Schedule: https://juliegoodnight.com/events
- Julie's 5#Challenge Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/goodnight-challenge
What the Hay? Q&A Resources:
- Resources to Stop a Bolting Horse: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?tag=pulley-rein-resources
- Resources on Despooking and Encouraging Curiosity: https://signin.juliegoodnight.com/?s=spook
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
You're an inspiration.
You were there to help me.
You just saw the means.
Can I help you?
We learn a lot from watching other horsesand watching other riders.
I'm Julie.
Goodnight.
And thanks for listening to my podcastabout horse training
and equestrian sports.
(00:24):
It's time for a ride on with Julie.
Good night.
Since the last time we recorded, it's
a full blownwinter here in the Colorado mountains.
We're in the deepest,darkest part of winter.
I've enjoyed hunkering down by the firea lot.
I'm getting caught upon some of my writing obligations,
(00:46):
and I've been busy making big plansfor the upcoming year.
I've been very focused on my New Year'sresolutions.
You'll be happy to hear.
I've been thinking a lotabout my New Year's
resolutions lately, and for good reason.
Like a lot of you this time of year,I'm thinking a lot about losing
(01:06):
that winter weightI put on over the holidays, about
getting in better shape and just livinga healthier life in general.
I'm back on the 5-pound challengeto lose that pesky
holiday weightand to increase my fitness level.
So along those lines, I've quit
eating all wheat and all dairy products.
(01:26):
That's kind of a lot to give up,but it works for me.
Those are my two biggest calorie culpritsand I can live
without themif I don't have to give up anything else.
So I also gave up drinkingany kind of alcohol for two weeks.
And you know, alreadyI feel a lot better and I feel healthier
(01:48):
and I'm impatient to lose that £5.
I know it'll come offif I just stick with my plan.
I've also added two fun workoutsto my winter time workout regime.
I'm doing play Pilates,which is just kind of a fun
and challenging spin on parties
(02:09):
and also a cardio workout.
It's kind of like old schoolcalisthenics, but
but I can make it throughand I do like an aerobic workout.
So both of those are free workoutsI found on YouTube.
And I enjoyed doing that in the winterbecause
it's not always possibleto go outside and hike in the morning.
(02:31):
Although when the conditions allow,I still hike in the winter.
We just have to go lowerbasically in the mountains.
These are all the kind of things
that we talk about on my 5-pound ChallengeGroup page on Facebook.
We share ideas and support each otherin this never ending journey
(02:53):
to stay healthy and fit.
So I hope you'll join us in this endeavor.
Just go to Facebook.com/groups/GoodnightChallenge
Facebook.com/groups/GoodnightChallenge
and we look forward to hearing your ideas.
I've also had some fun ski daysthis winter.
We're having a great snow year
and the conditions are absolutelyfantastic up on the mountain.
(03:15):
That's great exercise.
A lot of fun.
Fresh airmaking the most of the cold winter days.
So I'm lucky to have that in my
backyard.
I've also been riding my horsebareback mostly, and sometimes
without the bridle where relegatedto riding indoors this time of year.
(03:37):
And and I enjoy riding bareback.
It really helps me tune up my balance.
It totally refines my feel of the horse,
and our cues become so much more subtle
and not the least of whichis to burn a few extra calories.
Although I have to tell you,
Annie has perfected the art of trottingwithout picking up her feet at all.
(04:01):
So I'm not really burninga lot of calories as I ride.
Although at the canter,things are different.
That's where I get my workout is when I domy canter laps riding bareback.
So all together.
2023 is shaping up quite nicely for me.
My clinicand expo schedule is posted online now.
(04:22):
I'm super excited about all the funadventures I've got going on this year.
I have a full slate of eventswith three riding retreats in Colorado
with the world famous C Lazy U Ranchplus horse
expos in Iowa, Ohio, Massachusetts.
I've got horsemanshipclinics in Texas and Oregon
(04:43):
in two riding tours in Ireland againthis year.
So I think that's enough to keep me busy.
For details on my eventsschedule, please visit JulieGoodnight.com/Events
JulieGoodnight.com/Eventsand to get the latest updates from me,
be sure to sign up for my weeklynewsletter at JulieGoodnight.com/News
JulieGoodnight.com/News
(05:04):
And while you're there,check out my online training, resources,
membershipsand personalized coaching programs.
Plus, find innovative groomingtools, tech bits, training equipment
and videos at Shop.JulieGoodnight.com
You can also find me on Facebook,Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @JulieGoodnight
(05:24):
@JulieGoodnight
Today's topic is Horse Goals or Bust
Part two
Get it in writing.
Grand Goals and Audacious Action Plans.
In this episode,we're continuing with step
(05:45):
two of my Horse Goals or Bust series.
Last month I gave you a handout,
A guide to reflect on the year behind you.
The accomplishmentsyou and your horse made,
the time you were able to devoteto your horse life
and the things that were important to youand still are important to you.
(06:07):
I think the important take home messages
to derive from your reflection worksheet
or to focus on your realistic timecommitment this year.
What you want to do more of or less of.
And then picture where you want to beat the end of this year.
This month, we'll use your reflectionsto craft clearly stated
(06:30):
measurable and attainable outcome goals.
These are also called Action goalsthat will drive our
plan of action for this year.
I want to
sharethe stories of two of my longtime students
that I've worked with,both online and in-person.
They both jumped immediately on boardthe horse goals or bus
(06:50):
train with me, and they're kind enoughto let me share their journey with you.
I'm very familiar with their horsesand their personal journeys
over the years, and I'm grateful theyentrusted me with their dreams and plans
together.
The disciplines they coverinclude dressage, ranch, horse trail
riding trailobstacles, mountain orienteering
(07:13):
and working at quotation.
Their goals range
everywhere from competing in a horse show
to exploring new riding disciplines
to rediscover roaring their joy of horses.
So here today, I'm going to summarize
their thoughts after completing the goalsetting worksheet.
(07:34):
Then will craft their major goalsfor this year
and start strategizingabout a plan of action.
And finally, I'm going to share with you
my own personal horsemanshipgoals for this year
and how I came to the decisionto do something that I swore I'd never do.
First, I want to introduce you to Lisa.
(07:57):
She is from Phenix, Arizona.
She's a veterinarianwho works in a large trauma hospital.
She's a very tough, high pressure jobin the best of circumstances.
It's tough in high pressure.
But in the past few years,with the pressures of the pandemic
and other aspects of her life, she's just
really had a rough, rough go of it.
(08:19):
Elise has owned horses for over a decade,
becomea very accomplished rider, in my opinion.
She's primarily focused on dressage.
I've had her as a studentin numerous clinics, too many to count.
She was also on the crew of my TV show,
and she traveledwith us to Ireland in 2018.
(08:41):
We toured all over the country togetherand that was a lot of fun.
So all that to say that I knowElisa pretty well in 2022,
Lisa said she accomplished a lot less
in her horsemanshipthan she had in years past.
But in spite of that,she felt like she had grown her skills
in some more intangible ways,which which I might argue,
(09:05):
although they're intangible, they'rereally, really highly valuable things.
She said she thought she developeda better feel
with horses from doing more liberty work.
She also said she thinks she has a lotbetter balance on a horse
from riding bareback a lotand she was really proud of herself
(09:25):
for gaining confidencein riding some unfamiliar horses,
primarily at sea legs.
You know, she actually enjoyed it,so she thought that was quite
an accomplishment.
She's been particular about the horsesshe rides and she just kind of went with
with the ranch where she was assignedand had a good ride of it.
On my
(09:45):
suggestion, Lisacounted up her days of riding in 2022,
and she's counted up50 days in the saddle.
I don't think that's bad.
Maybe it's not as much as years past, but
it's not like you didn'taccomplish anything.
There.
She felt like thatwas considerably less than years past,
(10:06):
and she also attended fewer clinicsthan she had hoped to do.
She did, however, doa lot of in hand dressage, and I believe
that was an outgrowth of her horsedeveloping a lameness problem.
She did more trail riding than she had inyears past, and she really enjoyed that.
(10:27):
And she's gotten into Liberty groundwork.
That is doing groundwork without anytether between you and the horse.
And so the horse is completely freeand chooses to respond to your cues.
All of this was really fun for her,and it was a lot less pressure
than showing horses and going to a lot ofclinics like she's done in the past.
(10:50):
And that taught her something.
She learned that she could still have funwithout
being super competitive and super drivenand hitting the road every weekend.
And so that if I read betweenthe lines of her worksheet,
I think that really influencedher goals for this year.
Alisha's only regrets for last yearcame in the form of wishing
(11:14):
she had spent more time with her wise,dear old friend before he died.
She felt like that was herher friend at the barn
and that she had a lot to learn from him.
Yet as she just wish she had gottena little bit more time with him,
I think that while that might not directlyaffect your big outcome goals
(11:36):
for this year, I think it's certainlya big lesson learned.
In my opinion,these kinds of revelations can change
your life prioritiessignificantly, can make you stop,
slow down, think about it,think about others a little bit more.
A lot of us have had lossesin the past few years
that have given us pause for thought.
(11:58):
And I think one of the best thingsyou can do is take these moments seriously
and vow to enact change in your life.
In other words, don'tjust forget about this old guy or Lisa.
Look for a replacement and recognize it
when you see itand spend time with your friends.
And in a way,I think maybe that will impact
(12:21):
some of the goalsthat Lisa has formed for this year.
What's important for her going forward?
While nowthat she's had the indescribable joy
of becoming one with the horse,what she calls the center,
she wants more of it,and I don't blame her.
This is addictive.
She wants more connection with the horse.
(12:42):
She wants more subtle communication.
Basically,she seeks more oneness with the horse.
She's discovered that her joy of horses
comes from greater connection
and the teamwork that you experiencetogether with the horse.
She actually now caresmore about the effort
(13:05):
her horse puts forwardthan she does about the blue ribbon.
This is a huge revelation for Lisa.
Trust me, she is highly competitive,not only with others
but with herself as well.
She's very driven, type-A personality.
She's worked so hard to becomea better rider over the past decade.
