Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

Recorded from her truck at a horse show, Stacy Westfall explores the critical but often overlooked concept of energy management between horse and rider. She observes that many riders fail to prepare their horses for the inevitable energy fluctuations they'll encounter in new environments, whether at shows or on trails. Key takeaways: External energy sources (flapping tents, other horses, tractors)...

Stacy shares insights from her first off-property trail ride with Ember, revealing a critical moment where riders unknowingly teach their horses problematic behaviors. By identifying the exact instant when most riders make a fundamental mistake at water crossings, Stacy demonstrates how arena training directly transfers to trail success. Key takeaways: When a horse hesitates at obstacles like mud...

This episode explores how shifting between perspectives reveals critical blind spots in your horsemanship.  To illustrate this Stacy shares a 'backward' look at a common problems: a horse that spooks.  When you commit to looking from each of these angles, you are more likely to get the full picture, transforming how you interpret and address training situations. Key takeaways: Discover how alterna...

Horsemanship is often described as an art—but teaching it requires breaking that art into pieces. In this episode, Stacy reflects on the challenge of translating feel, flow, and intuition into teachable steps—and why both structure and flow must coexist within the art of horsemanship. Key takeaways: Building flow without foundation leads to instability—structure is what gives flow freedom Inspirat...

Stacy Westfall explores the hidden conversation happening between riders and horses—beyond conscious cues. Using the analogy of learning to float while swimming, she reveals how riders can unintentionally contradict their own instructions through subtle physical signals. In this episode: Discover why your horse reads your tension, breathing patterns, and hormone shifts as clearly as your intention...

In this episode, Stacy explores the critical distinction between specific riding aids and your overall body intention. Riders often experience a disconnect between the small cues they apply (leg pressure, rein contact) and the broader message their body position and energy convey to the horse. Key takeaways: – The rider's body communicates more than just cues—it reflects intention, emotion, and un...

This episode explores the two core elements inside the rider's mind: the information you rely on and the thoughts that either help or distract you. Stacy unpacks how both missing knowledge and unexamined beliefs can quietly interfere with clear communication and forward progress with your horse. Key takeaways: Gaps in understanding may look like missing information—but can also stem from mismatche...

In this episode, Stacy explores how horses experience emotion—and more importantly, how they can learn to regulate it. Through stories, training examples, and thoughtful reflection, she illustrates how emotional elasticity allows horses to pause instead of panic, and process instead of simply react. Listeners will learn how to recognize a horse's natural default state, how that state influences ou...

A horse's body reveals more than just physical movement—it reflects their thoughts, emotions, and understanding. In this episode, Stacy Westfall explores how a horse's behavior can show both their level of knowledge and their maturity. She shares why interpreting the horse's mind requires stepping outside of our automatic reactions and learning to see things from their perspective. Key takeaways:...

When your horse hesitates, pins its ears, or struggles with a movement, what's really happening? It's easy to jump to conclusions—assuming resistance, pain, or a training gap. But the key to true understanding lies in separating observation from interpretation. In this episode, Stacy Westfall explores the importance of neutral fact-finding when assessing your horse's body, why riders often misread...

When training your horse, are you treating symptoms or addressing the real issue? In this episode, Stacy Westfall explains why accurate diagnosis is always the first step. She shares insights from decades of horse training, revealing how misdiagnosing a problem can lead to ineffective solutions, frustration, and even new challenges. Key takeaways: Misdiagnosing a training issue can lead to solutio...

Not every ride goes as planned—but what happens after the ride often determines whether you improve or stay stuck. In this episode, Stacy Westfall breaks down a "less than perfect" training session with her horse Ember, sharing how experienced riders turn these moments into stepping stones instead of setbacks. Key takeaways: Progress follows a cycle —planning, execution, evaluation, and adjustment...

