The Blizzard

Greetings!

I’ve been scrambling (as usual) this past week. With a quick trip to the east coast and my brother and niece visiting for spring break skiing, it was hard to juggle work, play, entertaining and travel. However, I did manage to ski on the best powder day of the year at Monarch Mountain. With all of us decked out in our new powder skis (similar to strapping a snowboard on each foot), we ate up the mountain with big grins on our faces, whooping and hollering like frat boys. Even my 14 y/o niece was chasing us down black runs, in and out of the trees, in the hip-deep powder. Sometimes all you could see was her pink helmet!

Unfortunately, the blizzard hit right before my weekly commute to the Denver airport and to listen to the news—it sounded like the airport was going to be buried (of course the news always exaggerates). Fearing the worst, and with the highway that I normally travel already closed, I cut my day of skiing short and hit the road the day before my flight. My regular 3 hour drive was only 5, which isn’t bad considering it was a blizzard and I had to drive around the long way because of the road closures.

I rarely fly on the same day as I speak somewhere—it’s a little too nerve wracking for me and plus, it pretty much takes me 8-10 hours to get anywhere. But since I didn’t have to speak until 5:30p on Friday, and I was only going to west Arkansas, I thought I could make it work. Little did I know there would be a blizzard—the first time this year weather has impeded my travel. The drive to the airport was a little harry through Denver, with about 10” new snow, but I had plenty of time since I had stayed with my friend in Denver. Driving on five lanes of interstate with traffic but no visible lines is interesting. Fortunately everyone stayed in line and drove sanely. But the airport was dragging a little and although we boarded the flight almost on time, we sat on the tarmac for an hour before takeoff.

Although I was a couple hours later than planned, I made it in time! The U of AR Horse Fest, an annual event in Fayetteville, has a training clinic on Friday night, then a fun family day on Saturday. Unfortunately, that dang blizzard chased me all the way to AR and it rained and snowed all Friday and Saturday. Although the turnout was a little low and all the many outdoor events had to be cancelled, the folks that were there were enthusiastic and had a great time.

I have a quick turn around this week, with only two day at home before I head out to Ohio for Equine Affaire. Then from there, to SC to film the TV show. It’s a packing nightmare!

Enjoy the ride!

Julie

Toddlers in the Saddle

Good Day!

I’m on my way home from an overnight trip to Baltimore, where I was the guest speaker, thanks to Nutramax Labs,  at a customer appreciation dinner and lecture for a chain of feed/tack/garden stores called The Mill. We had a sold-out crowd of about 450 in attendance and I gave about a 90 minute talk on horse behavior, called “Inside the Horse’s Mind.” They were smart to take the other speaker off the agenda—I guess they heard I have a tendency to talk too much. As much as I try to cut my talks down to an hour, when it comes to my favorite subject, horse behavior, I have a hard time stopping.

I’ve mentioned before that I have a long, but beautiful drive to the airport—175 miles through mountains and valleys. In addition to the wonderful mountain vistas, I always see deer, elk, antelope, hawks and owls, coyotes and foxes, cattle and horses. This time I saw an idyllic but disturbing scene that gave me a flashback to the days when my son, Hunter, (now almost 22) was just a toddler.

About halfway on my drive, there is a roping arena and barn, which are situated right next to the highway, below the road so you have a good view of the arena. I’ve never seen anyone riding in the arena or even any tracks that indicate someone rode in it earlier. But this day, I was surprised to see a youngster riding on a shaggy old pony, with mom mounted on her trusted steed riding right behind—both mom and trusted steed keeping an eagle eye on the pony and its precious passenger. It took me back about 18 years.

When my son Hunter was born, I, like every other horse crazy parent in the world, SO wanted him to be a rider. However, I learned in subsequent years, as many parents before me and since have learned—all the wanting in the world won’t make it happen. Your kid is either into horses or not. Pushing and prodding and pressure will not make it happen and will likely make it worse; causing the child to resent horses or worse, be afraid of them. Do you know what I mean?

Hunter is a true animal lover and I know he gets that from me. But he doesn’t love horses any more than any other animal. He always took great care of our horses, did his chores religiously and was interested in horses and riding, just not passionate about it. And as most of us know, this is way too hard a sport to be involved in if you aren’t passionate about it. From the time Hunter was two weeks old, he went to the barn with me every day. At first it was easy—put the baby swing out in front of the arena and get on with it. Later when he became mobile, it was a little harder, but he adapted well to being the son of a horse trainer and very early on learned the meaning of “green horse.” That means, don’t throw rocks on the metal roof of the barn, don’t run and shout and don’t ride your bike up to the hitching rail.

