Horse Goals or Bust Step 5: Dress for Success

In this episode, I talk about the clothing and gear to choose to set yourself and your horse up for success—dressing for success, so to speak—no matter what your goals look like. I’ll talk about functional rider apparel, your horse’s attire and accessories and safety considerations. I'll also give you some tips to keep both you and your horse comfortable as you tackle the upcoming riding season.

Then in my "What the Hay? Q&A" segment, I’ll answer questions from listeners about ear plugs for horses, and a fearful mustang mare who has mastered the skill of rip and run.

Want your question answered in What the Hay? Email [e-mail]

 

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Get everything you need—podcast episodes, blog posts, worksheets and supportive communities—to start your own Horse Goals or Bust! journey: JulieGoodnight.com/horsegoals

Follow Annie's Story: JulieGoodnight.com/horsereport

Julie’s upcoming events: Juliegoodnight.com/events

Online coaching, memberships, and short courses: JulieGoodnight.com/join

Go to Juliegoodnight.com/news to sign up for Julie’s newsletter

 

Resources from the Episode:

Loop Reins & Split Reins: https://shop.juliegoodnight.com/product-category/tack-room/bits-bridles-reins/reins

Ultrashield Fly Sprays: https://absorbine.com/collections/fly-control

Lead Line Leadership Video: https://shop.juliegoodnight.com/product-tag/lead-line-leadership

Rip & Run Podcast Episode: https://juliegoodnight.podbean.com/e/horses-that-rip-run

 

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
You're an inspiration.
You were there to help me.
You just saw me and said, Can I help you?
We learn a lot from watching other horsesand watching other riders.
I'm Julie Goodnight,
and thank you for listening to my podcastabout horse training, equestrian sports

(00:24):
and building a better connectionwith your horse.
It's time for a ride on with Julie.Goodnight.
Let's startwith some updates from my ranch.
It's actually been a very busy springfor me.
I've been traveling to quite a few horseexpos and horsemanship clinics.
We had a great timerecently at Equine Affair in Ohio.

(00:46):
It was my first timepresenting there since 2018,
mostly because of the disruptions
that were caused by the pandemicand the canceling of large public events.
So it's really great for me to connectwith so many of my followers.
I also had some really great helpin my booth.
I want to give a special shoutout of gratitude

(01:07):
to my very capable helpers, Lucy,Sue and Julie here at the farm.
My little horse, Annie,is still at the vets breeding facility.
In case you missed itas part of my horse goals
or bust for this year, I decided to breedAnnie to a stallion called.

(01:28):
But he's a cat.
He's an outstanding cow horse stallionfrom the four sixes ranch in Texas.
Annie was inseminated two weeks ago,
but unfortunately, she did not settleinto pregnancy on the first go around.
She'll be gettingsome additional treatments
and it's a little bit of a challenge

(01:49):
because she's a 16 year old maiden mare,meaning she's never been bred before.
So she's a little bitover the hill for this,
but with some good treatment from the vetand some careful monitoring,
we'll be going for roundtwo of artificial insemination again
soon and in about a week.

(02:10):
So I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that.
And stay tuned for more informationon that later, coming up.
I've still got a few trips pending thisspring that I'm excited about.
By the time you're listening tothis podcast,
I'll be up in Granby, Colorado,
for the Women's Riding and WholenessRetreat at the Sea Lazy View Ranch.

(02:32):
That programI co teach with Barbara Schultz.
She's my dear friend, colleagueand a renowned cutting horse trainer.
We've got a full housefor this particular clinic,
but you should check out my fallclinic schedule at the Lazy U Ranch.
There's still a few openings in my ranchriding adventure program

(02:53):
and also the horsemanship immersionprograms that are offered in October.
All my programs at the Lazy
Ranch are all inclusive of your meals,lodging, horses and the program itself.
And I can absolutely guarantee you'll havean incredible experience there.
We have daily riding lessons, trail

(03:14):
riding in the mountains,luxurious accommodation inns
plus gourmet meals three times a day.
You really just can't beat thisfor a fabulous horse vacation.
After the homeless retreat,
I've got another horsemanshipclinic near Redmond, Oregon.
That's May 20th and 21st.
For details on this and all my upcomingevents, please visit Julie.

(03:37):
Goodnight. Dot com slash events.
And to get the latest training,advice and updates from me,
be sure you sign up for my weeklynewsletter at Julie.
Goodnight dot com slash news.
You can find my online training resources,membership programs and one on one
online coaching program at JulieGoodnight dot com slash academy.

(04:01):
Plus you can find innovative groomingtools, tactics, bits, training equipment
and videos at shopdot Julie Goodnight dot com.
Please follow me on Facebook,Instagram, Twitter and YouTube at Julie.
Goodnight.

(04:23):
Today's topic is about appropriate
and functional apparel and accessoriesfor your equestrian pursuits.
Outfitting yourself for success,so to speak.
No matter what your goals look like.
I'll talk about rider apparel, your horsesattire and accessories,
safety considerations,

(04:43):
as well as some tips to keep bothyou and your horse comfortable
as you tackle the upcoming riding season.
I hope you're all coming along forthe ride with me on Horse Goals or Bust.
This is a year long program to help youachieve your horsemanship dreams.
Whether your goal is modestor incredibly ambitious, it's

(05:04):
going to take time to accomplish anythingthat's worthwhile.
And that's why this is a yearlong program for horse goals or bust.
We've broken it down into monthly steps.
I think right nowwe're about five months into it.
I'll put together some helpful and freeresources for you on goal setting.

(05:24):
We've addressed
Horse fitness Rider fitnessskill assessment for both horse and rider
and how to develop an appropriatetraining plan for you and your horse.
You can find everything you needall in one place at Julie.
Goodnight dot com slash horse goals.
You know,it's not too late to get caught up

(05:44):
if you haven't started yet,so be sure to check the show notes
for links to all this informationand in my what the Hey Q&A.
At the end of this podcast,
I'll answer questions from listenersabout Earplugs for Horses,
and also we'll talk about a mustang marewho has mastered the skill of rip and run.

(06:06):
Now let's get started on the main topic,Outfitting yourself for success.
First, I'd like to address the rider.
What should you expect to wearin your horse activities?
Let's talkabout how to make sure you are prepared
with the appropriate attire for whateverevent you're attending.

(06:27):
Maybe it's a clinic, a trail ride,a lesson program.
And we'll also talk about whythis is so important.
In general, your attire is importantbecause form must always follow function.
In other words, don't wear somethingjust because it looks pretty.
This is a favorite quote of minefrom Frank Lloyd Wright.

(06:49):
It's about architecture,but it applies to a lot of things.
And he said, does it serve a purposeor will it get in your way?
I think this is particularly appropriatefor riding apparel.
So why is attire important at a lessonor a clinic?
Well, in most instances you want to wearwhat's called neat working attire

(07:12):
in a lesson or a clinic,not not formal or show attire, but clean,
neat, tucked in form, fitting comfortableand functional clothing.
Dressing.
The part of whatever activity you're doingis really important in many ways.
First of all,

(07:32):
I think it shows respect to the trainerto not show up looking sloppy.
It shows you take this opportunityto train with them very seriously
and it just gives you a professionalappearance like you're there to work.
And I think that's an important attitudeto bring to the table.

