Posts by Stacy Westfall

When I hear a rider say, ‘I’ve lost the connection with my horse.” I see red flags go up in my mind. Here’s why. The vast majority of the time, if I were picking a number, I’d say about 80% of the time, that I hear this AND SEE the horse being ridden…I see CUE…

I have the beautiful privilege of speaking with many people who love horses. The majority are women. Many of them are pursuing their horse dreams in the second half of life. The tipping point where I meet many of these women is…the stage where they are stepping into action to pursue their dream. In this…

In this episode, I discuss how quickly horses begin to recognize patterns of behavior, and I answer a listener question about working around feeding time. While these may seem unrelated, I think the contrast highlights how incredibly valuable it is to recognize how you view your horse. Do you view your horse as a dependent…

Confidence and self-confidence are both important. But if one skill rules them all, it is the belief that you can trust yourself. Confidence comes from a Latin word which means “to trust”; therefore, having self-confidence is having trust in oneself. Self-confidence is an emotion that you generate without any history to back it up or…

Today, I’m answering a question that came in about bitless and/or bridleless riding.  In the episode, I explain:
 common mistakes people make when considering bridleless riding the importance of understanding WHY you want to ride bridleless assessing your horse’s understanding based on past training the differences between bit-less and bridleless riding when I begin introducing…

Today I’m answering a question that came in regarding two horses owned by one person. One horse is very responsive to pressure, while the other is more bold and brave…and doesn’t respond as much to pressure. The caller shares how this is causing her a challenge. In my response, I explain: the importance of establishing…

I asked riders this question, “”Is there a feeling you really struggle with that seems to be affecting your riding?” These are a few of the answers: self doubt, battling negative thoughts, imposter syndrome, inadequate, anxious, nervous, anticipating problems, judging myself, sad, frustration (time frame…taking longer than expected), lack of confidence, anxiety, fear, fear, annoyed,…

This week, I’m answering a listener question about training vs emotional ‘deposits’ when spending time with a horse. I answer this question from several angles, including: -‘earning’ the right to be in their space. -seeing the horses side of the conversation – your human view of work – what Professional trainers must identify – what…