(13:25):
But interestingly, she says, but
all of my achievementshave not brought me to a pinnacle.
I think that's a really profound statementthat she made in her worksheet.
All of my achievementshave not yet brought me to a pinnacle. So.
So where by gone
wrong, what direction am I headed?
(13:47):
You know, she's had unexpectedlife changes in the last few years.
She's got a very high pressure career.
And these things have left her.
And I'll quote her here, left me
stuck in a quicksand pit, unquote.
And she's not even sure what disciplineshe wants to ride anymore.
(14:07):
She's she's sort of insome ways lost her equestrian identity.
And on top of all this life pressure,
Lisa has had several struggleswith her horses in the past few years.
And I know a lot ofyou can relate to this.
She lost her beloved mareand she's been struggling
with lameness issuesin her primary riding horse,
(14:31):
and she had to part ways with a horsethat was just a bad match for her.
All of this combined has left her
with a sense of apathyand sadness about horses.
This is coming directly from Lisa,
and she said that
riding while it was oncethe center of her desire
(14:53):
has become, quote, something I have to do
rather than something I want to do.
Again,I think that's a very profound statement.
And I alsoI know I talked to so many people year
in and year out about their horse journey.
I just happen to know this is somethingthat affects a lot of people.
(15:15):
At some point, you can call it maybeburnout, you can call it many things.
But you know, basicallyshe's lost the joy in riding horses.
So this is a lot to unpack.
And I think doing that worksheetand filling it out
thoroughly has brought some clarityto Lisa
(15:37):
in terms of how she doeswant her horse like to go this year.
She said, Adventure,
peace and creativityare the things she wants more of.
She wants to, quote, regainthe joy and drive I once had,
which will hopefully reignite my passion
(15:57):
in all aspects of my life.
Well, Elisa, that's a very lofty ambition
and it's also hangingbig expectations on the outcome.
But I can see it.
I could see her chart a courseto rediscover her joy of horses.
And I think it's entirely possible,if not likely, that the joy she finds
(16:21):
in horses would carry overto other areas of her life.
So why not go for it?
Turning this into an actionable goal,however, will be the challenge.
But now that she knows what she wants,all she has to do
is write goalsthat tie back to her purpose.
Lisa is also brewing what she calls
(16:42):
a big hairy, audacious goal
of riding in Portugal in 2024
at the RoyalAndalusian School of EquityZen.
This would be a really big deal,riding some very, very high level horses.
So toward that end,if she is going to achieve that goal
in a couple of years time,she would need to start taking
(17:05):
lessons on high level horses this year.
So having an ambitious goallooming in your future
can be motivating for more shortterm goals as well.
So I think that's something to kind ofhang your hat on in the future for sure.
So keeping in mind Elise's reflections
and ambitions and knowing her as I do,
(17:27):
I think it's important for hernot to overextend herself.
More pressure is not going to help herfind the joy.
So I would hate to see hermake a bunch of really lofty goals
that was just goingto create more pressure in her life.
So her goals need to reflect,her need to do less and enjoy it more.
(17:48):
Alisa is so success driventhat I want to make sure her goals
aren't creating more pressureor any sense of falling short.
So here's how I am stating Elise's goals.
Of courseit'll be up to her to finalize them.
But here's what I have taken fromher work sheet and her ideas
and what I am handing back to her.
(18:09):
Number one,
take Jack on for trial rides
with friends by year's end.
So you got all year?
I gave her the whole yearbecause she lives in Phenix, Arizona,
and there's going to bequite a bit of time in there
where nobody'sgoing to want to get trail riding.
So for trail rideswith friends in the next year.
(18:32):
Number to
attend Wednesday night roping practicesonce a month,
at least three times throughout the year
to work cattle back to shoots.
She's not interested in roping.
She's interested in exposing her horseto cattle more
so she's going to go and volunteerand just enjoy the fun of that
(18:54):
and do somethinga little bit different with her horse.
Number three,participate in two riding adventures, one
to Ireland and one to the EU ranchto enjoy the company of friends
and to gain confidenceriding other horses.
So she's already decided to do thisand signed up for both programs.
(19:15):
So all she has to dois show up to complete this goal.
But I think the underlying message inthis goal
is to take delight,to have fun, to have adventure,
and to enjoy the timeyou have to spend with friends.
And then number four, and finally,
and I'm going to have to get some inputfrom Elisa on this.
(19:39):
Numberfour goal is to attend three clinics
for either in hand dressage or libertywork.
In order to blank 1 to 3,
she's going to have to come upwith some specific
measurable outcomes there.
And since I don't really knowthe clinic she's doing and where she's at
(20:03):
and what would be an achievement,I'm going to put that back in her record
to come up with two or three specificmeasurable outcomes for that goal.
So those are my goals for Elisa.
I'm going to talk about her assignmentgoing forward in just a minute.
But next,I want to introduce you to calmly.
I first met calmly at the American HeartAssociation Beach Ride.
(20:28):
It's an annual event that happens inMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, every year.
And we went there to film my TV show,and Carly was nominated
to be on the show by the event organizerbecause of her remarkable story.
We did, in fact,make an episode of her story.
You can see thatif you subscribe to my online library.
(20:50):
Years ago,calmly was in a tragic car wreck
and totally lost the ability to walk.
She discovered her passion for horsesbecause she was sent
to a therapeutic riding centerwhere she learned to walk again.
And she also discovered her passionfor horses.
(21:11):
By the time I met calmly at Myrtle
Beach about six or seven years ago,
she was well pastthe therapeutic riding center.
She had bought her own horsesand she was fundraising
for the 20 mile beach ridethat she was about to take.
Yet she could still barely walk.
She can only go about 100 feetor so at a time with the help of crutches.
(21:35):
So she was doing actually quite strenuous
riding and driving a horse trailer load,horse trailer, all that.
Yet she could hardly walk morethan 100 feet at a time without resting.
Now, on the back of a horse,she could just fly.
And so that was one of the huge reasonsI think, that
drew her to horses to begin with today.
(21:58):
Commonly is very active.
She no longer uses crutches.
She's more active than most of us.
She's begun a second career teachingriding in her hometown in North Carolina,
and she still participatesin the Myrtle Beach Heart Association
ride every single year.
Now, like me, commonly, is a total numbersgeek.
(22:19):
So upon my suggestion, she printed out
some one page calendars, one for last yearand one for this year.
And last year she counted 198 rides
between her two horses,plus 17 rides on lesson horses.
And she taught 400 riding lessons.
(22:41):
She had a total of 228 hours,or that translates to 168 days
of riding her own horses and 131 daysteaching riding.
Her only regrets from last year are thatshe didn't take more dressage lessons.
So calmly.
I'm thinking maybe if you just, let's say,completely gave up sleeping.
(23:04):
You could probably fit moreto your schedule.
Upon reflection, calmly realizes
that she is at her best when she's doing
no matter what the activity is.
If she's accomplishing tasks,she's very happy and very energized.
I've been around her a lotand I know this about her.
(23:26):
She's just like the Energizer Bunnyand she's always busy doing something and
she always has huge plans in her futureand she manages to get them done.
But she also realizedthat helping other people is important
to her own personal fulfillmentand that she especially loves
(23:47):
the opportun nityto help people discover the joy of horses.
So she's been spending more and moretime devoting energy to that.
Like Alisa calmly, she is very drawn
to the connection and partnershipthat can be forged with the horse.
Since horses helped her relearn to walk,
this has added significance to Carmel Li.
(24:11):
She also loves helping horseslearn to be good citizens.
In other words, she likes training horsesand shaping their behavior,
and she loves the fellowshipthat she feels for other riders.
So riding also has a social componentto her and it's important
to recognize all of this stuff because,you know, we want to formulate goals
(24:34):
that, you know, make us happy,that that give us fulfillment.
So this year, Kimberly hopes to add
one more class to her teaching schedule,and she would like to have
a few more opportunitiesfor public speaking so that she can
share her joy of horses with others.
(24:55):
And she wants to go horsecamping with her husband more.
Plus, she wants to expandinto a new riding discipline,
which for her is working at quotation.
Working at quotationis a wonderful discipline.
Google it if you're not sure what it is,it's it's a nice combination of dressage
(25:16):
and and trail off skills and workinghorses.
Currently, he's a bit of an overachiever.
I've known that about her for a long time.
She does always manage to get things done,but she's always
got big goals in front of her.
So formulating goals with Carmel Lee
for me will be more about making sureshe keeps it
(25:37):
real, making sure that she doesn'toverextend herself.
I want you to remember calmly,there are only 365 days in the year
and only so much as possible in one day.
So keep that in mind.
Here'swhat I came up with for Carmel's goals
using her goal sheet to guide me.
(25:57):
Number one, take dressage lessonswith three different instructors
to determine which style is the bestfit for you and your horse.
Number two,
attend three working equity clinics
once every six weeks with her horse,Capri.
(26:20):
Number three, compete in one
working at quotations with Capri.
And number four, prepare your young horsefor mounted orienteering.
Bye. And here's where I'm goingto need some help from you.
Commonly,I want some specific, measurable outcomes
(26:41):
that you want to achieve
with your young horse in regardsto mountain orienteering this year.
So that's going to take a little bitmore work for you.
Again, it's going to be up to Carmeloto finalize these goals and from there
we'll start working on an action plan.
So now
(27:03):
I want to talk to youa little bit about my goals,
because what's good forthe goose is good for the gander.
I went ahead and printed out my own goalworksheet
and I completed itand it was fun, but I did it
in my reflections and conclusions.
You know, I felt like I hada pretty good year with my horse Annie.
(27:25):
I'm down to one horse this year, and,
you know, Annie is a mature,finished horse and she's fabulous.
And I love her dearly.
Well, I just get kind of bored riding her.
And what I
what I learned this past year is thatI really miss training young horses.
And I want to get that back in my life.
(27:46):
I had very limited time at homein the past year
due to my work scheduleand my boating adventures.
And I won't have a lot more time this yearfor the same reasons.