(07:53):
It's also important in a lesson or clinicsetting to wear
something that will allow the instructorto actually see your form.
I need to be able to see your shoulders,your torso, your hips, your legs,
and it's going to be very difficultfor me to coach you to be a better rider

(08:13):
if I can't really see what you're doingunderneath.
Bulky or baggy apparel.
So some examples of clothing would beexcessively baggy apparel tops or bottoms.
You don't have to wear tight stuff,
but I need to be able to seewhat you're doing with your body.
Heavy coats can get in the wayof being able to

(08:37):
see what's going on underneatha bulky vest are the same way.
Just give it some consideration.
And even in some regards, the higher levela rider you are, the more important
this is because I'm going to be makingreally small adjustments to your form
and if I can't really seewhat's going on under there,

(08:57):
I'm going to miss some things.
It's also important that you dressappropriately for the actual discipline
that you're riding.
And I know Google gets confused by this,but let me be clear
what we mean by discipline.
It means the specific styleof writing that you're doing,
not just English or Western,but more detail than that.

(09:20):
Are you jumping? Are you riding dressage?Are you riding saddle seat?
Are you riding? Are you cutting?Are you roping?
You know, all of these are you know,
the big disciplines are English Western,but we want to dress appropriately for
the subdiscipline as well.
And usually what's appropriateis related to functionality.

(09:44):
If you're not surewhat's typical for your discipline,
or maybe you're starting outin a whole new discipline this year,
look at some images onlineor go to an event where you can observe
what the norm is.
Maybe you want to subscribe to a magazinethat caters to that specific discipline.
Look at the advertising,Look at the pictures and

(10:05):
figure it out through observation.
Depending on the discipline you ride,
it may be appropriate, for instance,for you to wear long sleeves.
This is true of trail riding.
Most Western disciplinescross country jumping, just to name a few.
Mostly that has to do with preventingsunburn, preventing insect bites

(10:27):
or perhaps protectionfrom scrapes or road rash.
You know what I mean?
In the event of an unscheduled dismount.
So make sure you know what the norm is forthat discipline and you try to match it
as closely as possible.
Not only is that for functionality, but,you know,
you want to make surethat you feel comfortable in that group.

(10:50):
Not to get too personal here,but I think you want to pay
a little bit of attentionas well to your undergarments.
Undergarments matter.
They matter a lot, particularlywhen they're uncomfortable.
So make sure you have comfortableunderwear that doesn't have seams
or elastic across your seat bonesor in other places that might rub.

(11:15):
You know, a lot of people like the boysshorts style of undies.
And also they make padded underwearfor riders in the boys shorts style.
I believe the brand nameis called Ponytails.
So if your rear end tendsto get a little bit
sore, you might want to look into that.

(11:35):
You know, we're all built differently,but also the kind of bras you use
when you ride can make a huge differencein your comfort level
and also in your appearance.
So for me,I like to wear a supportive sports bra
when I ride my favoriteone is a north face running bra.

(11:59):
I like it because it's a really softand comfortable material, yet it provides
good support.
Again, all of us are a little bitdifferent in this department
and so we each need a different kindof bra or upper body support.
But since you're goingto be riding all day long and also be in

(12:21):
a very active mode, make surewhatever bra you use doesn't chafe
that it is comfortable all day longand that it does keep things contained.
If you know what I mean.
If you're unsure about what kind of attireis appropriate for your discipline
or for the activity you're attending,

(12:43):
it never hurts to ask the organizer
or if there's a dress codeor any kind of expected attire.
We get that questionall the time for clinics,
and we're always happy to answer it.
We want people to be prepared
and we want them to feel as comfortableas they can be.
So just don't be afraid to ask.
You know,
dressing correctly for the activity you dowill also add to your confidence level.

(13:09):
You know, you always want to look the part
and you always want to feel like you fitin. At least I do.
I learned this lesson by attendingdressy business events with my husband.
I wanted to,you know, kind of be impressive.
And so I would put on fancy clothesand and or,
you know, high heeled shoes stuffI would never normally wear.

(13:32):
And then I would be uncomfortablethroughout the whole event.
I'm actually a pretty casual person.
I'm most comfortablein sweat pants and a hoodie.
So if I try to dress up too much,
it just makes me feel uncomfortableand self-conscious.
So I think it's really importantto feel authentic.
And spending a little time thinking aboutwhat the right attire is for the activity

(13:55):
you're doing is going to be timewell spent.
Let's talk for a momentabout why appropriate attire
is important on a trail rideor any kind of outdoor event.
You know, there's a high probabilitythe weather will change
or will not adhere to the forecast.
So it's important to be prepared.

(14:15):
Rarely will things be called off for badweather when you're doing horse sports.
Horse people are supposed to be tough,so we just sort of
suck it up and endure the weather.
So you want to be preparedfor all kinds of weather,
any weather that might be possible
in a lot of places that you go,particularly in the spring and the fall.

(14:36):
It could be cold in the morningsand blazing hot by the afternoon.
So you want to make sure you bring layers
just like all outdoor sports,
wear breathable clothesto keep you cool on a hot day.
I always bring leggings too thin Leggings.
You know, similar to workout pants.

(14:57):
I don't like real slick stuff,but some thin leggings.
I like to have them for several reasons.One is just simply for warmth.
You know, you never know when it'sgoing to be colder than than you expected.
I get cold pretty easily,so I'm more concerned about
and I live in the mountains.
I guess it comes from that.
But I'm I tend to be more concerned aboutgetting cold than I am about getting hot.

(15:20):
So I also like having leggings onor with me for lounging around at night
just to be comfortable.
And also just a little professional tiphere.
Leggings can really helpyou prevent leg rash
if you're in the saddle all dayand doing some rugged riding.

(15:41):
My knees and the middle part of my legsoften will sort of get chafed
and maybe develop a little rash.
And that can get really uncomfortablereally fast.
So leggings can help prevent that.
I think it's important to have a sunsure to protect you from the sun.
And of course, in hot weather,you want to make sure

(16:05):
your long sleeved sun shirt is a lightcolor to help keep you cool.
Rain gear could be really importantin most places you go.
You're going to want to be preparedfor the rain.
And I like rain gear.
That is specifically madefor equestrian sports.

(16:25):
Generally, they have splits up the sideor in the back.
Generally, they'll have a flap that allowsyour raincoat to cover the saddle
and your upper legs as well as your,you know, shoulders and torso.
That can make a really big differencein your comfort level
when you are, you know, in a heavy rainfor an extended period of time.

(16:51):
And if you are riding in a full lengthslicker, which I do, I carry with me
a full length slicker.
So it comes down around my legs, splitskind of into it covers and it has a
a gazette in the backto cover the back of my saddle.
If you don't have that, by the way,the water just drips
right down your back and into the saddleso your bottom gets soaking wet.

