Posts by Stacy Westfall
Episode 78: Discussing quality, quantity, and boredom during horse training
Ep 78: A listener called in a question about training her first two year old. She is struggling to find the balance between quality vs quantity and also a concern of causing boredom during the training process. Stacy explains her views on finding a balance between quality and quantity beginning with the idea that quality…
Read MoreWhen you weaned Justice and Presto from each other, how did it go? Was it like a mare and foal being weaned?
“Was either one of them (Presto or Justice) traumatized at this second separation or were they able to shrug it off like a weaning?” When I adopted Presto from Last Chance Corral I was required to take two foals. In my recent blog and FB posts I have described how and why we chose Justice.…
Read MoreEpisode 77: Add planning and refinement to your riding: circles, straight & cues
Ep 77: How does planning help set your horse up for success? How do the layers of training build into a more refined cue system? These topics and more come up as I answer the two following questions. Question 1: I loved the pattern you shared on Episode 70, Riding Circles within Circles. I felt…
Read MoreHorse’s hold a birthday party in the barn!
Things I learned: ?Horses wearing hats are funny. ?Yes, horses look shocked at a surprise party. ?Apples are popular. ?Peppermints are like glue. ?It takes 4 horses 6 minutes to destroy a table setting. For those who watched yesterdays ‘How to make a cake for a horse’ video…pay attention to the cake as all four…
Read MoreHow to make a birthday cake for a horse!
Happy 4th Birthday Presto!? I made this cake for you and invited some friends over for a party later? #confession This is the first time I’ve cooked for any of my horses. I’m normally an apple and carrots kind of owner but…this was really kind of fun! How do you celebrate with your animals? Keep…
Read MoreWhat types of things did you do to help the foals develop psychologically? Did he have other horses to learn from?
“What types of things did you do to help Presto develop psychologically? Did he have other horses to learn from?” I have received many variations of this question so I will be showing you many variations of things I did to socialize Presto and Justice while keeping them both safe. This is a video of…
Read MoreWere there challenges with the foals not learning body language from their mothers?
“Were there challenges with Presto missing some basic body language cues that he would have learned from his mother? Did he have a friend to run and play with or another horse to learn from?” It was very interesting to watch Presto and Justice as they met the older horses. In this video, you can…
Read MoreRescuing foals…responsibly: How do you take just one? How do you create a good citizen?
“How do you take just one? Such emotions tied to this. And how do you explain to people the importance of setting aside the emotions to do the job that is required to make this horse a good citizen? I have noticed when animals are rescued, people tend to allow bad behavior because they feel…
Read MoreNurse mare foals: Press on Regardless and No Regrets (Presto & Justice) trip home
Here is a video I made the day we picked up Presto and Justice back in 2016. ?I’ll post updated photos of both below. ❤️❤️ Interesting things to watch for: ☑️The first foal I touch in the video is Presto. ☑️The first foal I zoom in on is Justice. ☑️The lady in pink is Victoria…
Read MoreEp 76: Teaching horses to give to pressure, ground tie & stand quietly
Today I’m answering three questions that I think are all related. One is about a horse that pops his head up when he steps on the lead rope, another is about ground tying and the final one is about tying with patience. When a horse steps on the lead rope while grazing, some will step…
Read More