So I'm really fortunatenot to have a lot of obstacles
in my way in termsof what I can accomplish with my horses.
Except for time.
(28:07):
When I want to do more of is,I would like to do a few more road trips
with the horsesand what I would like to do less of is
I would like to do just one or two fewerwork trips this year.
I think I can pull that off.
So here are my audacious goalsfor this year
based on my reflectionsand my realistic outlook for next year.
(28:33):
My number one goaland the one that is a decision
I have come to,that's something I swore I would never do.
But here it is. I'm going to breed Annie
to a stallion
named that he's a cat for an April
20, 24 full, superexcited about that goal.
(28:56):
I've already started on the process
and I think it's going to fillin a lot of holes for me.
Number two,I'm going to go on one horse camping
trip at Lucy's ranch for two nights.
This is going to be my big
camping expedition for the year,and I'm good with that.
(29:19):
Just one.
I just want one and number three,I want to accompany Rich, my husband,
to one VersatilityRanch Horse Clinic or competition.
And I just want to go hang out,you know, go on the road
with the horses andand support him in his endeavors.
So I'm going to vow to do that.
(29:39):
I vowed to do it last year,and I never did it.
So I'm going to make it happen this year.
So now that I
have my final goals,I can start listing my performance goals.
Those are the small stepsthat will get me where I want to be.
I've already started on the stepsfor breeding Annie
by making a list of three thingsthat I need to accomplish.
First.
(30:01):
Number one,I need to establish a relationship
with a reprothat and discuss the plan to breed.
Annie. I've already actually done that.
Did it last week.
Number two, I need to gage in a contractwith the stallion station,
which is the four sixes ranchfor a breeding share to bet he's a cat.
I have a signthe due date of that for January 31st.
(30:25):
Next thing I want to do is work onpreparing Annie's new stall.
It's our foaling stall.
I want to move her in there soon
so that she's well used to itbefore This time next year.
And primarily, I need to install overhead
lights on a timer by mid-Februaryso that we can start putting her
(30:47):
under the lightsin order to encourage her to ovulate.
And then number four, the next thing onmy action list is to start
charting Annie's estrus cyclewhen she starts coming into heat
and that is in preparation for herpre breeding exam.
So that's my homework,
my assignment to Elisa and calmly
(31:10):
is to reviewthe goals I've stated for you here.
I'll give them to you in writingif you ask
and I want you to work on themand make them your own
and then make a commitment to them,then you need to start a list of action
steps for each goallike I just shared with you for Annie.
And that will help youdevelop your action plan.
(31:30):
So what is the very next thing
you need to doin the process of accomplishing this goal?
So here's my little hint for you.
This is something I learnedfrom a self-help book a long time ago,
and I still use this techniquea lot today.
So for every projector in this case, for every goal
that you make for your big audacious goal,
(31:52):
you're going to take a blank sheetof copy paper and with a magic marker
right at the top, it big, boldletters, the goal or the project.
And then you use this page to
keep a list of all your performance goalsalong the way.
All the small steps you need to takedoesn't matter how small they are.
(32:13):
You can jot them down on this list.
You can rearrange things,you can scratch things out.
You can start a new twist over here.
So this is one place to keep a listof everything you need to do,
all the next steps that you're goingto take in achieving this big goal.
So use one sheet of paper for eachof your outcome goals that you've crafted.
(32:35):
And this is a place
where you'll keep all your thoughtson that project in one place.
Next month, we'll talk aboutassessing the fitness and training level
for both you and your horse.
This is going to be the first and longestcommitment of our journey,
so we want to get started on that partright away.
(32:56):
And later on we'll touch on planning,logistics, resource acquisition,
these things that are the meat
and potatoes of your planning,the framework that supports your goals.
So I hope you'll join us for course.
Goals or bust this year.
You can follow along home or better yet,
join in on the discussion with meany time.
(33:18):
If you have comments or questions aboutyour journey, I'd love to hear about it.
Just message me on Facebookor email podcast@juliegoodnight.com
podcast@juliegoodnight.com
And now it's time for my favorite segment.
(33:38):
What the Hey Q&A.
Each month we pick a few unique questions
from our listenersand answer them on the air.
If you'd like to submit a written questionfor what the hey messaged me
on Facebook @JulieGoodnight or email
podcast@juliegoodnight.com
Some questions are editedslightly for clarity or length.
(34:01):
And by the way,we keep all your questions in a queue,
dropping offonly the ones I've already answered.
So even if I've not answered your questionyet, I hope to get to it soon.
Or maybe I'll turn your question
into the main topic for a future podcast,which I've been known to do.
So please stay tuned.
Questionnumber one comes from Lorraine on Facebook
(34:24):
and she asks, Hi Julie,
I love your podcast and I'm gratefulfor the knowledge you share.
After listening to your podcastlast month.
I'm wonderingif I should get rid of my mule.
She bolted on me due to a few thingsI should have been smarter about.
She already was scaredwhen we were riding down the road
(34:45):
to get to the nearbytrail, eight feet from traffic
that zoomed by at 65 miles per hour
when my soda can fell out of my bagand popped underneath her.
She took off fast and shot like a bullet.
Luckily, I was able to stay on
if I understoodyou correctly in your podcast.
(35:06):
It sounds as if she's likely to do thisagain, and I don't want to do it again.
I now hand walk her on the speedwayand mount her when I get to the trail.
She's still very scaredwhen I hand walk her,
but that's the only wayto get to the trail.
I'm 62 and I don't want my body'sgolden years to be spent in pain.
(35:27):
If she bolts again and I fall off.
With your experience,is bolting going to be something
I will always have to deal withwhen she gets really scared?
If so, I'm selling her.
I don't know what I should do.
Thanks for your time.
Okay.
Well, gosh, that was a scary event.
Lorraine,I'll give you that. But it was also
(35:50):
excuse me for laughing
I'm just sort of picturing the worstpossible time
that a carbonated
can could fall underneathyour mule and explode.
You know?
So that was an extraordinary event.You're right.
You could have been smarter about it.
All of that was entirely preventable.
(36:11):
But on the other hand, it was a little bitof an exceptional event.
I'm pretty sure you're not going to letthat one happen again.
So let me just address a few things.
First of all, boltingis pretty unusual for mules.
They don't tend to be flighty burros.
You know, a mule is half horse, halfdonkey, and donkeys aren't flight animals.
(36:34):
And so one of the things that we loveabout
riding mulesis they are far less flighty than horses.
That is not to say that it's impossiblefor them to have a flight response.
It's just that in general, mulesare far less flighty than horses are.
So I think the fact thatit was a scary place
(36:55):
and then that can exploded underneathit was just more than than she could take.
And so, you know,it was a regrettable incident.
But, you know,
it's true of all behaviors in horsesin a way
that if they benefited from the behavior,they're likely to do it again.
(37:18):
So how does a horse benefit from flight?
Well, if they get away from whatthey are afraid of, they benefit.
If they get back to the barn,safety of the barn, they benefit.
And if the rider were to come offand they would have even,
you know, a side bonus.
So it's greatthat you didn't come off in that event.
But the mule did succeed in getting awayfrom what it was afraid of.
(37:42):
So You know,is it possible that it can happen again?
Absolutely.
Can you keep the mule out of thatextraordinary
situation again? Yes.
So now in your case,the mule had a traumatic fright
that she
associated with that locationand that specific location.
(38:05):
Both horses and mules are very locationspecific in their associations.
And so that's not going to change.
That mule is going to be afraidof that area for a very long time.
So walking her through the scaryalley is a smart thing to do.
And if that's the only place she's scared,
(38:25):
then that's a really small price to pay.
If when you get to the other sideof this crazy place,
you can go off and have a good ride,then I think you should
be happy about that.
And just just make a commitment to notget yourself in that kind situation again.
There's absolutely nothing wrongwith leading your mule through there.
(38:46):
You could also take some timeto teach your horse to deal with its fear.
A little bit better in that area.
And I'm going to talk about thatin a minute with another question.
So, yes, it's certainly possibleit could happen again,
but that's going to be true on any horseor any mule that you get.
(39:06):
It's possible that they could bolt.
It's an it's an instinctive response.
So I think it's more importantthat you become proactive.
You just simply arm yourself with betterskills.
You stayed on the mule bolting this time.
So good job.
You need to arm yourselfwith better skills
that will enable you to disallow Mulefrom turning away
(39:31):
so a little quicker onthe uptake of your reins.
Take better control of the mules knows.
Don't let them turn away
and then you need to work on your skillsfor stopping a runaway.
I've got a lot of informationon this stuff.
On my website.
You can search for the pulley,rain, emergency stop spooking.
There's a lot of thingsthat will help you.
(39:52):
A lot of resources on my website for that.
And then finally,just make sure you're using a bridle.
There's appropriate for an animalthat bolts,
you know, without getting toodeep in the weeds here, this is not the
the kind of animal you want to be ridingin a bit less bridle or hock more.
(40:13):
You want a bridle bit
in particularthat gives you the stopping power.
You need for stopping a runaway.
So it's not just the bridle a bitbecause the rider has to have skills too.
But you don't want to betaking that subject lightly.
So I wanted to share
(40:34):
with you a letterI got on the subject of bolting because
due to this subjecthas come up a lot in the Q&A lately,
I mean, there's been multiple questionson the subject, and it seems like the more
I answer it, the more questions come upfrom different people.
So last month,I believe a couple of our questions
(40:54):
had to do with bolting horsesand one thing that I really appreciated
that Lorraine saidwas that she did some things
she could have been smarter about,and a lot of these things foreseeable
and we get ourselves into situationsthat we later regret, but that leave
(41:15):
an indelible mark on our horsestraining, in our horses emotionality.
So it's importantnot only for your own safety
to be smarter about these things,but for your horses.
Development is important as well.
So here's a letterI got just this morning.
Dear Julie. Goodnight.
I am sitting in the sunshineat Grand Oaks Resort in Ocala, Florida,
(41:39):
cleaning my stackafter my five year old Clydesdale Cross.
And I went on our first trail ridearound the property.
I'm listening to your podcastand I just wanted to chime in.