(17:16):
That's really uncomfortable.
So that gusset in the backthat you can pull back
over the back of your saddlereally going to help
the leg flaps in a full lengthslicker are generally
going to have a strapthat comes around your leg somewhere
to keep them from flapping too much.
Make sure your horse is accustomedto whatever rain gear you're going to use

(17:37):
if it's, you know, bright yellowor if it's really big and long and flappy.
Might take him a minuteto get used to it. So.
So practiceall that stuff before you leave home.
Another thingthat's important for trail riding
and other outdoor activities with horsesis to make sure whatever riding boots
you wear actually have a solethat has good traction

(18:03):
and is comfortable and safefor walking in on rough terrain
just in caseyou have to get off and walk your horse
or in case you're goingto be doing a lot of standing.
So I like to wear I have some jobfor waterproof job for boots, zip up
that, you know, have a rubber type sole.
I want to make sure the sole of

(18:23):
my riding boot is not so bulky that it'sgoing to get stuck in the stirrup.
So we want, youknow, want it to have a smaller profile.
But if you are wearing, for instance,a traditional leather soled cowboy boot
and you go out on the trail, thenyou have to walk across, you know, a ski

(18:47):
slope or, you know,walk around an obstacle or something.
It's going to be very trickywalking in those slick soled boots.
So that's an important consideration.
They have to be safe both for riding,which means they have a lower profile
and a one inch half inch to one inch heel,but also something that gives

(19:08):
you good tractionfor walking on rough terrain.
If you're
riding goals include attending a horseshow or a competition of any kind.
It is super important to dressaccording to the rulebook.
These things tend to be highly specifiedin the rules of whatever
discipline you compete, and sometimesthe rules are quite picky in this regard.

(19:34):
Maybe it requires long sleeves,maybe the rulebook says no shops allowed,
maybe it says you must wear shops,
maybe it says
either wear a western hat or a helmet,but you can't come in with a bare head,
Oh, can't wear a baseball cap, etc.
depending on the actual competitionthat you are doing.

(19:56):
The rule book can be very particular.
At a competition.
You could actually be disqualified
for having the wrong attire on yourselfor your horse.
So make sure you go over the rulesand get it right.
If it's a local show,they might not have their own rulebook.
All you need to do is ask the organizerswhat rulebook they default to.

(20:16):
Oftentimes it's the U.S.
Equestrian Federation rulebook.
It covers pretty much all the disciplines.
Or sometimes they use an AQR rule bookalso covers so many of the disciplines.
These are two of the biggest rulebooks out there.
So they're often used as a default rulebook in open shows.

(20:38):
And both of these books containa wealth of information,
not just on the tack and a tire expectedfor each class, but also on the gates.
The order in which you will display thoseGates maneuvers, you might have to do
the classprocedure is how you will be judged,

(20:59):
what kind of bill
you can use.All sorts of useful information
in the rule bookis definitely worth studying.
If you're going to be goinginto any kind of competition.
So now let me talk for a moment
about some safety considerationsas it applies to rider attire.
First and most obvious,

(21:20):
I'm a big believer in wearing an STMapproved equestrian helmet.
It's not hard to do and it affords yousignificant protection from head injury,
which is one of the most common injurieswe sustain around horses.
To me,it's not worth the risk to go without it.
I rely on my brain far too muchand I have had personal experience

(21:46):
with family memberswith traumatic brain injuries,
and it's something I wishto avoid experiencing again at all costs.
You know, if you fasten your seatbeltwhen you get in your car,
why wouldn't you wear a helmetwhile you're riding?
For myself, I prefer Troxel helmetsbecause they just tend to fit my head well

(22:07):
and I like their style.
Also, Troxel is a leader in the industryin terms of safety
research and innovation.
There's some new helmettechnology out there now.
It's called MIPS, and that stands forMulti Impact Protection System.

(22:29):
And the MIPS system helps reducerotational injuries to the brain.
Now you might say, what the heck is that?
Well,
you might have learned about this throughwatching football or other rugged sports,
but your brain can be injuredin more than one way.
So one thing that could cause braininjury is a simple impact

(22:54):
on to the groundor a rock or onto any hard object.
So that would be an actual impactor hit to the head.
But a rotator personal injury refersto simply the jarring
that occurs on your brain.
You could have a rotationala very significant injury

(23:17):
that is rotational in nature,meaning that your head moved
with such violence ineven though it didn't hit anything.
It caused your brainto slash around in the skull.
And this can causesignificant bleeding within the brain
and it can be just as seriousas an impact injury.

(23:42):
So the new technology called MIPS,it helps to reduce rotational injury
of the brain.
So I'm now riding in a trucksall terrain helmet with MIPS
technology because, you know, interms of safety, every little bit counts.
I think, by the way,if you are in the market for a new helmet

(24:06):
and you want to take advantageof some of the new styles
and or take advantageof the new technology,
you can get a 15% discounton a Troxel helmet.
Just go to Troxel helmets dotcom and use the promo code.
Good night.

(24:27):
And not only do you get a 15% discounton the helmet, which is significant,
but you'll also get free shippingon the helmet. So that's a great deal.
These days I'm seeing more and more riderswearing protective vests when they ride.
Now these vests are made specific,typically for horseback riding.
We used to only see riders eitherin cross-country jumping or rodeo riding.

(24:53):
Rough stock wearing the protective vests.
But now all sorts of riderswhere I'm from, trail riders to
casual riders to competitive ridersin in other disciplines,
there are a couple of differentkinds of protected vests.
Some of them offer shell typerigid protection of your torso.

(25:15):
They could be important for preventing,
you know, breaking a ribor getting your abdomen stepped on.
And there are also self inflating airbags.
These have becomereally popular of late as well.
So they're they're built in with a tetherthat hooks to your saddle.

(25:36):
And when you become separated unexpectedlyfrom your horse, they inflate.
And that kind of gives you,you know, airbag protection,
not unlike whatyou might have in your car.
So these are two different typesof protection
that you can get from protective vestsmade specifically for equestrians.

(25:57):
I would encourage you to do some researchto talk to people that use them
to go to some TAC stores and explorethe different brands and types available
to make a decision aboutwhat's the best thing for yourself,
some additional safetyapparel might include wearing chaps.
I know back east people call them chaps,

(26:20):
but actually a little bit of triviafor you here.
The name chapscame from the word chaparral,
which is whatwe have out here in the west.
We ride a lot in,you know, sagebrush, bushy type terrain.
And the chaparral has,

(26:41):
you know, it's famousfor having a lot of stickers and
poking sticks that might pokeinto your legs as you're riding through.
And so the Cowboys, way backwhen they made these leather
leggings, thick leather leggings,to help protect their legs
from riding in the chaparral.And that's why we call them shops.

(27:03):
And they are great for trail ridingand other kind of rugged activities
with horses
just to kind of protect your legsfrom any kind of wear
and tear that you might get from brushes,branches, stickers, even ropes,
that sort of thing.
Wearing long sleeves can be important.

(27:25):
You know, it's not going to bea huge amount of protection,
but it will affords you some protectionfrom biting insects
for brushing up against branches andgetting scrapes and that sort of things.
I would say the same thing about gloves,
you know,
there's nothingworse of get about halfway through the day
and you're starting to weara little blister on your hand.

(27:46):
Maybe your horse has been a little fussyand you've been having to use the reins
more than normal or the reins got wetand you're having to grip a little harder.
So I always wear gloves when I'm riding.
I just like having that extra protectionon. I grew up
wearing gloves when I was riding,so I'm I'm just kind of used to it.
But at the very least, I would carrysome with you in case your hands

(28:10):
get a little little chapped or cold,or you want to prevent
from scrapes and blisters and rubbing offyour knuckles, that kind of thing.
You know,
most of us are going to carry a cell phonewhen we're riding on these days for
for most of us, that's our camera, too.
I would encourage you to make sure

(28:32):
your cell phone is always on your bodyand not in a saddle bag.
There are many, many stories about peoplewhose cell phone was in their saddle bag
and they fall off the horseand the horse takes off
and leaves them behindwith no way to call for help.
So same thing for personal I.D.

