Marrying Natural Horsemanship Techniques and Classic Riding Principles

Internationally Respected Trainer and Clinician JULIE GOODNIGHT

Best known for her award-winning reality television show “Horse Master”, which airs weekly on RFD-TV, trainer and clinician Julie Goodnight appears daily at the International Equestrian Festival to share her full curriculum of horse training topics, part of the Kentucky Horse Council’s First Time Owner seminar series.   Seminar and demonstration topics include: 

1. Build Your Confidence!
2. Be the Best Rider You Can
3. Inside the Horse’s Mind
4. Life Lessons that Horses Teach Us
5. Find and Buy the Perfect Horse
6. Exercises to Improve Riding Skills
7. So You Want to be in the Horse Business?
8. Implementing the Best Safety Practices
9. Gaining Respect from the Ground
10. Tack Up Like a Pro
11. All in the Approach
12. Conformation 101: Structure, Movement and Balance
13. Caution: Danger
14. Horse Behavior & Human Relationships
15. Decipher Your Horse’s Language

Goodnight is also available to answer questions one-on-one throughout the Festival.   Her “Goodnight Village” is part of our international shopping expo and features Goodnight’s full line of tack and training DVDs, as well as Kestar Boots and Circle Y Saddles, among others.    Visit Julie’s website

The “Man Who Listens to Horses”

Acclaimed trainer and author MONTY ROBERTS

Monty Roberts is author of three New York Times best-sellers, including "The Man Who Listens to Horses," which catapulted the trainer and Hollywood stunt man to fame, and shared his Join~Up® training method to horse lovers across the globe. Roberts transformed traditional training techniques, which often relied on inflicting force and demands upon the horse, by developing a more humane, non-violent approach. His method utilizes the body language horses use to communicate with one another, to encourage a bond of partnership between horse and human.

Mr. Roberts will present in Ecotrack Park on Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26 at 3 p.m.  Using Lexington area horses, he will present “Gentling your Spooky Horse,” “Overcoming Headshy,” “Fear of the Clippers,” or “Six Imperatives for an Enjoyable Ride,” depending on the horses’ particular training needs. Unique to his presentation at the International Equestrian Festival - and the first time it's been presented in the United States - is Roberts' use of a heart-rate monitor on each horse to illustrate the effectiveness of his methods. The audience will be able to listen and watch as Roberts taps into the heart of the horse to gauge his success.   Visit Monty’s website. 

A Whole New Level of Communication

MARK PETERSON and DUSTY, America’s Smartest Horse

Called “the greatest entertainer in the equine industry today,” Dusty, a Kentucky Mountain Horse, and his trainer. Mark Peterson appear twice daily (2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.) during the International Equestrian Festival.   Mark and Dusty present “Breaking the Language Barrier,” which highlights the duo’s unique relationship, as well as Peterson’s unprecedented training methods.

Mark Peterson is a horseman, wildlife behaviorist and wildlife tracker.   He and Dusty have been featured on many popular television shows and, since 2008, have criss-crossed the country performing for, and sharing their techniques with, audiences both large and small.  Peterson shares how to speak to your horses and have them be more tuned in and listening to you at all times, providing not only a stronger friendship with your horse, but also much better control while riding.   Mark and Dusty demonstrate the bond of trust that occurs when clear communication is established between horse and rider.    Visit Mark and Dusty’s website

Improved Performance for both Rider and Horse

Rider Biomechanics Expert COLLEEN KELLY

Always fascinated by the mechanics of movement, Colleen Kelly began her career in exercise physiology and is now one of the most sought-after speakers in the world.    Kelly combines the science of improving riders’ balance, seat and posture with her ebullient personality and winning sense of humor for demonstrations that are both fun and educational.

Known for receiving an unheard of 100% in the Judge’s Dressage Examination, Kelly brings her elite lecture circuit presentations to the International Equestrian Festival audiences.   Don’t miss one of the fifteen opportunities to see her in action, including:

1. 101 Ways to Analyze and Improve the Rider
2. How to Make a Racehorse Faster
3. Speed, Tempo, Timing, Regularity, Beats per Minute
4. How to Improve Your Dressage by Improving the Rider
5. Rider Seat, Balance and Position on Circles
6. How to Measure and Improve Extension and Collection
7. Testing the Theories
8. The Major Faults
9. How to Improve Your Jumping by Improving the Rider
10. Transitions. What a Mess!
11. Rider Balance and Coordination for Speed Sports
12. 101 Ways to Cheat by an Official Dressage Judge

Visit Colleen’s website

Patience and Persistence Trains Horses

Hollywood Horse Trainer REX PETERSON

Rex Peterson appears daily at 1 p.m. in Ecotrack Park to present “Patience and Persistence Trains Horses,” showcasing his fifty years of experience working with both horses and riders.  Peterson is sought after in Hollywood to train for films, working on Black Beauty, The Horse Whisperer, Flicka, Dreamer and Appaloosa, just to name a few. 

Also appearing with Rex Peterson at the International Equestrian Festival are Harbor Mist and RJ Masterbug, Hollywood horses from the movies “Secretariat” and “Hidalgo.”   Visit Rex’s website