I found two experienced riders todayto join me in our first ride
around the entire propertydown into the busy area of the barn,
(42:01):
multiple arenas, carriages,a bistro, fishing area, etc..
As you may remember from our timefilming Horse Master here,
one side of the property sitsagainst a place called Old MacDonald's
farm with all kinds of randomexotic animals.
Today, my two experienced rider friends.
(42:21):
Very new friends, as in Oh, hello, Auntie.
And this week?
Can I go on a trial ride with you both?
They have very experienced horses.
One name, Manny.
I know very well because I care for himin the boarding barn here on property.
He is a sports car and a trueprofessional.
He's fluid and dressage,Western dressage, cutting.
(42:42):
And that thing you like, Juliewith the garage chapel,
as well as working at quotation,the other horse.
A little quarter horse
has been riding around the propertyfor hours every single day for two weeks,
and his owner has goodhorse sense and knows him well.
As we were coming arounda giant open field on that backside
(43:04):
where the farm is, there were cattleand I knew there was a llama there.
I've walked past him while walking my dog,so I know he's there
and I've been very aware of that
from very far away.
Manny and Smoke both stop
and shoot their headsstraight up in the air.
Manny's owner says she's never seen himdo that before.
(43:26):
I, being on my horse, his very first trialride around the property.
Also my first real trial ride on him ever.
I am hanging back, choosing not to engage.
Both of the other riderssaid We'll just stand here.
And Manny's rider said, I'll just waituntil he takes a deep breath.
(43:47):
Meanwhile, he's got hishead up like a giraffe and smokes.
Rider says while I'm notturning my back to him, that's for sure.
Again, she asks Horse.
Since
I moved left,as Leo had not yet noticed the llama.
He was just kind of looking at everything,but not in a fearful way.
I moved him to the leftuntil everybody else came to their senses
(44:10):
and decided we would ride on in
a slightly different directionwithout turning our backs to the llama.
Why am I telling you this story?
Your podcast was talking about trailriding
and bolting horses,and I just want to say, number one,
I went on my first trail ridetoday with Leo and he was spectacular.
Lots to look at, lots to be afraid of.
(44:32):
But we just expected thatand tried to build a positive experience.
And number two,I chose two writers to accompany me
that had good horse senseand that makes a huge difference.
I consider I was lucky to find thatbecause a lot of times
we have to just take whoever we can getif we need the company.
So mainly, I guess I just wanted to bragabout my first trail ride
(44:55):
on my horse, Leo.
But also, like Julie said, her father said
anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
I was very aware of what to anticipateand expect
on this ride around the property,and I never took anything for granted.
Aloha to Cody.
Well, thanks for sharingthat success story with us.
(45:16):
And again, I think it's really importantand you owe it to your horse
not only to yourself, your own safety,to be the one that thinks ahead
and uses good judgment and always plansfor the worst case scenario.
Like my father said. All right.
Questionnumber two comes from Jessica on Facebook.
(45:37):
How do you safely get a horseto be non-reactive to something
like barking dogs?
Every day I need to walk my bigthoroughbred mare along our fence line,
and we are rushed by the neighbors dogs.
She spooks and runs all over me,runs around in a circle and kicks.
It's so incredibly scary.
(45:57):
I started anticipating it, and so has she.
All right.
Well, Jessica, that soundsjust like a thoroughbred to me.
That can be very dramaticin their behavior
and running in circles and kicking outis what they love to do most.
But really, to be frank, this is simply
a matter of enforcing your ground manners.
(46:19):
Now, I'm going to assume that
the dogs that are chargingyou stay on their side of the fence
and that you have some kind of alleywaythat requires you to go near them,
but that they are not actuallyhaving direct access to you.
So assuming that you are not walking tooterribly close to the fence,
(46:40):
you know, I give some reasonable distancefrom the fence.
You should insist that your horse walksin a straight line beside you
and does not get in front of youand never comes on top of you.
There's no situationbarking dogs or rushing cars or whatever
in which I would tolerate a horserunning the top of me.
(47:01):
Again, I'm going to look ahead
and make sure I don't put the horsein an untenable situation.
But if this is an alleythat you walk down every day
and that the fencekeeps the dogs away from you,
the horse just needs to learnto keep it together and it needs to learn
to abide by its ground manners.
All of the time,not just some of the time.
(47:21):
I would prepare ahead of time,make sure I had a rope halter
on the horse, and a long lead line, maybe,maybe a flag and a stick.
If I needed.
Hopefully you've workedon your leading manners in other areas
and so your horse has some ideaof how to act appropriately.
And in that case, it's just going to be
a matter of enforcing the rulesin this particular area
(47:44):
and reminding your horsehow to act so well
before you approach the dogs.
I want you to do a little groundworkwith your horse
schooling your horse on its lead linemanners.
You know, gowhen I go, rate your speed with me.
Stop when I stop. Don't crowd me.
Stay in this particular place.
So on and so forth.
(48:04):
In your schooling, you're going to bevery sharp and very particular correcting
the smallest infractions,but praising your horse when he does well.
And this is just a way of reminding
your horse of certain expectationsthat you have in the way leads.
And then as you approachthe bad spot where the dogs are
before you get there,ask the horse to stop and stand,
(48:26):
you know, be as far away from the dogsas you think you need to be
in order to maintain control,but require the horse to stand.
Allow him to settle, drop his head,take a deep breath,
and then ask him to walk a few stepscloser and stop and do the same thing.
Allow him to settle,take a deep breath, lowers head
(48:47):
praise himand pat him and move through that area
all through, slowly stopping,taking deep breaths whenever you need to
correct the horse when he moves in to youor try to get in front of you
and show the horseexactly what you expect of him.
If it takes all day to go pass the dogsin this manner, I would do that.
(49:10):
I would only proceedwhen the horse was acting properly,
and it might take you a long timeto do that.
Once like this,I'm going to take you all day.
But it might take you,I don't know, 20 or 30 minutes maybe,
But that is time, that is well invested.
And the next day that you do
it, it's going to be just a small fractionof that amount of time.
(49:31):
But what you're basically saying tothe horse is that there are
no circumstance changes in which it isokay for you to come over the top of me
and that you always have to abide byyour manners.
I will keep you safe.
This is a placeI have determined to be safe,
and you need to abide by the leadline rules that you know.
(49:53):
So always defend your boundarieswith a horse that to come over
the top of you and the horse will learnthat that's not an option.
And that's really important.
Not only because we don't want our horseto learn bad behaviors,
but because it's dangerousand you could get hurt.
All right.
Question number three comes from Susanvia email.
(50:14):
She says, I recently read about
using differentsets of brushes for each horse.
Is this something you do?
I have two horsesand a mini and I intermingle brushes.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Well, Susan, it's a good question.
And I think that, yeah,there's there's situations
(50:35):
in which it is a good ideato separate brushes
between horses,but that you don't always have to do that.
There's times in the past when I've usedmore than one set of brushes,
but I don't now, when we were traininghorses a lot, having a lot of outside
horses coming in, you were going fromone horse to the other.
Horse to the other horse,one after the other super easy
(50:57):
to transmit germs and skinfungus type things between horses.
So we would generally separate brushes
and not just brushes,but saddle pads and cinches as well.
So that would be as a means to control
germs and fungusfrom spreading horse to horse.
(51:18):
So today I just have one horse myselfand there's only four horses
on the property that we don't have horsescoming in and going out.
We live in a dry climatewhere there are very few problems
with the horses skin, so there's no reasonfor me to separate the brushes.
I mean, you know,I use my brushes on my horse.
(51:40):
Rich uses his brushes on his horse.
Lucy uses her brushes on her horses.
We don't intermingle our brushesin that way.
But if I had two horses, I wouldprobably use my brushes on two horses.
Now, another reason to use differentbrushes on different horses would be
if you have some horseswith super sensitive skin
(52:02):
that will only tolerate certain kinds ofbrushes like very soft, natural bristles.
Some horses can be very particularin this way, so
you might have a set of brushesthat are special for a horse
because it has special needs in thein the tactile department.
So if it's just in termsof spreading germs
and you have a small herd
(52:24):
and don't have a problemwith germs and skin
fungus, I don't think there'sanything wrong with sharing your brushes.
Now, remember,no matter what you do, it's a good idea
to disinfect your brushes every so often.
I would say quarterly, twice a year.
Just put them
in a big bucket, a warm, soapy water,throw some disinfectant in there
(52:49):
and rinse some goodand let them dry in the sun.
And this helps controlsome of the germs spreading and fungus
spreading that can occur between brushes.
Well,that's all the time we have for today.
Thanks for listening.
(53:10):
I hope you're busy craftingyour audacious goals for this year
and that you're inspired to accomplishsomething that's important to you.
I love sharing my horse careand training experience with you,
and I appreciate all your feedback.
Suggestions and questions.
Ride on with Julie.
Goodnight is available everywhereyou listen to podcasts,
(53:31):
remember to subscribeso you won't miss a single episode
and invite your equestrian friendsto join us.
If you like the show, head overto Apple Podcasts to rate and review.
It means a lot to me and it helpsnew listeners find this podcast.
And don't forget to check out my onlinememberships to the Academy.
You'll find solutionsyou need when you need them.
(53:53):
I have a monthly or yearlylibrary membership
and that gives you access to hundredsof videos, full episodes of my TV show,
audios and articles on the topicsyou want to know more about
or get online coaching from mewith my interactive Academy membership,
I'll help you assesswhere you and your horse are now
(54:14):
so you can move forwardwith a structured 12 month training plan
and personalized coaching from meevery step of the way.
You can also enroll in my Buildyour confidence with horses
horsemanship Short course.
Just go to JulieGoodnight.com/Join
JulieGoodnight.com/Join
JulieGoodnight.com/Join and start your ride, and join me again
next monthfor another episode of Ride On with Julie.
(54:36):
Goodnight.
No matter whereyou are in your horsemanship journey,
whether you're new to horsesor an old hand,
whether you're training a green horseor refining your upper level skills,
I hope you found some helpful informationhere to make your horse life better.