By the time Hunter was 3-4years old, I had made the decision that, in an effort to encourage his love of riding, I would always take the time to saddle a horse for him and take him on a ride any time he expressed interest, no matter how many colts I needed to ride or lessons I needed to teach. Funny how things work—ironically, Hunter’s best friend, Darby, whose parents did not own horses, was TOTALLY into the horses and so for the most part, the only time Hunter wanted to ride was when Darby was visiting. So ride we did, with Hunter on his trusted (but stubborn) Shetland/Welsh pony and Darby on whatever gentle trail horse we had, my assistant in the lead and me in the drag, keeping an eagle eye on the boys.

Even now, recalling the gleeful giggles and chit chat of the boys as they rode brings a smile to my face. Their favorite game was Lonesome Dove and they’d start the ride with Hunter saying, “Darby, you be Capt. Call and I’ll be Gus.” Little did he know then that he was acting out the adventures of his great-great uncle, Charlie Goodnight—famous Texas Ranger and inspiration for one of the main characters in Lonesome Dove. We had some great rides together and although riding never blossomed into a passion for Hunter, at least I can say I gave him the opportunity. That’s the best we can do as parents, right?

But as I drove to the airport and spotted the old pony, after my initial flashback and fond memories, one thing really struck me. The kid did not have a helmet on. Huh. My astonishment was quickly squelched by the recollection that Hunter never rode in a helmet either. To be honest, I never really thought about it. I grew up riding without a helmet and I didn’t wear one then, so I guess it was understandable that I didn’t have one for my son. But I know better now and if I could start over again today with a toddler (heaven forbid!), I’d definitely put a helmet on his head.

With the recent death of Natasha Richardson from a mild head injury suffered while taking a beginner’s ski lesson, the wearing of helmets is a debate that is reinvigorated. Just falling from standing up to the ground can cause enough of a head injury to kill you. That is why, in EMS protocol, a fall from one-time your body height is considered lethal until proven different. So put a little kid up on a horse—raising him well above one-time his body height—and the risk of a fatal head injury increases dramatically. Add to that the unpredictable nature of horses and, well, you get the picture. Knowing what I know now, I’d definitely put my son in a helmet to ride.

Riding is not really a good activity for very young children because they don’t have the strength and wherewithal to control a big animal. 7-8 years old is when kids start getting a good age to start ride. But most of us horse-loving parents cannot wait that long; and  started as a toddler and lived to tell about it. So if you put a young child on a horse, you have to mitigate the safety issues as best you can—always put a helmet on their head (an equestrian helmet made for youngsters) and always maintain control of the horse by leading or ponying. A side-walker is a good idea for very young children.

What about you? Did you start you kids riding young? Were you paranoid about their safety or did you just go about it as a normal activity, like the mom I saw on the way to the airport? And were you lucky enough to convert your kid into a horse-crazy kid who lives to ride? And if so, was it a girl? It appears to me that greatly increases the odds!

All the best,

Julie

I Feel About My Saddle Like I Do My Pillow

Good Day!

One of the best things about travelling is getting home and sleeping in your own bed. Although, I must admit, that most of the beds I sleep in on my travels are as nice as our bed at home, because of the current “added value” trends at business class hotels. What a great marketing strategy for business travelers! For many road warriors, the beds at the hotels may be better than their bed at home. Some even offer a “pillow menu”, but nothing can replace the comforting feel of your face on your very own pillow.

I do not take my pillow with me on most of my business trips (because my suitcases are stuffed full of product and there is no room), but I do carry my saddle almost everywhere I go. Do you carry a pillow hen you travel? My dad takes his because he doesn’t want to sleep on a pillow someone else has drooled on. Good point Dad!

Just as your face craves the feel and shape of your own pillow, my bottom-side and legs feel that way about my saddle. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because I did NOT take my saddle with me this past weekend and my bottom-side is complaining about it. Since I was only going for one day, and since lugging a 50# saddle bag through airports and expo halls is not exactly a piece of cake, I left my saddle at home.

Although the saddle I rode in for three hours on Sunday was very nice, a Circle Y trail saddle, it was much too big for me, both in width and length. Combined with the fact that the horse I rode was quite lazy and not used to having to work in an arena, let alone demonstrate collection and lateral movements, my seat and legs got a tough workout. It made both my muscles and seat bones sore.