(28:54):
You want to make sure that is onyour body as well.
Who to call in the event of emergency,your name, any kind of medical information
that you might need to convey,make sure that is in a pocket or something
attached to your bodyand not on the horse for the same reason.
In caseyou become separated from the horse.

(29:16):
However, you want to keep an ID
tag on your horse as wellin case he becomes separated from you.
A luggage tag worksgreat for this, so just find a luggage tag
and make sure your name, addressand phone number
are there in that tagand then attach it to your horse somewhere
where it's not going to get rubbed offon the saddle or someplace.

(29:39):
That's a little bit protected.
And finally, just talking about safety,apparel and accessories,
I think it's important to always carrya knife
with you on your body, easily accessiblewhen you're working around horses.
And it is important that the knife hasa rope cutting blade, not a smooth blade.

(30:03):
So you want a serrated blade
so that the main purpose forthis is if your horse gets in a bind, or
if somehow you or someone elsegets tangled in a rope,
that you have a means to cut it quicklybefore somebody gets badly hurt.
I always carry a knife.

(30:23):
I also always carry a knifewhen I'm boating.
It's attached to my lifejacketfor the same reason
I've only ever had to deploy the knifeone time in my whole life
in a situation that somebodywas kind of tangled up in a rope.
But I think if you carry ityour whole life and never need it,
it's better than to have needed it onceand not had it.

(30:45):
So think about that.
Make sure you have it someplace.
You can get to it easilyand make sure you know how to
open that knife blade quickly.
If it's a folding bladed knife,make sure it has a protected sheath.
If it is a fixed blade knife.
Now let's talk about appropriate attireand accessories for your horse.

(31:08):
I can't really go intotoo much detail here because
this varies greatly with the disciplineyou're riding,
the type of activity you're doing,or the competition you may be attending.
Remember, read the rule bookand ask more experienced participants
and go and observe before you actuallyparticipate in that activity.

(31:34):
It may be a good idea to go and observeand look at the details, Look at,
you know, the people that seem
to be the most knowledgeableand the most experienced
and figure out what they're doingwith their horses
when it comes to your tack and equipment,make sure you know what it is
that you're using, how to use it properlyand how to adjust it properly.

(31:59):
I wish I could say thateveryone did that all the time, but I know
from my lifetime of experience teachingclinics, even doing the TV show, that
there are a lot of people riding horseswith inappropriate equipment.
One time I was at a clinic, I was actuallythere riding in the clinic as a student.

(32:21):
It was a cutting clinic
and there was a guy, it was beforethe clinic started and there was a guy
there and he was clearly at the beginnerlevel for this sport.
And he came up to meand he said, Oh, I are usually good now.
And I said, Yeah.And he said, Oh, I, you know, whatever.
I enjoy your reading your stuffor something.

(32:43):
So he knew who I was.
And so as I was talking to him,I looked down at his horse's legs
and he was all tacked upand mounted on his horse.
We were warming up for the clinicwas just about to start at any moment.
And I looked down and I noticed thathe actually had shipping boots

(33:03):
on his horse's legs instead of protectiveboots, like sports medicine boots.
And I thought to myself, you know, hedidn't come here to take a clinic from me.
But, you know,I don't want the guy to be embarrassed.
So I'm going to I'm goingto give him a little advice.
And I said, hey,
you know, those boots you have onare not actually made for riding.

(33:25):
They're made for being in a horse trailer.
And, you know,you might want to think about either
taking them offor putting more appropriate boots on.
And anyway, he looked at
me like I was from the moonand went on and entered the clinic anyway.
And then he got the same advice from theclinician in front of the entire group. So

(33:47):
there's a little bit of advicefor you to kind of lean on
more experienced people to help youmake sure you're using the right apparel.
I have seen riders come into clinicswith the bits
attached upside down to the head stall,and I've seen it many times.
You know, sometimes the bits themselvesare a little confusing.

(34:09):
Miler bits can be very confusingwith all the moving parts,
but Gosh,think about how hard that is on the horse.
And in some instances the people have beenriding that way for quite some time.
So again, make sure you're your equipmentappropriately.
It's very common
for people to come into a clinicusing a curb bit, but with no curb strap.

(34:33):
So that doesn't really work.
The bit does not function properlyand is going to be
very uncomfortable on the horseand you're not going to have much control.
So there's another little area that iscommon for people to make mistakes.
And then also is it's not hard,particularly in terms of competition,

(34:53):
to use equipmentthat's actually illegal by the rulebook
and will lead to your disqualification.
So often there are commoneveryday pieces of equipment
that we use giving no thought to it,but the rule book may prohibit.
So make sure you're on the right sideof the rule book there.

(35:14):
Let's talk specifically for a moment aboutproper attire for horses on a trail ride
most of us are going to useon a long extended ride anyway.
We're going to carrysome sort of saddle bag or palm oil bag.
It's a great idea.
You can carry your essentials there,but just a few caveats.
First of all, make sure it's a good fiton your saddle and for your horse.

(35:38):
In other words,it's not hanging too far forward
or too far back or off to the side.
Make sure it's not excessively bouncing.
It should be tied downin different directions
so that when you're trottingand cantering,
it's not bouncingexcessively on the horse.
Make sure in the case of a saddle bagor pommel bag

(36:01):
that stretches both sides of the horse,that it is very evenly weighted.
You don't want it pulling on one side,shifting to one side,
and then finally,make sure you don't overload it.
Your horse is already packing arounda lot of weight
between you and the saddle and the pad
and your rain gearand your water bottle, too.

(36:22):
Don't take stuff you don't needand don't overload the horse
just because you have big saddlebagsthat can be really hard on your horse.
Let's talk for a minuteabout the type of reins
that you use in trail riding,
and this could applyto many other activities as well.
Often people wonder,should I use split reins?

(36:42):
Should I use loop brains?
Either of these things can be useful.
The the big warning about split reinsis they're easy to drop.
If you don't tie the ends together,you could easily drop a rein.
That's not really the disaster
you might think it isif you know how to retrieve a drop drain.

(37:03):
So if I drop my left rain,
all I'm going to do is ask the horseto turn his nose
all the way to the rightwith the right rain.
And then I can reach underand pick up the left rein.
But depending on the rider and theirability level and how reliable the horses
are, dropping a rain at the wrong momentcould be a dangerous thing.

(37:24):
I like riding particularly trailriding in a closed loop rain,
my roperains are really well designed for this.
It's a continuous loopthat goes from one side of the bed
all the way around to through your handsand to the other side of the bed.
That wayI can lay them down on the horse's neck.
I can loop them over the hornwhen I hop off.

(37:47):
But make sure whatever rangethat you're using for trail riding,
you want to make surethat you have plenty of length in them.
I need my horse to be able to carryhis head low in a relaxed frame.
I need him to be able to reach
down to the ground level in order to drinkor look at a tricky obstacle

(38:10):
and many of us are in the habitof riding with a short
length of rainwhen we're riding in the arena.
And while that might work in the arena,
it's probablynot going to work out on the trail.
So you may find that you need a separateset of reins for trail riding.
To me, the perfect length of a closed looptrain is about 9 to 10 feet.

