From brittle, dry hooves to skin infections and sunburns, the challenges of the hot summer months can be overwhelming. Julie Goodnight shares grooming tips riders need to know in the latest episode of her podcast, Ride On with Julie Goodnight. (JulieGoodnight.com/Podcast)
Julie Goodnight ponying her horse Gunner behind her calm horse, Annie
'From the grooming tools and products I use, to the techniques I employ, it's all about keeping my horse healthy and happy,' says Goodnigh.
© 2020 by Julie Goodnight New window.
“It’s always been important to me that my horses are shiny, dappled, and gleaming with health,” says Goodnight. “That kind of shine doesn’t happen overnight or by accident, and it shows the horse is well cared for and in good health.”
Goodnight points out that there are many variables that affect how people groom and care for their horses.
“Just in this country, the climate can vary drastically from hot and humid to hot and dry, and from cold and dry to cold and wet—and each have unique challenges,” says Goodnight.
“Wet and dry conditions affect the skin and hair of the horse quite differently, from rain rot to sunburn. As a species, horses have always adapted to different climates and forage, but individually, horses are quite adaptable too.”
In addition to climate, the rider’s boarding facility, discipline—and traditions and culture within that discipline—can all play a role in different aspects of grooming and horse management.
“Depending on the discipline you ride or the activity you do with your horse, you may keep the mane short or long, braided, banded, free-flowing, or roached,” says Goodnight. “Competitions often require a certain style of grooming—sometimes dictated by rules, and sometimes by tradition.”
With these many variables in mind, Goodnight shares the best tips and advice she has learned over the years to help listeners find new ways to make their horse-life easier and better.
“From the grooming tools and products I use, to the techniques I employ, it’s all about keeping my horse healthy and happy,” says Goodnight. “Grooming time is another opportunity to bond with my horse, and it’s the least I can do in return for their dedication and loyalty.”
Listen and subscribe to Ride On with Julie Goodnight at JulieGoodnight.com/Podcast or any podcast app.
About Ride On with Julie Goodnight
With over 200,000 downloads and more than 70 episodes to date, Ride On with Julie Goodnight offers informative and entertaining topics about horse training and equestrian sports. This podcast is for every horse enthusiast, at any level.
Whether listeners are brushing up on horse training skills or learning something new, each episode inspires, informs and motivates them to achieve new heights in their horsemanship. In the What the Hay? Q&A segment, Goodnight answers listener questions with candid answers and practical solutions based on her lifetime of experience with horses. To share feedback, topic suggestions, or ask questions, email podcast@juliegoodnight.com.
About Julie Goodnight
Goodnight is the popular host and producer of Horse Master, a successful how-to TV series on handling, riding, and training horses since 2008. Goodnight travels extensively sharing her no-nonsense horsemanship with riders of all disciplines. Goodnight is experienced with many kinds of riding—she grew up on the hunter-jumper circuits in Florida and is now at home in the West. She and her husband, Rich Moorhead, live in the mountains near Salida, Colorado, where they enjoy riding the trails and training cow-horses. Explore Goodnight’s training library of articles, videos and more at JulieGoodnight.com/Academy.
Press release by Jule Goodnight