Skip to content

About Julie

Growing up in the ‘60s on a small horse farm in central Florida, Julie had a connection with horses from a young age. Little did she know that her childhood affinity would blossom into a remarkable career with horses. Now an internationally renowned trainer and clinician, Julie is a rarity in that she has ridden and trained extensively in multiple disciplines, both English and western, working with multiple breeds. Her focus is on classical horsemanship and developing the horse and rider’s relationship.  

Following a successful run as a youth rider on jumping horses, Goodnight headed west to fulfill her dreams of skiing, mountain climbing and white-water paddling. She galloped her way through college on the backs of Thoroughbred race horses, graduating from the University of New Mexico with Magna Cum Laude distinction. After graduation, Julie move to southern Colorado, where she started her horse training business in 1985.

It wasn’t long before Goodnight was known for having a special touch with horses and a gift for teaching people. Her reputation grew, and she began traveling the world to share her unique approach to horse training.

In 2008, Julie began producing the popular TV series, Horse Master with Julie Goodnight, a how-to horse training series that aired weekly on RFD-TV for 11 years. After producing and starring in 260 episodes, Julie has now set her sights on sharing the magical world of horses with a broader audience, through 2Horse Productions, an equine, nature and adventure lifestyle production company.

Julie doing groundwork with a fractious horseJulie is a member of the prestigious Horse & Rider team, and she offers guidance to horse enthusiasts in articles and through clinics and appearances worldwide. Goodnight is a frequent contributor to top horse publications such as Horse & Rider and Horse Illustrated, and the author of a syndicated column reaching more than 20 regional horse publications monthly. She also hosts her monthly horse training podcast called Ride On with Julie Goodnightand the educational programs and on-demand videos in her online Academy are among the top go-to training tools for horse owners everywhere.

Goodnight travels both domestically and internationally to teach horsemanship and she was named Exceptional Equestrian Educator by Equine Affaire – one of only three such awards ever given. Goodnight is Spokesperson for the Certified Horsemanship Association, an organization focused on promoting safety and excellence in horsemanship, and she holds their highest level of certification, Master Clinic Instructor.

Goodnight and her husband, Rich Moorhead, a ski-industry professional, reside near Salida, Colorado. In their spare time, they enjoy skiing, boating and riding cow horses.