I was very happy to come home yesterday and ride in the familiar comfort of my own saddle. I am actually pretty spoiled when it comes to saddles. For instance, I have one saddle for traveling (which stays packed up most of the time) and one I ride in at home (both Circle Ys), in addition to many other fine saddles that I have accumulated over the years. Another thing I learned from my dad is to never sell your best horse and never sell your good saddles. I have sold a lot of “best horses” in my life, since that is part of how I make my living, but I tend to hang onto the good saddles—some of which were passed on from my dad.

Some of our saddles have been relegated to adorn the living room, leaving more room for the working tack in the barn. And believe me, the living room saddles are way cleaner than our working saddles! I have a hard time getting rid of tack—even broken stuff (of which there is plenty after 30 years of training horses). It’s funny, because I am really good at cleaning out clutter and junk from my house, but not from the tack room. Do you accumulate tack or do you get rid of the old when you bring in the new?

I’ve been trying to get my tack room reorganized little by little and work my way through spring cleaning. A couple weeks ago I threw away some medicines that expired in the 80s. No kidding! And a bag of beet pulp that I estimated was 5-7 years old. It felt good to get stuff cleaned out. But I still have my trunk full of broken stuff.

Do you clean out your tack room in the spring? Or ever? I’ve always loved tack rooms and I always peak in them at every barn I go to. You see a lot of interesting stuff that way and invariably some good ideas!

Until next time,

Julie

For training tips from Julie, visit the Training Library at http://juliegoodnight.com/q&a.php and check out her online store--full of training tools and DVDs-- at http://juliegoodnight.com/products.html

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Expo

Greetings from Nebraska!

I’ve been here in Lincoln since last night, for a one-day appearance at the Nebraska Horse Expo. It was a busy, but great day and I did three presentations (total of four hours), which is a lot for one day, but fun and worthwhile. I met a lot of really nice people and had a good time. But coming to an expo for one day is weird for me. On the upside, I am not totally exhausted on a Sunday night. On the downside, I never really got a chance to look around, talk to the vendors or even get my bearings.

Although many people may think I lead a glamorous and adventurous life, really my life is pretty routine. I get home on Monday, work in the office and ride Tue-Wed and sometimes Thursday; then I head to the airport for a trip to somewhere for a weekend “gig”. I have packing down to a science but everywhere I go I take three very heavy large suitcases full of gear and products. Once my bags are checked, I am travelling pretty light with my briefcase slung over my shoulder and my hat box in my hand.

Part of my “uniform” is my cowboy hat. In fact, you’d be surprised how few people will even recognize me if I don’t have my hat on. If I want to be incognito, all I have to do is go hatless with my hair down—and NO one recognizes me. It’s a funny thing, but I guess we all tend to register things, or a “look” in our minds and associate that with the person. No kidding. I’ve had people that I thought knew me pretty well look at me as if I were a total stranger if I don’t have on my hat or the rest of the “uniform” (boots, button-down, starched jeans).

Since I prefer to travel in casual clothes, I always carry my hat in a hat box. Because if I wear it, then I have to dress appropriately—there’s nothing goofier than seeing someone wearing a cowboy hat and tennis shoes. Beside, if I wear it, I have to put it in a overhead bin during the fight and then my precious hat is very vulnerable to people cramming and jamming all their stuff in there. So the best solution is to carry my hat in a protective box, which is shaped similar to a case that you might put a French horn in.

On my very first trip with the hat box, I noticed all the curious stares of passersby and I have witnessed it ever since. Most people look at the curious case and can’t help but wonder, “what the heck is in there?” I get a kick out of watching the look on people’s faces and seeing the almost undeniable urge to ask. Invariably, in every trip that I make, eventually someone will have the nerve to ask, “what’s in there?” I’ve had guesses ranging from a cat to an organ-translpant carrier, and everything in-between. I have never made a trip carrying my hat box where at least one person couldn’t stand it and had to ask. But on this trip, the curiosity took a hilarious turn.

After going through security at Denver International, I got on the train, headed for the B terminal where my plane awaited. The train was not crowded, but there were a number of people comfortably gathered around at my end of the car. A young woman, a few people away from me was staring at my hat box with indeniable curiosity and she couldn’t resist asking. With the train totally quiet, she asked, loudly, so everyone around her heard, “What’s in the box, a turtle?”

I am not sure what came over me; I guess I thought she was joking, so I said, “Yep, it’s a turtle.” And we both chuckled politely, while everyone else around me looked down at the hat box sitting on the floor of the train between my feet.

