Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

Here are four ways exercise can improve your riding. 1-To exercise regularly you'll need to coach yourself 2- Exercise can help you physically become stronger, more flexible and more coordinated. 3-Exercise can help you understand your horses mind…if you're going to coach him to work…get good at coaching YOU to work. Your goal is to be more understanding and encouraging…not critical and judgement…...

In a perfect world…what would this year look like with your horse? What would you accomplish? In January of 2022…what would you like to have achieved? In this podcast I share with you how I use my calendar and tracking to get so much done. One of the reasons that I take January goal setting so seriously is because with three horses, show goals, family commitments, and a business to run I see a hug...

If you were forced to choose between having a great relationship with your horse OR getting big results…which would you choose? Relationship OR results? Do you think you have to choose…or do you think you can have both? Today I'm explaining how I get BIG RESULTS…while still keeping the relationship the main thing. I'll teach you how to prioritize your thinking so you can have a better relationship...

Are you going after big goals with your horses? How do you define 'big goal'? What does that look like for you? Here are three reasons I often see riders avoid setting big goals: 1) You are afraid of how it will feel to fail 2) You're afraid of how you might treat your horse while trying to achieve the goal 3) You don't know how to get there In this episode I discuss how I see these show up and ho...

Which horse first inspired you? The earliest memory I have of being inspired by a real horse was my mom, reading stories to me of Man O War aka Big Red. Stories like these gave me a glimpse into a world filled with horses. The authors wrote of horses with heart and 'the look of eagles.' In this podcast, I share with you some of the stories that inspired me.

How do you separate fear from danger? In this podcast I discuss the importance of recognizing fear and what it could be pointing to. I also explain why it is important for riders to increase their understanding. I'm also celebrating the two year anniversary of the podcast…and discussing the challenge of doing something you're uncomfortable with.

I almost bought a horse. In this episode, I discuss many of the factors that went into my decision to NOT buy the horse including logic, emotion, daily life, time invested, purchase price, resale, etc. I know everyone's situation is different but I think that listening to how someone else is making decisions can be helpful.

I use training cycles to make my daily rides more efficient and productive. The same techniques work when I view my week month and year in a similar way. In this episode, I'll explain the benefits of training cycles…and the importance of a rest cycle or less intense phase in the cycles.

How many times in your life have you made a list of things you want? I've done it in different forms for years. Maybe it was on a financial list…things I want to buy. Maybe it was on a goal list…things I want to do. Maybe it was on a bucket list…things I can only dare to dream… In this podcast, you'll take a brief quiz...and then discover how to make those things on your list a reality…in 10 minut...

In this podcast, I'm going to discuss a tough subject, older horses, and the decision to euthanize. This decision is often made in emergency situations or when the quality of life is an issue. In my case, I can also see an impending crisis coming. Separating and understanding the emotions and the facts that surround each situation, and then putting them together to make a decision has been helpful...

Do you understand how western dressage is judged? In this podcast, I share the results of Presto's test and explain the scoring system. Each number the judge gives represents a word, for example, 6 represents 'Satisfactory'. In addition, the judges often give comments and remarks. At the end of the podcast, I also share how my horses finished in the Western Dressage World Show, with three wins, an...

"It's all training." Is this statement useful to you as a rider? I see three ways that this statement can be damaging to individuals and to the industry as a whole. It's important to realize if the thoughts we have are useful or not useful…because our thoughts will impact our actions…and our results. Are you slowing your progress with your thoughts?

How many things can a horse excel at? In this episode, I discuss riding horses in different disciplines. I talk specifically about which classes I believe overlap well as well as the order that I introduce them to my horses.   My horse Popcorn did these things, in this order: Trail, Reining, Pony Horse, Ranch, Tricks, Mounted Shooting, Summer camp lesson horse & Traditional Dressage! Listen in to...

How often do you take time to reflect on your journey with your horse? Here is a quote to guide this podcast, "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." I have three distinct times of the year when I reflect and reset in regards to my horses. I've developed this rhythm due to seasonal changes, holidays, the horse show calendar, and what I've noticed when training horse...

Horses are great teachers. In this episode, I share stories of the horses that have taught me over the years such as focus, loyalty, and trust. I also introduce you to the three horses I am currently training (or that are training me). My hope is that as you hear the lessons these horses have taught me, you will remember some of the lessons that horses have taught you.

A listener calls in with a question about her horse who gets very worked up on trail rides with too many other horses. She describes how the horse seems to connect with another horse, flicks its head up, and walks as fast as possible. This podcast breaks down four different ways to look at the things that could be happening here. This includes looking at the events the horse and rider frequently p...

Sometimes horses are trained to operate more like robots-'don't think, just do what I say'. Other times horses are left to make most of the decisions-which can become dangerous in some situations. In this podcast I discuss how to find a middle ground where the horse is an active participant in the 'conversation' with the ultimate goal of having a horse who is fully aware of their surroundings, is...

Question: How can I reduce my horse's reactivity to noise when trail riding? The answer involves separating the issue into smaller parts and looking at each individually. By separating the issue it becomes easier to see how you can break the cycle and modify the horse's behavior.

Riding near traffic can be challenging. Your horse must deal with vehicles of varying sizes, traveling at speed, and making loud noises. The road itself often has challenges such as culverts, guard rails, ditches, garbage cans, mailboxes…and dogs. Many drivers don't know how to respond to horses and assume they will be fine. Others don't know how to help…and a few even want to cause problems. It i...

Episode 95-"Is there a way to teach emotional control to a horse? He is super quiet when ridden alone. When ridden in groups I can feel his nerves bundle up and then he broncs." In this episode, I discuss the concepts: why naturally quiet horses can be prone to 'outburst', four places where this issue can be addressed, how cues systems are as much mental as they are physical, and the saying, "Ride...

Episode 94- A listener asks for some advice on how to reduce her horse's anxiety…and hers…when out on the trails. The discussion includes riding reactively vs planning, analyzing your thought patterns, changing your muscle habits, and the idea that horses notice patterns.

In this episode, I explain the relationship I see between pressure, composure, and building a horse's confidence on the trail. I also answer the question, "How you go about getting your horse to trail ride alone? Every time I try to go out, she freaks out…" 

How do horses develop confidence on the trails? Does confidence come from riding with another confident horse? Are some horses just born confident and others will always struggle? Can confidence be trained? I answer this listener question while out riding on the trails.

Episode 91: Take a moment and think about what YOU think might be the biggest problem or most common mistake you see when out trail riding. Visualize the problem. Here are some common problems that I see as symptoms: Head tossing, rushing up hills, refusing to move forward (maybe mud or water) rushing down hills, dragging riders where they want to go. Pulling on the reins, rearing… and more. These...

Trail riding vs arena riding. They both come with advantages and disadvantages which is why I find a combination of both beneficial. In this podcast I discuss why some horses seem resistant to arena work, letting the horse make decisions on the trail, how to know if you are letting the horse make too many decisions on the trail…and more.