Posts by Stacy Westfall
Episode 107: Training Cycles: Yearly, weekly, daily
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. Full Transcript Links…
Read MoreEpisode 106: Make your dreams a reality in 10 minutes
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…
Read MoreEpisode 105-Older horses and the decision to euthanize
<iframe style=”border: none” src=”//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/16852493/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/87d1ce/” height=”90″ width=”100%” scrolling=”no” allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> 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…
Read MoreWDAA World Show Test Results (PDF) of Stacy’s rides
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE VIDEOS AND TEST PDF’S The results are in…and both of my horses are now Western Dressage World Champions! “I Can Can I” won her Level 4, Test 3 class (thats Willow, the little dun) “Ravenclaw” won TWO classes and was Reserve Champion in another! (bay mare aka Gabby) I’m so glad…
Read MoreEpisode 104: Western Dressage Test Explained…and WDAA World Show Results!
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…
Read MorePresto’s score sheets: Western Dressage World Show 2020, Basic Level Test 1
🐴The score sheet for Presto’s first show arrived! The class placings are still not available but the judge’s marks and comments are. You can click each one to enlarge it and the pdf version is available on my website (if you’re having trouble reading these). If you’re new to reading the test results, here are…
Read MoreEpisode 103: Is the phrase, “It’s all training”…a useful statement?
“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…
Read MoreWhat if riders changed their emotions?
In eight days, I will find out the results of Presto’s first horse show…not that I’m counting:) ⏰This extra time, this unusual gap between ‘show’ and ‘results’ has been an interesting experience. Generally, the results are known quickly. Moments, minutes, maybe an hour later. Many a rider has held their breath…waiting to hear how they…
Read MoreEpisode 102- Riding one horse in multiple disciplines
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,…
Read MoreTraining Time vs Riding Time
🐴When I look back over two decades of training horses, there are patterns I can see. One of the patterns I see is riding time vs training time. While they are closely related, for me there is a difference. 🌻❄️I live in an area with four seasons. I have an indoor arena that helps…
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