(38:35):
Nine feet is going to work onalmost all horses.
If you have a horse with excessivelylong neck, you might want a ten foot rein.
Those are the two lengthsthat my rope reins come in.
And also my rope reins attachwith a really clever corded

(38:55):
a quick release, and a lot of trail riderslike to have a rein
that they can snap off and on easily.
Kind of uses a lead ropewhen they need to.
I prefer to stay away from any kind of
metal buckle on the bitbecause of the vibration
and the jingling feelingthat the horse is going
to get in his mouthfrom metal on Metal Connection.

(39:18):
So you want to think about making surewhatever kind of range that you use
have either a rope or cordor leather connection to the bit
that's going to give you a lotsofter feel.
But it is awfully handy to have a rainhas a quick release mechanism.
So check out my reins online at Shop dot.

(39:39):
Julie good night e-com.
Also when you're riding out on the trailand you're going to be out
for a long time, half a day or a whole dayor maybe multiple days,
it's really importantto make sure you have a halter
and a lead rope with you at all times.
Some people like to take the halteroff the horse and tie the halter and lead

(40:01):
rope onto the saddle.
I prefer to leave the halteron underneath the head stall
so that I can quickly hop off the horseand tie him up if I need to.
There's no right or wrong answer here, andyou can do it whichever way you prefer.
Just make sure you bring a halterand lead rope

(40:22):
if you are going to ride with the halterunder the head stall,
I would prefer to use a flat nylon halterrope.
Halter could cause some rubbing on yourhorse's face if it's under the head stall.
So put your halter on first.
Make sure it is adjustedhigh up on the horse's nose

(40:43):
so it's not going to be anywherenear the bit.
And then just put your head stallright over the halter.
You may need to slightlyadjust your head stall
to accommodate the bulk of the halter.
I prefer to leave my lead ropeattached to the halter,
and then I either take a coiland tie it on to the front of my saddle

(41:05):
with the saddle strings,
or I'll tie it around the horse's neckwith a Calvary knot.
But I want to be able to hop off my horse,
undo that lead rope and lead and tie himquickly in the event of emergency.
And then it's just convenient whenever youstop for lunch or you stop for a break,

(41:26):
you don't necessarily have to bridlethe horse in order to tie them up.
We never tie them up with the reinsbecause first of all, if they break,
you're in a world of hurtout on a trail ride.
And also if he pulls back on thatwhen he's tied with the bed,
it could really damage and hurt his mouth.
And and we knowwe don't want to take any chance of that.

(41:49):
You might want to considerif you're trail riding a brass collar,
make sure it is appropriately adjustedso that it's not hanging down
over the horse's shoulder.
Also, some people like to use a crowbar,and that is a strap
that attaches to the back of your saddleand goes underneath the tail of the horse.

(42:11):
And that would be to keep your saddlefrom moving forward
up and over the horse's withers,particularly when you're going downhill.
Breast collar is going to helpkeep the saddle from sliding back
in lieu of a crapper.
You could also use what's called bridging
and a bridge chin hangerskind of down over the ramp of the horse

(42:34):
and down just above the gasketmuscles, so below the buttocks.
And again, that will helpprevent your saddle from sliding forward.
If you have a great saddlefit on your horse,
you might not need all this stuff.If your saddle tends to move around.
Some of this stuff is going to help a lot.
Just make sure it is appropriatelyadjusted.

(42:55):
Protective leg boots may not bea good idea when you're trail riding.
I generally leave them off,although I use them in the arena.
One reason I don't use them onthe trail is because in general
you're not going to be doingthe kind of advanced maneuvers
that cause the horseto hit his legs with his feet.

(43:16):
You know, generally on the trail, you'rejust going to be going along at a walk,
maybe a little bit of trot and canter up.
So your horse may not needprotective boots,
but also so when boots come off on thetrail, it can really present a problem.
You got to stop the ride.You got to go back and find
also when you go through water,they're going to get wet and muddy.

(43:40):
They're going to get gravel down inside.
They can often get burrs attached to them,
so they're not really made for trailriding as much as they are for protecting
the horse's legs in the arena.
So you might want to think twiceabout that if.
Your horse has a specific problemthat causes you to use protective boots.

(44:01):
That's different, but in general purposes,
we tend to stay away from thaton on the trail.
Whether or notyour horse is equipped with horseshoes
or he goes barefoot and utilizeshoof boots if needed.
These are thingsthat are going to depend a lot
on your horse, the type of terrainyou ride in and the length of the ride.

(44:23):
It's certainly possible
to condition your horse to go barefoot,but it takes a long time.
So you'll need to talk to your farrierabout this
well in advance,possibly as much as a year in advance.
If you're thinking about taking your horse
to a barefoot program, it is awesomefor the health of your horse's hooves.

(44:44):
But you want to make surethat he can endure the type of riding
that you're going to be doing herein the Rocky Mountains where we ride.
It is so very rockythat it is challenging to use a horse
that's not shod,although plenty of people do.
And there's some great equinehoof boots on the market.

(45:08):
Just make sure you get bootsthat are perfectly fitted
to the size of your horses feet.
Remember that as front feet are going tobe shaped differently than as hind feet.
So you have to get bootsthat fit the front feet and boots
that fit the hind feetand make sure they stay on.
Because for the same reason that wearing

(45:28):
protective leg bootsmight not be a good idea on the trail
if your host boots are coming off,it could really cause a problem,
particularlyif you're riding in a large group.
So you want to make sure you havethe absolute perfectly fitted boot
and that you are well experiencedin how they come on, how they come off
and make sure your horse is comfortablewearing them long

(45:51):
before the trail ride that you go on.
By the way, sometimespeople come to clinics and they think that
because they're riding in a nice, groomedSandy arena
that their horses feetare not going to get sore.
But that's not true.
If you are riding your horseall day long in an arena

(46:12):
and he's only used to being ridden20, 30 minutes or an hour at a time,
that horse could easily get foot
sore by the end of the clinicor by the end of the day.
And then you're experiencecan really go downhill because of that.
So if you are workingin a barefoot situation,
make sure at the very leastyou have both boots available as a backup

(46:35):
and that you take the timewell ahead of the clinic to condition
your horse's feetto longer times in the saddle.
All right.
Finally, I'd like to talk to youabout some comfort items
for the rider and for the horse.
No matter what activity you're doing.
I think to me, being comfortableall day long is really important.

(46:59):
I have a comfort packthat I never leave home without, and in it
it's just a little small.
I use a a clear, you know, little satchelthat I can see everything that's in it.
And inside that I have chapstick.
Make sure it's chapstickwith sunscreen in it

(47:20):
because your lips are goingto get blistered.
I have a little package of tissues.
I keep an assortment of Band-Aidsfrom small ones
to the very, very largest oneslike I could put on my knees.
And I keep a small tubeof antibiotic ointment in there
if I'm going to use a Band-Aidbecause I got a blister or cut

(47:42):
or scrape or saddle sore,
I'm probably going to want to puta little ointment on that sore spot.
I also carry cortisone creamthat you can buy in any drugstore, and
that to me is one of the must have thingsfor comfort for a number of reasons.
One is if you get insect bites, it'sgreat for reducing, itching and swelling.

