Posts by Stacy Westfall

On today’s podcast I’m going to share with you a three step way to evaluate your corrections when you’re training your horse. I actually don’t like the word correction…but I’m using it because it gets to the essesnce of the problem the quickest. In the podcast I will explain why corrections cause more problems and…

I received this question, decided to make it a podcast topic because I have recently experienced a significant setback that derailed my plans. I see three types of life issues that can bring you to a halt. 1) Mindset issues: This can show up as fear, limiting beliefs, or EMOTIONS YOU WOULD PREFER TO AVOID.…

  I often get questions like, “How do I keep my horse from getting bored?” or “How do I keep repetitive things from becoming boring?”
or statements like “My horse got bored with that, so I changed it up.” One reason this is interesting to me is because…I don’t have bored horses. Yet, if you were…

In this episode, I am wrapping up the ‘horse show’ season of the podcast. Showing has hugely impacted my development as a rider, and in this episode I share two lessons I learned directly from showing. One was really challenging. The other is pure goodness. I close by sharing some of the many reasons listed…

In this podcast, I’m discussing three viewpoints THAT ARE happening in other aspects of riding…but are most clear in showing. Understanding these three roles will improve your understanding of your riding challenges. Phrases or thoughts like: “oops, I messed that up”, “that was terrible” “ooh, that was bad” “I hope they didn’t notice that”  “lets…

Learning the skill of establishing a calculated plateau will require you to know yourself, know your horse, and exercise self-control. A calculate plateau happens when a rider chooses to stay at, or return to a known level of skill. This is beneficial for creating consistency and confidence in the horse and rider. It also proves…

Here is how I would describe the ideal rider and horse experience at a horse show: Ideally, the rider is focus on: -what’s happening with the horse (the horse’s experience) – the task at hand (test, obstacle, etc.) – what the rider needs to adjust or change or continue doing to support the horse and…

A listener calls in and explains that she has previously enjoyed showing, and would like to show again…but a few thing have changed. She is older, and now lives in an area where she doesn’t know as many people. She says, “The fear that is preventing me from showing my horse is the fear of…

In this episode, I discuss the benefits of a show environment, and why insecure horses can learn to thrive at shows. Topics include: Three different types of show environments. The challenge of going to a show with many beginners. Overall show routine vs your individual routine that bridges between home and the show Why insecure…

In this podcast, I answer a listener’s question about riding in different disciplines on the same horse. Topics discussed include: how the horse’s original training was approached was it based in reactivity or responsiveness (the ability to think through versus reacting) The horses talent in the discipline. The riders talent in the discipline. Where frustration…