Then she said, “You know, I’ve seen people take dogs and cats on a plane, but I’ve never heard of anyone bringing a turtle.” It was then that I realized that she, and everyone else around us, believed I actually had a live turtle in there.

So of course, I agreed, “Yes, it’s not very common at all.”

To which she replied, “Does he travel well?”

“Yes, he travels quite well. At least he doesn’t make any noise.”

At that point, we had everyone’s complete attention in our end of the train and the woman next to me, a flight attendant, turned to me and said with all seriousness, “What kind of turtle is it?” At this point, I couldn’t take it anymore and I burst out laughing. I felt bad for embarrassing the flight attendant—but you would think she, of all people, might know that people don’t carry turtles onto planes.

I finally admitted that it was indeed NOT a turtle, but a cowboy hat. Then one woman said, “Well, I wondered about that because I couldn’t see any air holes.” To which the first woman, who guessed that it was a turtle to begin with, felt compelled to defend herself and said, “Well, I noticed there weren’t any air holes that I could see, but I thought maybe they were on the other side.” Then the discussion deterirated to the various sizes of turtles and what if it were a snapping turtle.

This whole interchange made my day and I still can’t help but laugh out loud every time I think about it. I’ll remember this interchange for some time to come. And now I know exactly what my response will be from now on when someone musters up the courage to ask what’s in my hat box. Next thing you know, I’ll be known as the Turtle Whisperer.

I hope my journey through the airport tomorrow is half as entertaining.

Until next time,

Julie

My first clinic of the year!

Greetings!

I’ve been running all over the country with a horsemanship clinic in Massachusetts last weekend and a lecture in Denver Monday night. Both events were well-attended and very successful! If this economy is slowing down horse people, I’ve yet to see it.

We had a full house at my first clinic of the year in the Berkshire mountains. It’s a beautiful part of the country, although it’s hard for me to think of them as mountains. Something about being surrounded by 14,000’ peaks at home makes me think of them as foothills. The Berkshire Equestrian Center is a beautiful indoor facility and a perfect spot for a clinic. http://berkshireequestriancenter.com/ . there’s a lovely country inn on the property with exquisite accommodations and gourmet breakfast. Some of the clinic participants stayed there with me and it was fun to spend some casual time with them at dinner and breakfast. http://www.innatrichmond.com/

We had a house full of spectators to watch 15 horses and riders and there was a lot to see! Most of the horses were pretty fresh, after not being ridden much over the winter. But by the end of the clinic, they were all perfect angels! We had an abundance of “witchy” mares (spell that with a B) who had never learned the rules about riding in a group—absolutely no herd behaviors or gestures allowed. No kicking, no biting, no pinning ears or threatening other horses in anyway. This is a fundamental rule that all horses should learn at the youngest age. I’ve written about this in my blog before and we’ve even done a TV show on it. It is a really important protocol because it relates to human safety.

Quite a few horses really benefitted from the ground work during the clinic and learning to control their tempers and impulsiveness. And as always, the riders made great progress in improving their riding and gaining better control of their horses. It was a great weekend and although I was thoroughly exhausted by Sunday night, I really had fun. I look forward to going back to BEC in August. That clinic will be full soon so if you have plans to register, do it right away.

On my way home on Monday, I made a detour to Brighton CO (just north of Denver) to one of our best tack store in the state, Brighton Saddlery http://brightonsaddlery.com/ . It was their annual Horse Owner’s Workshop, a free event sponsored by Purina, and I did a talk on horse behavior, my favorite subject, to a packed house. The Power Point presentation, called “A Part of the Herd,” was complete with incredible photography by Heidi Nyland http://wholepicture.org/ and video clips from Horse Master. I had fun and I think the audience enjoyed the presentation as well as the incredible food that was served.

This weekend I head to Lincoln Nebraska for the NE Horse Expo—Sunday only. I’ll be filling in for my friend Ken McNabb so he can go to the Road to the Horse to cheer on his mentor, John Lyons. I am sad to be missing the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo this year, for the first time since it began over 15 years ago. But maybe I’ll be back next year.

My next horsemanship clinic is near Topeka, Kansas, April 18-19, and I am looking forward to it being every bit as successful as the MA clinic. Maybe by then the horses won’t be quite as fresh. It’s fun to be able to work with horses and riders individually, like I can at clinics, to help them resolve their individual issues and progress. There’s still room in many clinics, so I hope I’ll see you and your horse at one!

Enjoy the ride!

Julie