(48:06):
If you developany kind of discomfort in your bottom,
which is not hard to doif you're in the saddle all day long,
cortisonecream can be a game changer for that.
I also carrya small little bottle of insect repellent.
You know, some people might even considerthat a safety consideration, particularly

(48:28):
if you're riding in areas where there area lot of ticks and tickborne.
But whether it's gnats or mosquitoesor ticks or whatever, you know,
you don't want to be swatting out ofand covered in and bites.
I even will rub the repellent over topof my clothing to help reduce the insects.
I've got a little thing of sunscreen,particularly for my face,

(48:52):
and then I throw some hairties in there as well.
It seems like I'm always losing those.
So, you know, whatever that thing isthat you're going be going to all day
long, like your Chapstick,put it in your comfort bag
and keep that with you all the time.
I think a water bottle is a necessityin almost any riding activity.

(49:14):
You're going to get thirstyand it's important to stay hydrated.
But please, please,please use a refillable bottle
and avoid the one useplastic water bottles.
I think they're just a disasterfor our environment.
I think it's such a huge waste.
Just give that a little thought,if you would.

(49:35):
Some other things to think aboutin terms of comfort for humans.
Already mentioned insectrepellent and sunscreen and chapstick.
Again, make sure the Chapstickhas sunscreen in it.
That's not always easy to find,but it is is really for your comfort.
I like to carry a little thing, a lotion
just because my hands get dried outand feel like they're going to crack.

(49:59):
I carry a small firstaid kit with me somewhere in the trunk
or in my saddlebags,depending on what I'm doing.
A bandana is a super handy itemto have whether to pull your hair
back with it or, you know,wrap a wound or tie a knot, whatever.
It can really come in handy as well.

(50:19):
Or a silk scarf could be super usefulwhen you're doing any kind of outdoor
activity with horses.
I prefer the silk scarf, the silk scarves.
Just feel betteragainst your skin, against your neck.
And they are interestingly comfortableboth when it's too hot and too cold.

(50:40):
So that can be a handy itemto keep your neck out of the sun
or keep your neck warm.
Or maybe you're even goingto soak it in the creek
and put it around your neckas a cooling device.
It's just a handy item to have.They're also quite stylish.
In fact,we sell them in our store at shop dot.
Julie Goodnight dot com.
You might want to thinkabout some kind of sun hat

(51:03):
when you're not wearing your helmetor get one of the sun brims
that actually fit around your helmetto keep your face and neck out of the sun.
That can really help in termsof your comfort level for your horses.
Comfort fly spray is an absolutemust in most parts of the country.

(51:23):
In the summer I prefer the ultra shieldfamily products for fly spray
because they come in various strengthsfrom the super heavy duty
when the bugs are really, really badto kind of a medium strength
that I'll use when the bugs are just,you know, minor bad.

(51:43):
And then also I have a couple of horsesthat have super sensitive skin
and they can be reactive to strong flyspray.
So ultra shield comes in a quoteunquote green formula.
In fact, it's a green bottle,literally green.
And it's an all natural productthat those sensitive skin horses

(52:07):
can tolerate quite well.
And also for your horse, you want tomake sure you carry a horse first aid kit.
At the very least,you should have it in your trailer.
You may want to have a compact kitthat you carry with you out on the trail.
I always carry bad women with me.
That's going to be the go

(52:27):
to drug in the event of a colic,which can happen anywhere, any time.
And you could argue that,
you know, being away from home
and being out on the trail are timeswhen it's more likely to happen.
I take one dose in a syringewith the needle ready to go,
but I am trained to give it properly.Intravenously.

(52:51):
If you cannot give an IV shot,
you might want to talk to your vetabout getting ban.
I mean, paste takes a little longerto work but is easier to administer.
So those are controlled substances.
So you will have to get thosefrom a licensed veterinarian.
But if you have a good relationshipwith your vet,
he or she should be happy to make sureyour horse is safe when you're traveling.

(53:15):
I also carry some bandaging supplies,just some,
you know, some gauze, some vet wrap.
I take silver honeywound ointment with me.
It's a relatively new productthat's just sort of
taken the market by stormbecause of its effectiveness.
You should check it out.
Also, I would take a small containerof silver honey shampoo.

(53:40):
This is a brand new product on the marketand is derivative of the silver
honey wound ointment.
And the shampoo can be diluted downand you can use it as a wound wash,
and you could even use iton yourself as well.
So that's a handy thingto have another handy item for your horse.

(54:01):
First aid kit would be a couple of verysmall infant sized disposable diapers.
And what in the world are use that for?
You might say, well, if your horsedevelops a saddle sore from the birth,
those disposable diapers can wrapright around your girth.
You can put some silverhoney ointment on the sore itself,

(54:26):
wrap the diaper around your girthwith the slick side towards the wound,
and it will help prevent additionalchafing from the girth.
Also, a saddle that has multiple riggingadjustment is useful in this regard too,
because you can adjust the
rigging on your saddle to bring the cinchfurther back away from that saddle sore.

(54:50):
And I like to carry a small bottleof what's called blue lotion.
And it is this really dark purplish liquidthat is a drying agent
and it's almost has kindof a cauterizing effect on a wound.
You're not going to use iton a deep laceration,
but for an abrasion or chafe skinor maybe your horse is beginning

(55:16):
to develop a saddle sore.
The blue lotion can be usefulfor just kind of sealing off that skin
and toughening it up a little bitto prevent further abrasion or chafing.
I'm sure there are many,many other items apparel or accessories

(55:36):
that could be useful for youdepending on the activities you pursue.
These are just the things that I couldthink of off the top of my head.
But if you think of some additional itemsI've left out, please share them with me
and with others on the horse Goalsor Bust Facebook page.
We'd love to hear about them and sharing

(55:57):
it makes it available to all of usand we can all learn something from that.
So if you found some clever trickor some kind of useful product or item
that you think is a
must have either for safety or comfortor just effectiveness, please let us know.
And if you're just getting started on
formulating your goalsfor this riding season,

(56:18):
be sure to go to JulieGoodnight dot com slash horse goals to.
Get all the information you need from myblog posts and previous podcast episodes.
Also, be sure to download the worksheets
I've put together for you that helpyou set up you and your horse for success.
And remember it's all free.

(56:40):
So go ahead and jump on boardfor horse goals or bust.
Make the most out of this year,
accomplish your goalsand live your best horse life.
And now it's time for my favorite segment.
What the Hey Q&A.

(57:03):
Each month we pick a few unique questionsfrom our listeners
and answer them on the air.
If you'd like to submit a written questionfor what they say.
Message me on Facebook at JulieGoodnight or email podcast at Julie.
Goodnight dot com.
Some of these questions are editedslightly for clarity or length.

(57:25):
The first question is from Sherry.
I know several people who routinely putearplugs in their horses ears
for horse shows, trail riding, or even toblock out extra noise in their own arena.
What are your feelings about this?
Well, Sherry,
for many activities like mounted shootingearplugs are an absolute essential.

(57:46):
Remember, your horse has a much more acutehearing than you do.
Your horse hears much higher decibelsand much lower decibels.
And they rely on their hearingfor their survival instinct.
So when you're doing things with excessivenoise, it's not a bad idea

(58:07):
to protect your horses ears.
In the case of mounted shooting,of course,
you're shooting a loud gun rightnext to his ears.
So it's critical there.
Some horses can be hypersensitive to soundand you'll know that about your horse.
If that's the case, when
he is reactive to sounds that other horsesare not reactive to.