I'm Julie. Goodnight.
Thank you for listeningand please stay safe and.
(54:58):
Enjoy the ride.
You're an inspiration.
You were there to help me.
You just saw the means.
Can I help you?
We learn a lot from watching other horsesand watching other riders.
I'm Julie.
Goodnight.
And thanks for listening to my podcastabout horse training
and equestrian sports.
(00:24):
It's time for a ride on with Julie.
Good night.
Since the last time we recorded, it's
a full blownwinter here in the Colorado mountains.
We're in the deepest,darkest part of winter.
I've enjoyed hunkering down by the firea lot.
I'm getting caught upon some of my writing obligations,
(00:46):
and I've been busy making big plansfor the upcoming year.
I've been very focused on my New Year'sresolutions.
You'll be happy to hear.
I've been thinking a lotabout my New Year's
resolutions lately, and for good reason.
Like a lot of you this time of year,I'm thinking a lot about losing
(01:06):
that winter weightI put on over the holidays, about
getting in better shape and just livinga healthier life in general.
I'm back on the 5-pound challengeto lose that pesky
holiday weightand to increase my fitness level.
So along those lines, I've quit
eating all wheat and all dairy products.
(01:26):
That's kind of a lot to give up,but it works for me.
Those are my two biggest calorie culpritsand I can live
without themif I don't have to give up anything else.
So I also gave up drinkingany kind of alcohol for two weeks.
And you know, alreadyI feel a lot better and I feel healthier
(01:48):
and I'm impatient to lose that £5.
I know it'll come offif I just stick with my plan.
I've also added two fun workoutsto my winter time workout regime.
I'm doing play Pilates,which is just kind of a fun
and challenging spin on parties
(02:09):
and also a cardio workout.
It's kind of like old schoolcalisthenics, but
but I can make it throughand I do like an aerobic workout.
So both of those are free workoutsI found on YouTube.
And I enjoyed doing that in the winterbecause
it's not always possibleto go outside and hike in the morning.
(02:31):
Although when the conditions allow,I still hike in the winter.
We just have to go lowerbasically in the mountains.
These are all the kind of things
that we talk about on my 5-pound ChallengeGroup page on Facebook.
We share ideas and support each otherin this never ending journey
(02:53):
to stay healthy and fit.
So I hope you'll join us in this endeavor.
Just go to Facebook.com/groups/GoodnightChallenge
Facebook.com/groups/GoodnightChallenge
and we look forward to hearing your ideas.
I've also had some fun ski daysthis winter.
We're having a great snow year
and the conditions are absolutelyfantastic up on the mountain.
(03:15):
That's great exercise.
A lot of fun.
Fresh airmaking the most of the cold winter days.
So I'm lucky to have that in my
backyard.
I've also been riding my horsebareback mostly, and sometimes
without the bridle where relegatedto riding indoors this time of year.
(03:37):
And and I enjoy riding bareback.
It really helps me tune up my balance.
It totally refines my feel of the horse,
and our cues become so much more subtle
and not the least of whichis to burn a few extra calories.
Although I have to tell you,
Annie has perfected the art of trottingwithout picking up her feet at all.
(04:01):
So I'm not really burninga lot of calories as I ride.
Although at the canter,things are different.
That's where I get my workout is when I domy canter laps riding bareback.
So all together.
2023 is shaping up quite nicely for me.
My clinicand expo schedule is posted online now.
(04:22):
I'm super excited about all the funadventures I've got going on this year.
I have a full slate of eventswith three riding retreats in Colorado
with the world famous C Lazy U Ranchplus horse
expos in Iowa, Ohio, Massachusetts.
I've got horsemanshipclinics in Texas and Oregon
(04:43):
in two riding tours in Ireland againthis year.
So I think that's enough to keep me busy.
For details on my eventsschedule, please visit JulieGoodnight.com/Events
JulieGoodnight.com/Eventsand to get the latest updates from me,
be sure to sign up for my weeklynewsletter at JulieGoodnight.com/News
JulieGoodnight.com/News
(05:04):
And while you're there,check out my online training, resources,
membershipsand personalized coaching programs.
Plus, find innovative groomingtools, tech bits, training equipment
and videos at Shop.JulieGoodnight.com
You can also find me on Facebook,Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at @JulieGoodnight
(05:24):
@JulieGoodnight
Today's topic is Horse Goals or Bust
Part two
Get it in writing.
Grand Goals and Audacious Action Plans.
In this episode,we're continuing with step
(05:45):
two of my Horse Goals or Bust series.
Last month I gave you a handout,
A guide to reflect on the year behind you.
The accomplishmentsyou and your horse made,
the time you were able to devoteto your horse life
and the things that were important to youand still are important to you.
(06:07):
I think the important take home messages
to derive from your reflection worksheet
or to focus on your realistic timecommitment this year.
What you want to do more of or less of.
And then picture where you want to beat the end of this year.
This month, we'll use your reflectionsto craft clearly stated
(06:30):
measurable and attainable outcome goals.
These are also called Action goalsthat will drive our
plan of action for this year.
I want to
sharethe stories of two of my longtime students
that I've worked with,both online and in-person.
They both jumped immediately on boardthe horse goals or bus
(06:50):
train with me, and they're kind enoughto let me share their journey with you.
I'm very familiar with their horsesand their personal journeys
over the years, and I'm grateful theyentrusted me with their dreams and plans
together.
The disciplines they coverinclude dressage, ranch, horse trail
riding trailobstacles, mountain orienteering
(07:13):
and working at quotation.
Their goals range
everywhere from competing in a horse show
to exploring new riding disciplines
to rediscover roaring their joy of horses.
So here today, I'm going to summarize
their thoughts after completing the goalsetting worksheet.
(07:34):
Then will craft their major goalsfor this year
and start strategizingabout a plan of action.
And finally, I'm going to share with you
my own personal horsemanshipgoals for this year
and how I came to the decisionto do something that I swore I'd never do.
First, I want to introduce you to Lisa.
(07:57):
She is from Phenix, Arizona.
She's a veterinarianwho works in a large trauma hospital.
She's a very tough, high pressure jobin the best of circumstances.
It's tough in high pressure.
But in the past few years,with the pressures of the pandemic
and other aspects of her life, she's just
really had a rough, rough go of it.
(08:19):
Elise has owned horses for over a decade,
becomea very accomplished rider, in my opinion.
She's primarily focused on dressage.
I've had her as a studentin numerous clinics, too many to count.
She was also on the crew of my TV show,
and she traveledwith us to Ireland in 2018.
(08:41):
We toured all over the country togetherand that was a lot of fun.
So all that to say that I knowElisa pretty well in 2022,
Lisa said she accomplished a lot less
in her horsemanshipthan she had in years past.
But in spite of that,she felt like she had grown her skills
in some more intangible ways,which which I might argue,
(09:05):
although they're intangible, they'rereally, really highly valuable things.
She said she thought she developeda better feel
with horses from doing more liberty work.
She also said she thinks she has a lotbetter balance on a horse
from riding bareback a lotand she was really proud of herself
(09:25):
for gaining confidencein riding some unfamiliar horses,
primarily at sea legs.
You know, she actually enjoyed it,so she thought that was quite
an accomplishment.
She's been particular about the horsesshe rides and she just kind of went with
with the ranch where she was assignedand had a good ride of it.
On my
(09:45):
suggestion, Lisacounted up her days of riding in 2022,
and she's counted up50 days in the saddle.
I don't think that's bad.
Maybe it's not as much as years past, but
it's not like you didn'taccomplish anything.
There.
She felt like thatwas considerably less than years past,
(10:06):
and she also attended fewer clinicsthan she had hoped to do.
She did, however, doa lot of in hand dressage, and I believe
that was an outgrowth of her horsedeveloping a lameness problem.
She did more trail riding than she had inyears past, and she really enjoyed that.
(10:27):
And she's gotten into Liberty groundwork.
That is doing groundwork without anytether between you and the horse.
And so the horse is completely freeand chooses to respond to your cues.
All of this was really fun for her,and it was a lot less pressure
than showing horses and going to a lot ofclinics like she's done in the past.
(10:50):
And that taught her something.
She learned that she could still have funwithout
being super competitive and super drivenand hitting the road every weekend.
And so that if I read betweenthe lines of her worksheet,
I think that really influencedher goals for this year.
Alisha's only regrets for last yearcame in the form of wishing
(11:14):
she had spent more time with her wise,dear old friend before he died.
She felt like that was herher friend at the barn
and that she had a lot to learn from him.
Yet as she just wish she had gottena little bit more time with him,
I think that while that might not directlyaffect your big outcome goals
(11:36):
for this year, I think it's certainlya big lesson learned.
In my opinion,these kinds of revelations can change
your life prioritiessignificantly, can make you stop,
slow down, think about it,think about others a little bit more.
A lot of us have had lossesin the past few years
that have given us pause for thought.
(11:58):
And I think one of the best thingsyou can do is take these moments seriously
and vow to enact change in your life.
In other words, don'tjust forget about this old guy or Lisa.
Look for a replacement and recognize it
when you see itand spend time with your friends.
And in a way,I think maybe that will impact
(12:21):
some of the goalsthat Lisa has formed for this year.
What's important for her going forward?
While nowthat she's had the indescribable joy
of becoming one with the horse,what she calls the center,
she wants more of it,and I don't blame her.
This is addictive.
She wants more connection with the horse.
(12:42):
She wants more subtle communication.
Basically,she seeks more oneness with the horse.
She's discovered that her joy of horses
comes from greater connection
and the teamwork that you experiencetogether with the horse.
She actually now caresmore about the effort
(13:05):
her horse puts forwardthan she does about the blue ribbon.
This is a huge revelation for Lisa.
Trust me, she is highly competitive,not only with others
but with herself as well.
She's very driven, type-A personality.
She's worked so hard to becomea better rider over the past decade.
(13:25):
But interestingly, she says, but
all of my achievementshave not brought me to a pinnacle.
I think that's a really profound statementthat she made in her worksheet.
