Posts by Stacy Westfall
Episode 154: Creating emotions to benefit you and your horse
Horses are excellent at reading emotions. Have you learned the skill of creating an emotion on demand? You’ll learn how to create and emotional state: both positive and negitive. I’ll share an example that you can do in five minutes to experience your control over your emotions. Then I’ll share three situations where you can…
Read MoreEpisode 153: How your thoughts change your results with your horse.
Henry Ford summed it up well, ‘Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you are right.” In this podcast I explain why this is so true with our horses. Our thoughts change the way our cues feel to our horses. I share an example where the only thing I changed was my thoughts…and…
Read MoreEpisode 152: Stages of thought awareness
The main point of life coaching is to bring awareness of how our thoughts are impacting our results. Most riders would willingly consider that their body was impacting their horse. In this episode I discuss the stages that riders go through when increasing their awareness both physically and mentally. I also share two warning signs…
Read MoreEpisode 151: Life coaching and the riders mind
In this season of the podcast I’m discussing life coaching principals…and how they apply to working with your horse. Life coaching addresses ’The Rider’s Mind’ which shows up in all quadrants. If I expand my intro, take a look at how the riders mind is in each phrase, “I’m here to help you read your…
Read MoreEpisode 150- Should you be playing a never ending game with your horse?
In this podcast, I discuss the difference between ‘finite games’ which involve players, rules and winners and infinite, or never ending games, where the point is to keep playing because the journey is all there is. I share examples of this in the horse world and in everyday life. Then I close by telling you…
Read MoreEpisode 149- Three traits I see in riders that reach their goals
ALL riders I’ve talked with experience dissatisfaction…the interesting thing is that some keep going and some do not. I see people give up…and I see people who overcome. What is the difference? I discuss three traits I’ve noticed in riders who consistantly reach their goals. I explain the tipping point that I see and how…
Read MoreEpisode 148- Three situations where horses frequently double check the rules
In this episode, I discuss three situations where it is common for horses to ask questions about the rules. I call these moments ‘Grandma’s rules’ which is my fun way of explaining that horses are always seeking out the most benifitial set of rules to opperate by. I explain where the name came from and…
Read MoreEpisode 147: This is the awkward, uncomfortable part of the journey.
Increasing a riders awareness of the feelings or emotions that come up during the learning process is extremely beneficial. For most riders, learning to train their own horse means learning new skills and experiencing the feelings that often accompany that like; vulnerable, nervous, disappointed, frightened, uncertain and awkward. In this podcast I explain the role…
Read MoreEpisode 146-Why patterns can help & why riders resist riding patterns
Today I’m talking about patterns…why I recommend riding patterns and why riders often have resistance to riding patterns. I’ll discuss anticipation in multiple forms, increasing your awareness by getting feedback from your horse and how your focus, or lack of focus, is impacting your ride. I posted two of my favorite training patterns over on…
Read MoreEpisode 145: Skill confidence vs self confidence
If you’re in the middle of a work session and things aren’t going the way you hoped do you lose confidence? How does this impact your time with your horse? In this episode I propose the idea that we can have different types of confidence. I outline ’self’ confidence vs ‘skill’ confidence and explain why…
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