Posts by Stacy Westfall
The most difficult transition we do with a horse: Episode 9-The Trail to the World Show
In this video I discuss transitions of speed, gait…and the most difficult transition I believe we do with horses. Teaching horses to accept contact, loose rein, and contact again is difficult. Practicing transitions inside of gaits (jog to extended jog) is just as important as transitions between the gaits (trot-canter). I knew my weekend plan…
Read MoreBuddy sour horses, western dressage & why I show: Episode 8- The Trail to the World Show
What do you do if the horses are pawing when tied up? What do you do if they whinny and call for each other? This is the first time I’ve hauled Willow and Gabby together. Willow is always a bit insecure at horse shows and Gabby hasn’t been hauled very much (less than five times).…
Read MoreWhen horses get sore or lame: Episode 7-The Trail to the World Show
Unfortunately, training horses comes with setbacks. Sometimes horses get sore or go lame. While I was at a show with Willow, I decided to turn Gabby out. Three things happened to converge; her feet had been recently trimmed, the ground was frozen in the morning, and she decided to run hard and play. During turnout,…
Read MoreMuscle memory from reining not working in dressage-Episode 6: The trail to the world show
Six dressage classes and a wedding! I signed up to show in six USDF recognized classes with the hope of collecting the first and second level scores we need for our bronze medal in dressage. It made for a busy weekend…especially when we added in attending a wedding! I think the discussion of the levels…
Read MoreFeeling nervous or having doubts at horse shows. Episode 5-The Trail to the World Show
The rider’s mind has a huge impact on training and showing a horse. I teach what I have learned from over twenty years of training and showing horses…and one of those things is the constant need to evaluate what you are thinking. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes at a dressage show.…
Read MoreHorse choosing which ball to play with: Presto’s hard choice…
Presto, the foal I adopted from Last Chance Corral, loves to play with the Weaver Activity balls. He is pretty low in the herd pecking order and the balls do exactly what he says, lol! In the end…I’m not sure which he likes best. I thought it was funny how he kept switching back and…
Read MoreTeaching a horse to handle stress. Episode 4: The Trail to the World Show
The world can be a stressful place if you don’t know how to recover from challenges. This is true with humans and it is true with horses. There are two primary ways we can address stressful situations with horses. We can try to avoid stress We can teach the horse how to handle stress Those…
Read MoreHow does feeling nervous or excited impact your riding?
“Stacy, Do you get nervous before you show?” I always have tension in my body before I show…but sometimes this tension is helpful and sometimes it is NOT helpful. I want a feeling of positive tension in my body as I prepare. I want to feel ready to go and excited. There have been times…
Read MoreTeach your horse to stand still: trail and arena. Episode 3: The Trail to the World Show
Question: Do you trail ride your show horses? Answer: Yes!!! In this video, I explain some of the reasons I trail ride. I also share how I ‘build a bridge’ between arena work and trail work. I explain what I consider ’emotional control training’ and show examples in the arena. Maybe the most interesting clips are…
Read More5 steps for teaching the free walk for western dressage.
“Stacy, How can I teach my horse to reach his neck down and out for the free walk?” Free walk, stretchy walk, long and low…no matter what riders call it the idea is the same. The horse should lower and stretch the neck downward and outward. To be more specific, western dressage defines the free…
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