(58:29):
By the way, horses can flatten their earson their head in order to block out sound
that might be hurting their ears.
So oftentimes, if you go to a horse showthat is taking place inside an indoor
arena or a coliseum,
when the horses line upat the end of the class and people
start applauding, you'll notice thatmost of the horses pin their ears back.

(58:52):
And that's because they're justprotecting their ears from the sound.
And so a lot of peoplethat show their horses indoors will often
use earplugs if they notice the horses,particularly sensitive to that sound.
So it's not a bad idea.
I would not routinely useearplugs on the horse.

(59:13):
They're not that comfortable.
And if your horse does not need them,there's no reason to use it.
If you're not in an excessively noisyenvironment and your horse is not
hyperactive to sound, it'sprobably not necessary.
Remember, horses do rely on sound in part

(59:35):
as well as all their other sensesto make sure they are safe.
And if you take away the horse'sability to hear,
it could make them actually more nervous.
It's why on excessively windy days,you'll notice
your horses is much more nervous and edgythan he might be otherwise.

(59:56):
And in part that is because
his sense of hearing is diminishedbecause of the sound of the wind.
It's also, by the way,because there is so much movement
in the environmentwhen it's windy, the trees are blowing,
the branches are blowing,things are skittering across the ground.
And your horses vision is designedto pick up a sudden movement as well.

(01:00:22):
So that makes them edgy too.
If you are using earplugs for horses,
make sure they are specifically madefor horses.
Don't try to fashion a modest mouse
and make sure you have an easy wayto get them out and give your horse time
to get used to both putting them inand taking them out.

(01:00:44):
You know, it's really hardif you can't get out
and you end up shoving them down thereeven further
and can really create a problemfor you and your horse.
And our final questionis from Conflicted in Colorado.
I just love thatinstead of a name and conflicted says,
I have a seven year old Mustang marethat I brought home three weeks ago.

(01:01:09):
She's had plenty of ground work in saddle
training with a focus on reiningand has spent lots of time in the arena
as well as on the trails.
I plan to spend most of my time
with her out on public multi-use trailsand at endurance rides.
She seemed confident the times I visitedand rode her before a purchase.

(01:01:31):
She was nervous coming home with me, butI figured she needed some time to settle.
She is kind and very people oriented,
but she is also very nervous any timeshe is introduced to something new.
She often trembles
with my farrier in the trailer,walking around new things on a lead line.

(01:01:52):
She is more confident on her saddlethan on the lead line.
And here is the kicker. She rips and runs.
I did not even know this was a thing
until I listened to your podcastabout horses that rip and run.
Holy cow.
She does exactly as you explain it
when something makes her nervousor uncomfortable.

(01:02:12):
And if I don't keep her head and nose
turned to me, or at least close to me,she turns away and takes off.
It happened several times before I figuredout it was a thing she had perfected.
She's easy to catch afterwards,and she doesn't go far.
When I asked the previous owner about it,
I was told she learned to pull back
and run away from a trainershe was with at one point

(01:02:35):
and that she came back from the trainermore nervous,
but they thought she had worked through itmonths ago.
I've been toldshe has never bolted under saddle.
Although I've only put a few shortrides on her.
So I think I have two problems.
The first is
I have a nervous horse who seems to lack
all confidenceon the ground in new situations.

(01:02:57):
The second is I have a horsewho has learned to rip and run
very effectively when she gets scared.
My questions are one In what orderand how should I address these issues?
And do I need to give her some time offto decompress first too?
I ultimately need a horse that will besafe with beginners on the ground.

(01:03:18):
I am comfortable managing a horsethat has learned to rip and run.
But will I ever be able to trust her
with othersonce she stops attempting it with me?
As you say, horses don't unlearn things.
This is a huge safety issue for me.
Eventually, she will have peopleof all ages and levels handling her.
If the answer is no,

(01:03:39):
I think it would be bestto find her a new home
beforeI invest too much time and get attached.
Okay.
Conflicted in Colorado.
You have a lot packed into that onequestion, which is actually two questions.
And although you did not meet the barfor being concise in your question,

(01:04:00):
it's a really interesting one.So that's a big reason why we chose it.
First of all, three weeks of having hadthis horse is nothing,
particularly for a previously feral horse,which you didn't
really actually say she was feral.
But generallywhen people are talking about mustangs,

(01:04:21):
they are talking about horsesthat were once feral and were rounded up
and then put throughsome kind of training program.
These horses that previously lived in wildconditions have much stronger instincts
than domestic horses.
Also, often the round upprocess has been traumatic for them

(01:04:42):
and it has taught them to be extremelyafraid of unknown situations.
Because think about it,you know, one day they're out on the range
and everything'shappy and everything's fine.
Next thing they know,they're being rounded
up, often in in traumatic ways,and their whole life is changed.

(01:05:02):
They're separated from the horses.They know.
They go through some really scary stuff.
And all of thatstarted with one new thing,
whether it was a strange horsewith a rider on top of it approaching
or a helicopter approaching or whatever,something triggered that chain of events

(01:05:22):
and it was somethingthey had never encountered before.
And so this kind of behavior that you'redescribing is not at all unusual
in feral horses that have been rounded.
Also,
horses are very specific locationand what they learn and know.
So you have brought this horseto an entirely new location where she is

(01:05:45):
being handled by peoplewho are strangers to her.
This is too much new for this horse.
Now, when she's older and she's had much,much more life experience,
she might handle new situations better.
But for now, she needs time to adjust.
No, I don't think you needto give her time off.

(01:06:06):
In fact, I don't think that would be goodfor her at all.
I just think you need to be understanding
that it's going to take time for herto gain confidence with new people
and in a new location.
So don't put too highexpectations on her yet.
I think it's important to continueto work with her in a systematic
and methodical way to teach herwhat you expect, what your rules are,

(01:06:31):
how you will treat her always fairly,that you will always be clear,
that you will never put her in danger.
You're going to give her lotsand lots of praise so that she learns
that you are a safe person to be aroundand that you will always keep her safety
first and foremost in mind.So give her a little time. There

(01:06:53):
in terms of the fear,the high level of fear and the trembling.
This is also not at all uncommonin feral horses that have been rounded up.
Again, their instincts are so much keener
on a horse that's beenin a domestic situation all its life.
So I would encourage you to teach hersome calmed down cues.

(01:07:13):
Teacher to draw up her noseall the way to the ground,
pat her and soothe her and talk,
whisper sweet nothings in her ear,praise her when she's got her head down.
This will, it's it's just it'sphysically impossible
for a horse to be tense and scaredwhen their head is down low.
So you will teach hera means of calming herself down.

(01:07:36):
You'll find that when we teach horsesto fearful and nervous horses
to drop their head on commandall the way to the ground
in very short order,they will start doing it themselves.
Any time they feel nervous.
Because it helps them calm down andthey get a little release of endorphins
when their head is down,their sort of brings

(01:07:58):
a chemical sense of well-being to themas well as a physiological one.
I think you can build confidence in thismare, very small steps from the ground.
But the only reason why she's betteron her saddle than on the ground
is because she's had more trainingunder saddle.
Sounds like somebody has done quite a lotof under saddle training with her

(01:08:19):
and probably much in handtraining or groundwork with her.
So I think going back and filling inthat hole will take you a long way.
As I said earlier, or the place
to build a relationship with a horseis from the ground
and you want to make sureall the things that you do with this horse
are making her look to you as the leaderand making her feel safe with you

(01:08:45):
and in such a waythat makes her want to be with you again.
Taking small steps, giving her lotsand lots of praise when she deserves it,
and most importantly being very consistentin the ways that you handle
the routines that you do with her.