All of my achievementshave not yet brought me to a pinnacle. So.
So where by gone
wrong, what direction am I headed?
(13:47):
You know, she's had unexpectedlife changes in the last few years.
She's got a very high pressure career.
And these things have left her.
And I'll quote her here, left me
stuck in a quicksand pit, unquote.
And she's not even sure what disciplineshe wants to ride anymore.
(14:07):
She's she's sort of insome ways lost her equestrian identity.
And on top of all this life pressure,
Lisa has had several struggleswith her horses in the past few years.
And I know a lot ofyou can relate to this.
She lost her beloved mareand she's been struggling
with lameness issuesin her primary riding horse,
(14:31):
and she had to part ways with a horsethat was just a bad match for her.
All of this combined has left her
with a sense of apathyand sadness about horses.
This is coming directly from Lisa,
and she said that
riding while it was oncethe center of her desire
(14:53):
has become, quote, something I have to do
rather than something I want to do.
Again,I think that's a very profound statement.
And I alsoI know I talked to so many people year
in and year out about their horse journey.
I just happen to know this is somethingthat affects a lot of people.
(15:15):
At some point, you can call it maybeburnout, you can call it many things.
But you know, basicallyshe's lost the joy in riding horses.
So this is a lot to unpack.
And I think doing that worksheetand filling it out
thoroughly has brought some clarityto Lisa
(15:37):
in terms of how she doeswant her horse like to go this year.
She said, Adventure,
peace and creativityare the things she wants more of.
She wants to, quote, regainthe joy and drive I once had,
which will hopefully reignite my passion
(15:57):
in all aspects of my life.
Well, Elisa, that's a very lofty ambition
and it's also hangingbig expectations on the outcome.
But I can see it.
I could see her chart a courseto rediscover her joy of horses.
And I think it's entirely possible,if not likely, that the joy she finds
(16:21):
in horses would carry overto other areas of her life.
So why not go for it?
Turning this into an actionable goal,however, will be the challenge.
But now that she knows what she wants,all she has to do
is write goalsthat tie back to her purpose.
Lisa is also brewing what she calls
(16:42):
a big hairy, audacious goal
of riding in Portugal in 2024
at the RoyalAndalusian School of EquityZen.
This would be a really big deal,riding some very, very high level horses.
So toward that end,if she is going to achieve that goal
in a couple of years time,she would need to start taking
(17:05):
lessons on high level horses this year.
So having an ambitious goallooming in your future
can be motivating for more shortterm goals as well.
So I think that's something to kind ofhang your hat on in the future for sure.
So keeping in mind Elise's reflections
and ambitions and knowing her as I do,
(17:27):
I think it's important for hernot to overextend herself.
More pressure is not going to help herfind the joy.
So I would hate to see hermake a bunch of really lofty goals
that was just goingto create more pressure in her life.
So her goals need to reflect,her need to do less and enjoy it more.
(17:48):
Alisa is so success driventhat I want to make sure her goals
aren't creating more pressureor any sense of falling short.
So here's how I am stating Elise's goals.
Of courseit'll be up to her to finalize them.
But here's what I have taken fromher work sheet and her ideas
and what I am handing back to her.
(18:09):
Number one,
take Jack on for trial rides
with friends by year's end.
So you got all year?
I gave her the whole yearbecause she lives in Phenix, Arizona,
and there's going to bequite a bit of time in there
where nobody'sgoing to want to get trail riding.
So for trail rideswith friends in the next year.
(18:32):
Number to
attend Wednesday night roping practicesonce a month,
at least three times throughout the year
to work cattle back to shoots.
She's not interested in roping.
She's interested in exposing her horseto cattle more
so she's going to go and volunteerand just enjoy the fun of that
(18:54):
and do somethinga little bit different with her horse.
Number three,participate in two riding adventures, one
to Ireland and one to the EU ranchto enjoy the company of friends
and to gain confidenceriding other horses.
So she's already decided to do thisand signed up for both programs.
(19:15):
So all she has to dois show up to complete this goal.
But I think the underlying message inthis goal
is to take delight,to have fun, to have adventure,
and to enjoy the timeyou have to spend with friends.
And then number four, and finally,
and I'm going to have to get some inputfrom Elisa on this.
(19:39):
Numberfour goal is to attend three clinics
for either in hand dressage or libertywork.
In order to blank 1 to 3,
she's going to have to come upwith some specific
measurable outcomes there.
And since I don't really knowthe clinic she's doing and where she's at
(20:03):
and what would be an achievement,I'm going to put that back in her record
to come up with two or three specificmeasurable outcomes for that goal.
So those are my goals for Elisa.
I'm going to talk about her assignmentgoing forward in just a minute.
But next,I want to introduce you to calmly.
I first met calmly at the American HeartAssociation Beach Ride.
(20:28):
It's an annual event that happens inMyrtle Beach, South Carolina, every year.
And we went there to film my TV show,and Carly was nominated
to be on the show by the event organizerbecause of her remarkable story.
We did, in fact,make an episode of her story.
You can see thatif you subscribe to my online library.
(20:50):
Years ago,calmly was in a tragic car wreck
and totally lost the ability to walk.
She discovered her passion for horsesbecause she was sent
to a therapeutic riding centerwhere she learned to walk again.
And she also discovered her passionfor horses.
(21:11):
By the time I met calmly at Myrtle
Beach about six or seven years ago,
she was well pastthe therapeutic riding center.
She had bought her own horsesand she was fundraising
for the 20 mile beach ridethat she was about to take.
Yet she could still barely walk.
She can only go about 100 feetor so at a time with the help of crutches.
(21:35):
So she was doing actually quite strenuous
riding and driving a horse trailer load,horse trailer, all that.
Yet she could hardly walk morethan 100 feet at a time without resting.
Now, on the back of a horse,she could just fly.
And so that was one of the huge reasonsI think, that
drew her to horses to begin with today.
(21:58):
Commonly is very active.
She no longer uses crutches.
She's more active than most of us.
She's begun a second career teachingriding in her hometown in North Carolina,
and she still participatesin the Myrtle Beach Heart Association
ride every single year.
Now, like me, commonly, is a total numbersgeek.
(22:19):
So upon my suggestion, she printed out
some one page calendars, one for last yearand one for this year.
And last year she counted 198 rides
between her two horses,plus 17 rides on lesson horses.
And she taught 400 riding lessons.
(22:41):
She had a total of 228 hours,or that translates to 168 days
of riding her own horses and 131 daysteaching riding.
Her only regrets from last year are thatshe didn't take more dressage lessons.
So calmly.
I'm thinking maybe if you just, let's say,completely gave up sleeping.
(23:04):
You could probably fit moreto your schedule.
Upon reflection, calmly realizes
that she is at her best when she's doing
no matter what the activity is.
If she's accomplishing tasks,she's very happy and very energized.
I've been around her a lotand I know this about her.
(23:26):
She's just like the Energizer Bunnyand she's always busy doing something and
she always has huge plans in her futureand she manages to get them done.
But she also realizedthat helping other people is important
to her own personal fulfillmentand that she especially loves
(23:47):
the opportun nityto help people discover the joy of horses.
So she's been spending more and moretime devoting energy to that.
Like Alisa calmly, she is very drawn
to the connection and partnershipthat can be forged with the horse.
Since horses helped her relearn to walk,
this has added significance to Carmel Li.
(24:11):
She also loves helping horseslearn to be good citizens.
In other words, she likes training horsesand shaping their behavior,
and she loves the fellowshipthat she feels for other riders.
So riding also has a social componentto her and it's important
to recognize all of this stuff because,you know, we want to formulate goals
(24:34):
that, you know, make us happy,that that give us fulfillment.
So this year, Kimberly hopes to add
one more class to her teaching schedule,and she would like to have
a few more opportunitiesfor public speaking so that she can
share her joy of horses with others.
(24:55):
And she wants to go horsecamping with her husband more.
Plus, she wants to expandinto a new riding discipline,
which for her is working at quotation.
Working at quotationis a wonderful discipline.
Google it if you're not sure what it is,it's it's a nice combination of dressage
(25:16):
and and trail off skills and workinghorses.
Currently, he's a bit of an overachiever.
I've known that about her for a long time.
She does always manage to get things done,but she's always
got big goals in front of her.
So formulating goals with Carmel Lee
for me will be more about making sureshe keeps it
(25:37):
real, making sure that she doesn'toverextend herself.
I want you to remember calmly,there are only 365 days in the year
and only so much as possible in one day.
So keep that in mind.
Here'swhat I came up with for Carmel's goals
using her goal sheet to guide me.
(25:57):
Number one, take dressage lessonswith three different instructors
to determine which style is the bestfit for you and your horse.
Number two,
attend three working equity clinics
once every six weeks with her horse,Capri.
(26:20):
Number three, compete in one
working at quotations with Capri.
And number four, prepare your young horsefor mounted orienteering.
Bye. And here's where I'm goingto need some help from you.
Commonly,I want some specific, measurable outcomes
(26:41):
that you want to achieve
with your young horse in regardsto mountain orienteering this year.
So that's going to take a little bitmore work for you.
Again, it's going to be up to Carmeloto finalize these goals and from there
we'll start working on an action plan.
So now
(27:03):
I want to talk to youa little bit about my goals,
because what's good forthe goose is good for the gander.
I went ahead and printed out my own goalworksheet
and I completed itand it was fun, but I did it
in my reflections and conclusions.
You know, I felt like I hada pretty good year with my horse Annie.
(27:25):
I'm down to one horse this year, and,
you know, Annie is a mature,finished horse and she's fabulous.
And I love her dearly.
Well, I just get kind of bored riding her.
And what I
what I learned this past year is thatI really miss training young horses.
And I want to get that back in my life.
(27:46):
I had very limited time at homein the past year
due to my work scheduleand my boating adventures.
And I won't have a lot more time this yearfor the same reasons.
So I'm really fortunatenot to have a lot of obstacles
in my way in termsof what I can accomplish with my horses.
Except for time.
