Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

Dread.  Disbelief… Disappointment.  In this episode, Stacy shares an incident where she felt these, and she shares how understanding your responses in 'every day' life will show up when you work with your horse.  Both of you will have thoughts and emotions when interacting.  By knowing yourself, you can begin to see your reactions separate from your horse's reactions. Topics discussed include: You...

"…there are hundreds of exchanges that are happening between horse and rider, and being able to observe those in as much detail as you can really helps you unlock what's happening with the communication."   In this episode, two students join me, and we discuss the breakthroughs that are possible when the rider begins seeing the layers of training. The depth of learning lies in perceiving these lay...

Three students join me and share their challenges, and life lessons learned through horses. As you listen, pay close attention to the choices these students have made and how being part of a community supported this change. Topics discussed include: The wordless connection with horses Money Learning at your own pace The approach we learn with ourselves, and then use with our horses (and others in...

Frustration is an emotion that many riders report they feel. In this episode, Kathy and JoAnn share their personal journeys, which include leaving every ride feeling fulfilled and happy.  Listen for the challenges AND for how they navigated their way to the break thoughts.  Notice the determination exhibited when learning to self evaluate,  and the mindfulness they used in creating their own struc...

In this episode, you'll have the opportunity to experience a glimpse behind the scenes into the lives and journey of two students inside the Resourceful Rider program. Through these heartfelt conversations, you'll gain insight into their personal journeys. They'll share their stories of overcoming challenges, celebrating successes, and experiencing life-changing moments that have shaped their path...

In this episode of Stacy Westfall's podcast, she delves into the concept of defining and celebrating success. Stacy reflects on why she didn't mention Gabby's recent winnings, contemplating whether it was due to societal pressures and fear of being labeled as bragging. She also highlights the importance of introspection, explaining that she didn't share her winnings because her focus was on the le...

In this episode, Stacy shares insights from her recent experiences at two horse shows in Kentucky and answers a listener's question regarding preparing for a Freestyle reining class and showing bridleless. She attended a NRHA (National Reining Horse Association)  show in Frankfort and the Liberty Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park, which was organized by the International Liberty Horse Associatio...

In this episode, Stacy Westfall reflects on the 20th anniversary of her first bridleless competition ride, sharing insights from her journey. She begins by addressing common challenging emotions faced by riders and their underlying causes and then addresses the similarities between basic bending and advanced bending. Key points in this episode: Red flags like anxiety or concerns can feel like road...

This episode, Stacy answers a listener's question about working with 'outliers'. Outliers are horses with unique needs or circumstances. Stacy shares insights from working with outlier horses, those not following the traditional training path. There are many valuable things that can be learned from a traditional or standard paths, which also helps us define outliers. Key Takeaways: Regularly plant...

In this episode, I answer a listener question about a horse who has become heavy on the bit.   Topics include: The importance of identifying concerns as a crucial first step before implementing any training techniques.
 How to identify limiting beliefs or thoughts that could hold you back I offer a new belief…with a warning How to detect if you really believe the new belief and technique will work...

In this podcast episode, I answer a question from a listener who is preparing to start their horse under saddle and has questions about the progression from a rope halter to bits with shanks.  Topics include: Progression with a focus on understanding the purpose of each tool. Consideration of the horse's understanding level, motivation, and emotional state  Direct and indirect cues are explained T...

A listener wrote in that she recently got a new trail horse, and she said, "he's supposed to be a "super finished" trail horse."  But he is not acting the way she imagined a finished trail horse should… Which brings up the question: What is a finished horse? 
There are many categories that can be used to evaluate a horse, and often there are different levels within each category. In addition, 'fin...

Early in training, or early in introducing a new concept, it is an EXCELLENT idea to reward the smallest try.  But here is the question. When do you start expecting the full answer? This is where people often get stuck. 
In this podcast, I explain the challenge that comes along with only rewarding the smallest try, ant two common thought errors that keep people from aiming for the final answer. Su...

It is remarkable how well horses can learn to read a rider's seat cues.  In this podcast, I explain how I use my seat cues to communicate with my horses, including how these seat cues can naturally develop.  A seat can: Follow the motion Get ahead of the motion Get behind the motion One hip bone can be more on top of the saddle-to the left or right One hip bone can be leading or behind These can b...

If you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you have probably heard me say, "Your horse is asking you questions." Sometimes people will reply, "My horse isn't asking questions…he is making statements!" In this episode, I explain how horses develop limiting beliefs, what useful beliefs are, and how viewing something as a statement vs a question matters.  Your horse asks questions with his...

The questions you ask will impact the information you gather and your entire riding experience.  Often times, the question "Am I doing this right" Or "Is this correct?" is a lightly veiled, "Is this wrong?" or "This is probably wrong…" or some variation.  You'll know by the way it feels in your body.  One way to improve your rate of learning is to ask high-quality questions.  High-quality question...

One goal when riding is an increasing consistency in your horses' response to your cues.  This will only be possible when YOU are consistent with the application of, and release of, the cue.  The quickest, most reliable way to develop this is by keeping things simple and repeating them: riding a pattern.  But then what? And how can you know that the cue is being strengthened...not just the horse m...

Have you ever wondered, but how do I get him to do it for longer?  Maybe you want your horse to keep loping until you tell him to stop. Maybe you want him to stand until you ask him to go.  Maybe you show in western dressage, and your horse keeps popping his head up during the free walk…and you want him to keep it down until you ask him to bring it back up.  A big part of getting a horse to mainta...

Training a horse involves creating a language between horse and rider.  It is very common for a horse to be somewhat guessing at the answer at times during this process. 
Your response to their best guess, is what helps them narrow down to the one correct answer. 
If you are consistent… This language includes your cue system: how you use your legs, seat, reins, voice…and the way you show up: focus...

Simply put: a pattern is a planned ride. When you ride with a plan…you'll begin to show up consistent. The more consistent you are…the easier it is for your horse to become consistent.  The magic of riding a pattern, especially a simple, boring pattern, is that it allows the rider to begin to observe their habits and their horse's habits. The most common habit often revealed is a riders' lack of p...

In this podcast, I discuss two ideas, the challenge of asking questions, and 'why bend?' The theme of this season of the podcast is, "No question is too small." Today, I explain:
 why riders don't ask more questions why the teacher might hesitate before answering what the moment of awkwardness could really be Why bend? why you might skip bending why you might half-heartedly bend how bend increases...

One major difference between the early rides on a horse, and the more finished rides on a horse, is the way the cues are used in combination. In this podcast, I describe cues as 'doors'.  The beauty of watching an advanced horse and rider is that the cues seem so subtle that they are often hard to see.  This is true whether you watch dressage, where the rider maintains a level of contact throughou...

If you are consistently taking action, and you recognize that you are having some success, but not at the rate or speed you anticipated.this episode is for you. Today, I'm sharing three reasons it can feel like the training process is going slower than you thought it would. LIsten, to each description, take action on the third...and you just might find that you are making more progress than you th...

Many riders experience doubt, tension, or frustration when riding because they are unsure of themselves, or are confused by their horse's response. Many horses exhibit resistance and behavior issues because they are confused. 
In this podcast I discuss: Common reasons riders unintentionally give conflicting cues. How and why the cue system changes as a horse advances in training. The importance of...