(01:09:06):
Do things in the same orderevery day, in the same place every day.
Give her consistent cues.
Do do your groundwork exercisesin a very consistent
methodical way,in the same order every day.
And that sense of order really helpsa horse like this find find some calmness.

(01:09:33):
Now, let's talk a bit about the ripand run.
Sounds like you've already donea little research on that.
I have talked about it in my podcasts.
I've written a lot about it on my website.
We've got some videos on the YouTubechannel about it.
It is a very difficult situation.

(01:09:55):
What happens inthis situation is generally
it happens accidentally at first,
but once a horse learnsthat they can turn away and rip the rope
out of your hands in order to get away.
In other words,
they learn that they can overpower youif they get in a certain position.
That is not something you can unlearned.

(01:10:17):
The horse will forever it.
It does sound to melike your horse is not just employing
those tacticswhen they just don't want to do something.
But instead she's employing that tacticwhen she's afraid.
So as you build confidence,I think you'll see that behavior diminish.

(01:10:38):
However, any time you get the horsein a situation in a new place,
a new handler or a fearful situation,she is going to be prone to do that.
She knows how to do it.
Mustangs, when they have this strongdesire to leave, as many of them do,

(01:11:00):
they ultimately would like to leaveand go back to where they once were.
And it can become debilitating.
I don't think it is.
And in the case of your horse,
but sometimes it becomesall the horse can think about is leaving.
And if you combine thatwith perfecting the skill

(01:11:21):
of ripping and running,it's a very difficult thing.
Yes, you can.
Sounds Like you have plenty of competencyin order to manage that yourself.
I'm a little bitconcerned about your question.
Will this horse ever be safe withbeginners and will this behavior go away?

(01:11:44):
I think through training and consistenthandling as the horse matures,
as the horse has more life experience,that this will diminish over time.
But I cannot confidently tell you it'sgoing to go away permanently.
From what I see now,this is probably not a horse
that's going to be appropriatefor beginners.

(01:12:07):
Sounds like. She's a great horse for you.
I don't understand
fully why she does have to be safearound beginners and strangers.
But and mares in
particular can be very challengedwhen it comes to dealing with strangers.
Mares are much more relationship
oriented geldings,and they tend to be distrustful.

(01:12:32):
They want to earn a relationship
with someone, developa relationship with somebody.
And those are, you know, thingsthat happen over time, not immediately.
I can't really honestly say one wayor another.
It's quite possiblehorse could become safe for beginners.
But right now, clearly she's not.
And she sounds like with tremblingand those kind of excessive fear behaviors

(01:12:58):
that she has a temperament
that might not ever be conducive to beingaround beginners or total strangers.
So, look,
she sounds like a really awesome horsethat's
just been in a couple of bad situations.
You are very new to this horse.She's very new to you.

(01:13:18):
I don't think you've given enough time.
I would encourage you to give itat least six months.
Give her time to settle in.
Give it time to develop a relationshipwith her, teach her better ground manners,
doing relationshipbuilding groundwork with the horse
and then revisit this questionin about six months.

(01:13:41):
If it's imperative for youthat every horse you have
has to be totally beginnersafe and stranger safe.
She might not work outto be the right horse
for you,
but in that process you will have made hera much better horse, someone else.
There are a lot of horses out there,a mustang or not,

(01:14:01):
that are one people, horses.
In other words, they.
They just do betterwhen they're only handled by one person.
And if that's who she is, that's whoshe is. There's nothing wrong with her.
That'sjust the type of temperament that she has.
So I wouldn't be too quickto give up on this horse.
I'd give it a little more time and revisitthe question about six months from now

(01:14:24):
as far as order to address your training.
First and foremost, buildingconfidence in this horse and teaching her
some calm down cues.
Secondly, I would her ground mannersthrough doing specific groundwork
exercises.
If you're unclearabout what that looks like,
again, I highly recommend my lead lineleadership video gives you very detailed

(01:14:49):
progressive training exercisesfor ground manners and relationship.
Already talked aboutthe fact that having structure and rules
and consistency
is going to be super importantto building confidence in this horse
and making her feel safe.
So again,I can't tell you one way or the other

(01:15:12):
if she's ever going to be safefor beginners.
So far, it doesn't look like that.
I would saydefinitely not for the foreseeable future.
In other words, if she does become safefor beginners and strangers handle,
it's probably going to be a few years.
So the rip and run tactics,she will always know.

(01:15:33):
She will always be capable that.
That tends to be specific to the personhandling her.
In other words, you know how to manage it.
So she'll eventually quit trying with youbecause she won't ever have success.
But she'll also know thatwith other people she could have success.

(01:15:54):
So that's not generally somethingwe can completely eliminate
from the horse's repertoire becauseshe's already learned how to do it.
So it's just somethingwe have to learn to. Manage. You know,
I don't I don't want to leave youwith the feeling that this is a bad horse
or that you should give up on herbecause she sounds like

(01:16:14):
she has a lot of really great traitsand that she has a lot of good training.
These are just some issuesthat you're going to have to work through.
And again, I think you're going to needto give a lot more time
than three weeks before you really start
understanding the answersto these questions.
So give us a follow upshout out in a few months.

(01:16:35):
We'd like to hear from Conflicted inColorado once again, and we'd love to hear
the outcome of this horse.
Well, that's all we have time for today.
Thank youfor listening to my podcast post.
I hope you're busy working towardsyour horsemanship goals for this year

(01:16:59):
and that you are inspired to accomplishsomething that's important to you.
And if you feel like sharingwhat those goals are
and how you're going on your horse goalsor bust plan,
I'd love to read your comments.
Next month we'll be talking aboutTraveling with horses,
logistics, what to do to make sure you andyour horse are prepared for travel.

(01:17:21):
I love sharing my horse careand training experience with you
and I appreciate all your feedback,your suggestions and your questions.
I'd love to hear what topics interestyou the most.
So if you have questions for what the heck
or podcast topicsyou'd like me to address,
please message me on Facebook at JulieGoodnight or email podcast at Julie.

(01:17:45):
Goodnight dot com.
Ride on with Julie.
Goodnight is availablewherever you listen to podcasts,
but remember to hit subscribe.
You won't miss a single episode and inviteyour equestrian friends to 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 the podcast.

(01:18:08):
Don't forget to check out my onlinememberships to my academy.
You'll find the solutions you needwhen you need them,
or you can get online coaching from mewith my interactive Academy membership.
I'll help you assesswhere you and your horse are now
so you can move forward with a structured
12 month training plan and personalizedcoaching from me every step of the way.

(01:18:34):
Just go to Julie.
Goodnight.
Dot com slash join and start your rideno matter where you are
in your horsemanship journey, whetheryou're new to horses or 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 easier.

(01:18:56):
Thanks again for your insightful commentsand for the five star ratings
so that more horse loverslike you and me can find this podcast.
I'm Julie. Goodnight.
Thank you for listeningand please stay safe and enjoy.
Ride.