This episode tackles the challenge many riders face when trying to balance structured training plans with intuitive horsemanship. Stacy Westfall uses an unexpected cooking analogy to demonstrate how mastering any skill requires both systematic planning and gut-level awareness. Key takeaways: Strategic time investment in foundational training during off-seasons creates both immediate progress and l...

Do you find yourself using words like "trust" and "enjoy" when describing your horse training goals, but struggle to translate these concepts into action? You're not alone. Many riders grapple with the gap between their aspirations and day-to-day training decisions. In this episode, Stacy Westfall explores how to transform abstract horse training concepts into physical, observable actions. Key tak...

What if your fuel—not your effort—is the problem? Stacy Westfall shares a surprising lesson in persistence, revealing why sheer determination isn't enough—and what actually sustains lasting effort. Understand why intense effort alone often leads to diminishing returns—and what to do instead. Explore the subtle but crucial difference between belief-driven and willpower-driven action. Learn how to r...

When riders set goals, they often strip away the emotional elements in an attempt to make them more "professional" or achievable. Stacy Westfall challenges this approach through a personal story of how a devastating show ring mistake unexpectedly launched her bridleless riding career. Removing emotions from goals may feel safer and more clinical, but those very emotions—both positive and challengi...

Do you catch yourself saying "I'm behind" so often it feels like a permanent state of being? That nagging sense of always playing catch-up can follow us from the house to the barn, affecting everything from daily tasks to our horsemanship goals. Join Stacy as she shares her journey from thinking "being behind" was unchangeable to discovering a path toward relief. Key takeaways: Your body sends cle...

When pursuing a meaningful goal or implementing a yearly theme, three specific challenges consistently emerge that can derail your progress. Join Stacy Westfall as she breaks down these obstacles and provides actionable solutions for navigating them successfully. Key takeaways: Our brains are wired to resist change in predictable ways, but understanding this resistance reveals surprisingly simple...

Do you find yourself cringing when someone asks about your goals? Or maybe you've set goals before, but they felt hollow and meaningless? You're not alone, and you might just be missing a crucial step. Join Stacy Westfall as she reveals how adding a yearly theme can transform your approach to goal setting. In this episode: Discover why traditional goals often fall short and how themes can fill the...

In this episode, Stacy explores how a fresh perspective on learning can transform your horsemanship journey. Through sharing her own mindset shift about future learning goals, she demonstrates how being specific with timeframes while staying open to possibilities can create powerful growth opportunities. Key takeaways: Learn why comparing your current learning to a previous period of growth can be...

"If I could snap my fingers and give you a gift..." In this episode, Stacy shares what she considers one of the most powerful tools in any rider's journey. Drawing insights from the fascinating way children naturally approach familiar content, this episode reveals how riders can turn video from an overwhelming experience into a journey of discovery. Through practical tips and encouraging insights,...

In this episode, Stacy explores why celebrating small wins matters, even - and especially - when faced with unexpected emotions about our progress. Through two student examples, she shows how awareness of subtle changes and acceptance of our journey's ups and downs leads to deeper understanding and growth. She shares her personal journey with the concept of "life is 50/50," from initial skepticism...

In this episode, Stacy guides listeners through creating a year-end review from their horse's perspective. Building on her popular approach of sharing stories from the horse's viewpoint, she offers: Two ways to participate: follow along with the podcast or download a free interactive PDF workbook (click here to go to the page with the pdf) Examples from Enzo and Ember that demonstrate how to captu...

In this episode Stacy explores the nuanced concept of play in horses, identifying three distinct types of playful behavior: possessed play, repressed play, and reactive play. She challenges listeners to consider playfulness on a spectrum, both in themselves and their horses. Stacy highlights the importance of understanding and managing a horse's playful energy. She argues against two extremes: con...

In this episode, Stacy Westfall shares a personal tip on the value of re-listening to podcasts, courses, and books to deepen learning and retention, especially when paired with implementing lessons in between. She introduces the replay of a special Thanksgiving-themed episode that features listener-submitted reflections on why they are thankful for horses. Originally aired two years ago, this hear...