(28:07):
When I want to do more of is,I would like to do a few more road trips
with the horsesand what I would like to do less of is
I would like to do just one or two fewerwork trips this year.
I think I can pull that off.
So here are my audacious goalsfor this year
based on my reflectionsand my realistic outlook for next year.
(28:33):
My number one goaland the one that is a decision
I have come to,that's something I swore I would never do.
But here it is. I'm going to breed Annie
to a stallion
named that he's a cat for an April
20, 24 full, superexcited about that goal.
(28:56):
I've already started on the process
and I think it's going to fillin a lot of holes for me.
Number two,I'm going to go on one horse camping
trip at Lucy's ranch for two nights.
This is going to be my big
camping expedition for the year,and I'm good with that.
(29:19):
Just one.
I just want one and number three,I want to accompany Rich, my husband,
to one VersatilityRanch Horse Clinic or competition.
And I just want to go hang out,you know, go on the road
with the horses andand support him in his endeavors.
So I'm going to vow to do that.
(29:39):
I vowed to do it last year,and I never did it.
So I'm going to make it happen this year.
So now that I
have my final goals,I can start listing my performance goals.
Those are the small stepsthat will get me where I want to be.
I've already started on the stepsfor breeding Annie
by making a list of three thingsthat I need to accomplish.
First.
(30:01):
Number one,I need to establish a relationship
with a reprothat and discuss the plan to breed.
Annie. I've already actually done that.
Did it last week.
Number two, I need to gage in a contractwith the stallion station,
which is the four sixes ranchfor a breeding share to bet he's a cat.
I have a signthe due date of that for January 31st.
(30:25):
Next thing I want to do is work onpreparing Annie's new stall.
It's our foaling stall.
I want to move her in there soon
so that she's well used to itbefore This time next year.
And primarily, I need to install overhead
lights on a timer by mid-Februaryso that we can start putting her
(30:47):
under the lightsin order to encourage her to ovulate.
And then number four, the next thing onmy action list is to start
charting Annie's estrus cyclewhen she starts coming into heat
and that is in preparation for herpre breeding exam.
So that's my homework,
my assignment to Elisa and calmly
(31:10):
is to reviewthe goals I've stated for you here.
I'll give them to you in writingif you ask
and I want you to work on themand make them your own
and then make a commitment to them,then you need to start a list of action
steps for each goallike I just shared with you for Annie.
And that will help youdevelop your action plan.
(31:30):
So what is the very next thing
you need to doin the process of accomplishing this goal?
So here's my little hint for you.
This is something I learnedfrom a self-help book a long time ago,
and I still use this techniquea lot today.
So for every projector in this case, for every goal
that you make for your big audacious goal,
(31:52):
you're going to take a blank sheetof copy paper and with a magic marker
right at the top, it big, boldletters, the goal or the project.
And then you use this page to
keep a list of all your performance goalsalong the way.
All the small steps you need to takedoesn't matter how small they are.
(32:13):
You can jot them down on this list.
You can rearrange things,you can scratch things out.
You can start a new twist over here.
So this is one place to keep a listof everything you need to do,
all the next steps that you're goingto take in achieving this big goal.
So use one sheet of paper for eachof your outcome goals that you've crafted.
(32:35):
And this is a place
where you'll keep all your thoughtson that project in one place.
Next month, we'll talk aboutassessing the fitness and training level
for both you and your horse.
This is going to be the first and longestcommitment of our journey,
so we want to get started on that partright away.
(32:56):
And later on we'll touch on planning,logistics, resource acquisition,
these things that are the meat
and potatoes of your planning,the framework that supports your goals.
So I hope you'll join us for course.
Goals or bust this year.
You can follow along home or better yet,
join in on the discussion with meany time.
(33:18):
If you have comments or questions aboutyour journey, I'd love to hear about it.
Just message me on Facebookor email podcast@juliegoodnight.com
podcast@juliegoodnight.com
And now it's time for my favorite segment.
(33:38):
What the Hey Q&A.
Each month we pick a few unique questions
from our listenersand answer them on the air.
If you'd like to submit a written questionfor what the hey messaged me
on Facebook @JulieGoodnight or email
podcast@juliegoodnight.com
Some questions are editedslightly for clarity or length.
(34:01):
And by the way,we keep all your questions in a queue,
dropping offonly the ones I've already answered.
So even if I've not answered your questionyet, I hope to get to it soon.
Or maybe I'll turn your question
into the main topic for a future podcast,which I've been known to do.
So please stay tuned.
Questionnumber one comes from Lorraine on Facebook
(34:24):
and she asks, Hi Julie,
I love your podcast and I'm gratefulfor the knowledge you share.
After listening to your podcastlast month.
I'm wonderingif I should get rid of my mule.
She bolted on me due to a few thingsI should have been smarter about.
She already was scaredwhen we were riding down the road
(34:45):
to get to the nearbytrail, eight feet from traffic
that zoomed by at 65 miles per hour
when my soda can fell out of my bagand popped underneath her.
She took off fast and shot like a bullet.
Luckily, I was able to stay on
if I understoodyou correctly in your podcast.
(35:06):
It sounds as if she's likely to do thisagain, and I don't want to do it again.
I now hand walk her on the speedwayand mount her when I get to the trail.
She's still very scaredwhen I hand walk her,
but that's the only wayto get to the trail.
I'm 62 and I don't want my body'sgolden years to be spent in pain.
(35:27):
If she bolts again and I fall off.
With your experience,is bolting going to be something
I will always have to deal withwhen she gets really scared?
If so, I'm selling her.
I don't know what I should do.
Thanks for your time.
Okay.
Well, gosh, that was a scary event.
Lorraine,I'll give you that. But it was also
(35:50):
excuse me for laughing
I'm just sort of picturing the worstpossible time
that a carbonated
can could fall underneathyour mule and explode.
You know?
So that was an extraordinary event.You're right.
You could have been smarter about it.
All of that was entirely preventable.
(36:11):
But on the other hand, it was a little bitof an exceptional event.
I'm pretty sure you're not going to letthat one happen again.
So let me just address a few things.
First of all, boltingis pretty unusual for mules.
They don't tend to be flighty burros.
You know, a mule is half horse, halfdonkey, and donkeys aren't flight animals.
(36:34):
And so one of the things that we loveabout
riding mulesis they are far less flighty than horses.
That is not to say that it's impossiblefor them to have a flight response.
It's just that in general, mulesare far less flighty than horses are.
So I think the fact thatit was a scary place
(36:55):
and then that can exploded underneathit was just more than than she could take.
And so, you know,it was a regrettable incident.
But, you know,
it's true of all behaviors in horsesin a way
that if they benefited from the behavior,they're likely to do it again.
(37:18):
So how does a horse benefit from flight?
Well, if they get away from whatthey are afraid of, they benefit.
If they get back to the barn,safety of the barn, they benefit.
And if the rider were to come offand they would have even,
you know, a side bonus.
So it's greatthat you didn't come off in that event.
But the mule did succeed in getting awayfrom what it was afraid of.
(37:42):
So You know,is it possible that it can happen again?
Absolutely.
Can you keep the mule out of thatextraordinary
situation again? Yes.
So now in your case,the mule had a traumatic fright
that she
associated with that locationand that specific location.
(38:05):
Both horses and mules are very locationspecific in their associations.
And so that's not going to change.
That mule is going to be afraidof that area for a very long time.
So walking her through the scaryalley is a smart thing to do.
And if that's the only place she's scared,
(38:25):
then that's a really small price to pay.
If when you get to the other sideof this crazy place,
you can go off and have a good ride,then I think you should
be happy about that.
And just just make a commitment to notget yourself in that kind situation again.
There's absolutely nothing wrongwith leading your mule through there.
(38:46):
You could also take some timeto teach your horse to deal with its fear.
A little bit better in that area.
And I'm going to talk about thatin a minute with another question.
So, yes, it's certainly possibleit could happen again,
but that's going to be true on any horseor any mule that you get.
(39:06):
It's possible that they could bolt.
It's an it's an instinctive response.
So I think it's more importantthat you become proactive.
You just simply arm yourself with betterskills.
You stayed on the mule bolting this time.
So good job.
You need to arm yourselfwith better skills
that will enable you to disallow Mulefrom turning away
(39:31):
so a little quicker onthe uptake of your reins.
Take better control of the mules knows.
Don't let them turn away
and then you need to work on your skillsfor stopping a runaway.
I've got a lot of informationon this stuff.
On my website.
You can search for the pulley,rain, emergency stop spooking.
There's a lot of thingsthat will help you.
(39:52):
A lot of resources on my website for that.
And then finally,just make sure you're using a bridle.
There's appropriate for an animalthat bolts,
you know, without getting toodeep in the weeds here, this is not the
the kind of animal you want to be ridingin a bit less bridle or hock more.
(40:13):
You want a bridle bit
in particularthat gives you the stopping power.
You need for stopping a runaway.
So it's not just the bridle a bitbecause the rider has to have skills too.
But you don't want to betaking that subject lightly.
So I wanted to share
(40:34):
with you a letterI got on the subject of bolting because
due to this subjecthas come up a lot in the Q&A lately,
I mean, there's been multiple questionson the subject, and it seems like the more
I answer it, the more questions come upfrom different people.
So last month,I believe a couple of our questions
(40:54):
had to do with bolting horsesand one thing that I really appreciated
that Lorraine saidwas that she did some things
she could have been smarter about,and a lot of these things foreseeable
and we get ourselves into situationsthat we later regret, but that leave
(41:15):
an indelible mark on our horsestraining, in our horses emotionality.
So it's importantnot only for your own safety
to be smarter about these things,but for your horses.
Development is important as well.
So here's a letterI got just this morning.
Dear Julie. Goodnight.
I am sitting in the sunshineat Grand Oaks Resort in Ocala, Florida,
(41:39):
cleaning my stackafter my five year old Clydesdale Cross.
And I went on our first trail ridearound the property.
I'm listening to your podcastand I just wanted to chime in.
I found two experienced riders todayto join me in our first ride
around the entire propertydown into the busy area of the barn,
(42:01):
multiple arenas, carriages,a bistro, fishing area, etc..
