Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

I love that I sound like a bit of a mess in this episode. This year I'm setting a goal that is hard to measure and even a bit of a challenge to put into words. I do a lot of journaling but this subject had me a bit stuck which is my clue that I need a little help from a friend. In this episode you'll hear Suzi help me talk through 'untangling my brain.' And joy of all joys…I actually make a connec...

Do you pause each year to reflect back on the things you did…or didn't…accomplish? In this conversation my good friend Suzi Vlietstra helps me do just that. As you listen, I hope you reflect and can hear how we are cleaning up our thinking before starting the next. I find that bouncing ideas off a good friend, or listening in to someone doing this, can help me think about things from a new perspec...

I think there can be a magical dance between dreaming and doing. In this podcast I discuss: dreaming and the nuts-and-bolts of training why it looks like some trainers don't like horses how to make progress when you aren't sure exactly what you want to do with your horse the idea that all disciplines share the same foundation training

The phrase "I don't know how..." is often said with a sense of defeat but it can also be freeing. 'I don't know how…but I'm going for it anyway.' What if it means you are ready to learn? If you do decide to go for it…you'll likely experience 'want', as in wanting it. 'Want' can be uncomfortable and is often tangled together with disappointment, failure, and self criticism. Have you ever practiced...

Choosing a yearly theme is a great way to guide your brain in a new direction. Unlike specific goals, themes are there as a guiding principal. A theme is broad and is often something that will cross several areas of your life. Themes are also more flexible in nature because they are here to increase your awareness, there is no specific end target. If you're not a fan of goal setting consider tryin...

What would happen if you got in the habit of surprising yourself with what you are capable of? What if the SIDE EFFECT of your measurable goals…is who you want to become? What if confidence is a byproduct? 1- pick something that excites you and scares you a little 2-decide why you want to do it 3- decide why you haven't done it yet 4- list as many steps as you can think of now (this won't be accur...

I see a dance between the words; thankful, grateful and compassion. When you make your 'I'm thankful for…' list, do you make it on the list? There is a good chance you don't because many people are worried about feeling vain or narcissistic. What if you could practice thankfulness and self compassion and it improved your relationship with your horse? In this podcast, I discuss thankfulness, self c...

When someone makes a comment there is; what we hear, what we make it mean and how we can learn from it. A judge wrote, "You got just about every possible point out of this willing, obedient horse who is just not gifted with elasticity. Good training." Not everyone reacted the same as I did to this. I've also had people say things that I DID negatively react to. I share my thoughts on why these com...

Going ALL IN on a goal contains many learning opportunities. In this podcast, I discuss these three challenges and how I overcame them at the AQHA world show. 1) I was tempted to become overly focused on this one event and loose sight of the big picture. 2) I was tempted to let the results of the show determine my success. 3) I was tempted to loose hope when circumstances were NOT IDEAL. I knew in...

"The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their drea...

Horses are excellent at reading emotions. Have you learned the skill of creating an emotion on demand? You'll learn how to create and emotional state: both positive and negitive. I'll share an example that you can do in five minutes to experience your control over your emotions. Then I'll share three situations where you can practice creating a positive emotion.

Henry Ford summed it up well, 'Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right." In this podcast I explain why this is so true with our horses. Our thoughts change the way our cues feel to our horses. I share an example where the only thing I changed was my thoughts…and it drastically changed the outcome. If you ever have these thoughts: "I should be better than this by now." "I'm not...

The main point of life coaching is to bring awareness of how our thoughts are impacting our results. Most riders would willingly consider that their body was impacting their horse. In this episode I discuss the stages that riders go through when increasing their awareness both physically and mentally. I also share two warning signs that you might be blocking your awareness.

In this season of the podcast I'm discussing life coaching principals and how they apply to working with your horse. Life coaching addresses 'The Rider's Mind' which shows up in all quadrants. If I expand my intro I say each week in the podcast take a look at how the riders mind is in each phrase, "I'm here to help you read your horses body language, learn how to interpret the information you get...

In this podcast, I discuss the difference between 'finite games' which involve players, rules and winners and infinite, or never ending games, where the point is to keep playing because the journey is all there is. I share examples of this in the horse world and in everyday life. Then I close by telling you how I can easily identify which I'm playing…so you can try it too.

ALL riders I've talked with experience dissatisfaction…the interesting thing is that some keep going and some do not. I see people give up…and I see people who overcome. What is the difference? I discuss three traits I've noticed in riders who consistantly reach their goals. I explain the tipping point that I see and how how you can intentify these patterns in other areas of your life also.

In this episode, I discuss three situations where it is common for horses to ask questions about the rules. I call these moments 'Grandma's rules' which is my fun way of explaining that horses are always seeking out the most benifitial set of rules to opperate by. I explain where the name came from and how understanding this can improve your view the questions your horse is asking you.

Increasing a riders awareness of the feelings or emotions that come up during the learning process is extremely beneficial. For most riders, learning to train their own horse means learning new skills and experiencing the feelings that often accompany that like; vulnerable, nervous, disappointed, frightened, uncertain and awkward. In this podcast I explain the role of these uncomfortable emotions...

Today I'm talking about patterns…why I recommend riding patterns and why riders often have resistance to riding patterns. I'll discuss anticipation in multiple forms, increasing your awareness by getting feedback from your horse and how your focus, or lack of focus, is impacting your ride. I posted two of my favorite training patterns over on my website under the show notes for this episode. They...

If you're in the middle of a work session and things aren't going the way you hoped do you lose confidence? How does this impact your time with your horse? In this episode I propose the idea that we can have different types of confidence. I outline 'self' confidence vs 'skill' confidence and explain why knowing the difference could improve your results with your horse.

In this episode, I explain three ways I see people holding themselves back by accidentally limiting their awareness of their body. Riding horses can be a great physical awareness tool. I describe what I call 'body scanning' and how to use this tool as a way to increase your awareness of your body so you can communicate more clearly with your horse.

In this episode I'm answering a question about lead changes. In the beginning I'm very methodical about teaching shoulder control with the reins, legs as speed control. THEN hip control with my legs…separate from the shoulder control that is in my reins. I discuss: Bend and counterbend, turn on the forehand, Canter-walk-canter transitions, bouncy canter (collected), counter canter…and more. Can I...

In this episode I'm answering a question about teaching a horse how to hunt slowing down with less or no rein contact. I'll discuss teaching multiple cues, offering choices through the use of patterns and I'll give you three different 'tests' you can take to evaluate your communication with your horse.

Learn how to identify what lead your horse is on when watching from the ground or when riding. What makes a lead 'right or wrong' or correct or incorrect? What is counter canter? What is cross firing? If a horse is constantly cross firing…what's going on? Is this a soundness or a weakness issue? I answer all these questions and more before then giving tips on how to encourage a horse to elevate an...

I recieved an email awhile back that asked a short question. Here is what was written. "The biggest question I can't seem to get a clear answer for is "how do I ask for the collection?" It is such a short…and seemingly simple question. I explain the underlying issue of collection and why the answer isn't as simple as applying a few aids correctly. I explain what collection is NOT and how to identi...