Posts by Stacy Westfall

Listen while you prep for Thanksgiving, or anytime you need a reminder of what horses bring to your life:) I asked…and YOU answered. Messages flooded in from around the world sharing why you love horses, why you are thankful for horses…and how horses have changed your life. Horses are good for the soul. Challenges. Triumphs.…

Have you heard the statement, “There are no stupid questions.” It’s a common saying because it’s a common problem. Students fear asking a question because they would rather not appear stupid. On the flip side, teachers also have the challenge of explaining things clearly, without reacting to the idea that a student might misinterpret this.…

Reflection is different from remembering. Reflecting is looking back at experiences and making sense of them from your current point of view. It is the intention of learning from the past that makes it reflecting. One challenge people face is looking back without judging themselves for the choices they made. When I ask, “What could…

Imagine how much freedom you would feel if you could watch videos of your rides and see what is working first, instead of only seeing what wasn’t. Or imagine committing to training your horse… and having the side effect of losing 20 pounds as a byproduct. Some concepts, like doing ’thought work’ or ‘mindset work’…

What is the point of planning your ride…if you don’t follow through on the plan? And if you plan, but then ride without regard to your full experience in the moment, or your horse’s full experience…did the plan help or hurt? In this episode, I share an example of a moment when I needed to…

You have two choices when riding; plan your transitions or ride reacting to what is happening.  Planning your transitions when riding involves the mental transition as well as the physical transition. Mental transition: “I will begin there” Physical transition: change of gait, change of bend, etc. Planning may sound tedious or boring, but the benefits…

When you work with your horse, you look at his body to understand his full experience. You probably notice his physical responses to your cues, as well as physical clues to his emotional state. Have you stopped to consider that your horse is doing the same thing? Just as your horse’s emotional state is reflected…

Are you a Resourceful Rider? Examples of resourcefulness include: 1-Being strategic about how you leverage your resources; 2-Not wasting time and money; 3-Getting the best out of what you have; 4-Being flexible and adaptable; 5-Thinking outside the box; 6-Being willing to learn new skills or develop existing ones when necessary. Listen now hear specific horseback…