As you may remember from our timefilming Horse Master here,
one side of the property sitsagainst a place called Old MacDonald's
farm with all kinds of randomexotic animals.
Today, my two experienced rider friends.
(42:21):
Very new friends, as in Oh, hello, Auntie.
And this week?
Can I go on a trial ride with you both?
They have very experienced horses.
One name, Manny.
I know very well because I care for himin the boarding barn here on property.
He is a sports car and a trueprofessional.
He's fluid and dressage,Western dressage, cutting.
(42:42):
And that thing you like, Juliewith the garage chapel,
as well as working at quotation,the other horse.
A little quarter horse
has been riding around the propertyfor hours every single day for two weeks,
and his owner has goodhorse sense and knows him well.
As we were coming arounda giant open field on that backside
(43:04):
where the farm is, there were cattleand I knew there was a llama there.
I've walked past him while walking my dog,so I know he's there
and I've been very aware of that
from very far away.
Manny and Smoke both stop
and shoot their headsstraight up in the air.
Manny's owner says she's never seen himdo that before.
(43:26):
I, being on my horse, his very first trialride around the property.
Also my first real trial ride on him ever.
I am hanging back, choosing not to engage.
Both of the other riderssaid We'll just stand here.
And Manny's rider said, I'll just waituntil he takes a deep breath.
(43:47):
Meanwhile, he's got hishead up like a giraffe and smokes.
Rider says while I'm notturning my back to him, that's for sure.
Again, she asks Horse.
Since
I moved left,as Leo had not yet noticed the llama.
He was just kind of looking at everything,but not in a fearful way.
I moved him to the leftuntil everybody else came to their senses
(44:10):
and decided we would ride on in
a slightly different directionwithout turning our backs to the llama.
Why am I telling you this story?
Your podcast was talking about trailriding
and bolting horses,and I just want to say, number one,
I went on my first trail ridetoday with Leo and he was spectacular.
Lots to look at, lots to be afraid of.
(44:32):
But we just expected thatand tried to build a positive experience.
And number two,I chose two writers to accompany me
that had good horse senseand that makes a huge difference.
I consider I was lucky to find thatbecause a lot of times
we have to just take whoever we can getif we need the company.
So mainly, I guess I just wanted to bragabout my first trail ride
(44:55):
on my horse, Leo.
But also, like Julie said, her father said
anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
I was very aware of what to anticipateand expect
on this ride around the property,and I never took anything for granted.
Aloha to Cody.
Well, thanks for sharingthat success story with us.
(45:16):
And again, I think it's really importantand you owe it to your horse
not only to yourself, your own safety,to be the one that thinks ahead
and uses good judgment and always plansfor the worst case scenario.
Like my father said. All right.
Questionnumber two comes from Jessica on Facebook.
(45:37):
How do you safely get a horseto be non-reactive to something
like barking dogs?
Every day I need to walk my bigthoroughbred mare along our fence line,
and we are rushed by the neighbors dogs.
She spooks and runs all over me,runs around in a circle and kicks.
It's so incredibly scary.
(45:57):
I started anticipating it, and so has she.
All right.
Well, Jessica, that soundsjust like a thoroughbred to me.
That can be very dramaticin their behavior
and running in circles and kicking outis what they love to do most.
But really, to be frank, this is simply
a matter of enforcing your ground manners.
(46:19):
Now, I'm going to assume that
the dogs that are chargingyou stay on their side of the fence
and that you have some kind of alleywaythat requires you to go near them,
but that they are not actuallyhaving direct access to you.
So assuming that you are not walking tooterribly close to the fence,
(46:40):
you know, I give some reasonable distancefrom the fence.
You should insist that your horse walksin a straight line beside you
and does not get in front of youand never comes on top of you.
There's no situationbarking dogs or rushing cars or whatever
in which I would tolerate a horserunning the top of me.
(47:01):
Again, I'm going to look ahead
and make sure I don't put the horsein an untenable situation.
But if this is an alleythat you walk down every day
and that the fencekeeps the dogs away from you,
the horse just needs to learnto keep it together and it needs to learn
to abide by its ground manners.
All of the time,not just some of the time.
(47:21):
I would prepare ahead of time,make sure I had a rope halter
on the horse, and a long lead line, maybe,maybe a flag and a stick.
If I needed.
Hopefully you've workedon your leading manners in other areas
and so your horse has some ideaof how to act appropriately.
And in that case, it's just going to be
a matter of enforcing the rulesin this particular area
(47:44):
and reminding your horsehow to act so well
before you approach the dogs.
I want you to do a little groundworkwith your horse
schooling your horse on its lead linemanners.
You know, gowhen I go, rate your speed with me.
Stop when I stop. Don't crowd me.
Stay in this particular place.
So on and so forth.
(48:04):
In your schooling, you're going to bevery sharp and very particular correcting
the smallest infractions,but praising your horse when he does well.
And this is just a way of reminding
your horse of certain expectationsthat you have in the way leads.
And then as you approachthe bad spot where the dogs are
before you get there,ask the horse to stop and stand,
(48:26):
you know, be as far away from the dogsas you think you need to be
in order to maintain control,but require the horse to stand.
Allow him to settle, drop his head,take a deep breath,
and then ask him to walk a few stepscloser and stop and do the same thing.
Allow him to settle,take a deep breath, lowers head
(48:47):
praise himand pat him and move through that area
all through, slowly stopping,taking deep breaths whenever you need to
correct the horse when he moves in to youor try to get in front of you
and show the horseexactly what you expect of him.
If it takes all day to go pass the dogsin this manner, I would do that.
(49:10):
I would only proceedwhen the horse was acting properly,
and it might take you a long timeto do that.
Once like this,I'm going to take you all day.
But it might take you,I don't know, 20 or 30 minutes maybe,
But that is time, that is well invested.
And the next day that you do
it, it's going to be just a small fractionof that amount of time.
(49:31):
But what you're basically saying tothe horse is that there are
no circumstance changes in which it isokay for you to come over the top of me
and that you always have to abide byyour manners.
I will keep you safe.
This is a placeI have determined to be safe,
and you need to abide by the leadline rules that you know.
(49:53):
So always defend your boundarieswith a horse that to come over
the top of you and the horse will learnthat that's not an option.
And that's really important.
Not only because we don't want our horseto learn bad behaviors,
but because it's dangerousand you could get hurt.
All right.
Question number three comes from Susanvia email.
(50:14):
She says, I recently read about
using differentsets of brushes for each horse.
Is this something you do?
I have two horsesand a mini and I intermingle brushes.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Well, Susan, it's a good question.
And I think that, yeah,there's there's situations
(50:35):
in which it is a good ideato separate brushes
between horses,but that you don't always have to do that.
There's times in the past when I've usedmore than one set of brushes,
but I don't now, when we were traininghorses a lot, having a lot of outside
horses coming in, you were going fromone horse to the other.
Horse to the other horse,one after the other super easy
(50:57):
to transmit germs and skinfungus type things between horses.
So we would generally separate brushes
and not just brushes,but saddle pads and cinches as well.
So that would be as a means to control
germs and fungusfrom spreading horse to horse.
(51:18):
So today I just have one horse myselfand there's only four horses
on the property that we don't have horsescoming in and going out.
We live in a dry climatewhere there are very few problems
with the horses skin, so there's no reasonfor me to separate the brushes.
I mean, you know,I use my brushes on my horse.
(51:40):
Rich uses his brushes on his horse.
Lucy uses her brushes on her horses.
We don't intermingle our brushesin that way.
But if I had two horses, I wouldprobably use my brushes on two horses.
Now, another reason to use differentbrushes on different horses would be
if you have some horseswith super sensitive skin
(52:02):
that will only tolerate certain kinds ofbrushes like very soft, natural bristles.
Some horses can be very particularin this way, so
you might have a set of brushesthat are special for a horse
because it has special needs in thein the tactile department.
So if it's just in termsof spreading germs
and you have a small herd
(52:24):
and don't have a problemwith germs and skin
fungus, I don't think there'sanything wrong with sharing your brushes.
Now, remember,no matter what you do, it's a good idea
to disinfect your brushes every so often.
I would say quarterly, twice a year.
Just put them
in a big bucket, a warm, soapy water,throw some disinfectant in there
(52:49):
and rinse some goodand let them dry in the sun.
And this helps controlsome of the germs spreading and fungus
spreading that can occur between brushes.
Well,that's all the time we have for today.
Thanks for listening.
(53:10):
I hope you're busy craftingyour audacious goals for this year
and that you're inspired to accomplishsomething that's important to you.
I love sharing my horse careand training experience with you,
and I appreciate all your feedback.
Suggestions and questions.
Ride on with Julie.
Goodnight is available everywhereyou listen to podcasts,
(53:31):
remember to subscribeso you won't miss a single episode
and invite your equestrian friendsto join us.
If you like the show, head overto Apple Podcasts to rate and review.
It means a lot to me and it helpsnew listeners find this podcast.
And don't forget to check out my onlinememberships to the Academy.
You'll find solutionsyou need when you need them.
(53:53):
I have a monthly or yearlylibrary membership
and that gives you access to hundredsof videos, full episodes of my TV show,
audios and articles on the topicsyou want to know more about
or get online coaching from mewith my interactive Academy membership,
I'll help you assesswhere you and your horse are now
(54:14):
so you can move forwardwith a structured 12 month training plan
and personalized coaching from meevery step of the way.
You can also enroll in my Buildyour confidence with horses
horsemanship Short course.
Just go to JulieGoodnight.com/Join
JulieGoodnight.com/Join
JulieGoodnight.com/Join and start your ride, and join me again
next monthfor another episode of Ride On with Julie.
(54:36):
Goodnight.
No matter whereyou are in your horsemanship journey,
whether you're new to horsesor an old hand,
whether you're training a green horseor refining your upper level skills,
I hope you found some helpful informationhere to make your horse life better.
I'm Julie. Goodnight.
Thank you for listeningand please stay safe and.
(54:58):
Enjoy the ride.
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