Thought provoking
Every horse tells a story. It’s the trainers job to guide that story in a healthy direction.
Every horse tells a story. Their own story, their own way that they view the world. Young horses are often easier to read, similar to human children, as they don’t have as many layers of experience or ‘training’. Older horse can be more complicated because they have learned to have certain expectations of people or…
Read MoreI’m ill and unable to find a home for my untrained horse, what should I do?
“Hello Stacy, I live in Nevada, Mo. I’m in dire need of help. I have a 9 yr old registered quarter mare that is only halter broke. I’ve been ill and have not been able to work with her for years. My quary is, my 19 yr old mare has to be put down soon…
Read MoreWork easy horses as much as the hard ones.
It is tempting to work difficult horses more; longer, more frequent, more consistent and sometimes harder, than the naturally quiet horses. In reality they often need this. Some are like troublesome teenagers who need to be kept busy just to keep them out of trouble. But don’t overlook the quiet one. Just because he is…
Read MoreBecoming a balanced rider…and training a balanced horse.
When I ride a younger or greener horse it is common for me to exaggerate my body or hand position at times to make my point more clear to the horse. If you think about it, most of us do similar exaggerations when talking to young children. Have you ever notice that when you talk…
Read MoreStacy Westfall's first time riding bridleless on Newt
Yippy! Newt is giving bridleless riding a try! This is a video of the first time I took the bridle off Newt and rode him around. Newt is six years old in this video and I started his under saddle training as a two year old. I had been practicing the cue system during his…
Read MoreHow do you teach a horse to lay down so a person in a wheel chair can get in the saddle?
“How do you teach a horse to lay down so a person in a wheel chair can get in the saddle? The reason I am asking is because the end of August 2014 my boyfriend came down with west nile virus. As of the end of April 2015 he is still in a wheel chair and…
Read More3 Things to Remember with Horses that 'drop their shoulders'
In yesterday’s blog I explained that the term ‘dropped shoulder’ is often used to describe several things, the most common being 1) the horse wanting to turn to early 2) a lack of elevation/collection combined with the desire to turn (for my full explanation read yesterdays blog) Why does it happen? To answer that we…
Read MoreWhat is a 'dropped shoulder' in a horse and how can I fix it?
Yesterdays blog discussed ‘Confusing terms people use around horses‘ and the following comment showed up on the Facebook post. “I’ve been yelled at – and still don’t know what a dropped shoulder is.”-Karen S. This is a great example of a confusing term. I agree that people over use this term AND I believe it…
Read MoreOld habits vs new habits: in horses and in people
Most of us are at least somewhat aware of our own habits. You probably recognize that you have a routine when getting ready for bed each night or the way you fold your cloths. We become especially aware of those habits if someone interrupts or changes them. Where did you learn that habit? How strong is the…
Read MoreWhen you ride your horse do you focus on having 'feel' in your whole body?
You have to start somewhere. All riders do. Maybe it was a pony ride when you were a kid or maybe it was riding a friends horse for the first time when you were in your 40’s but all of us started riding somewhere. And it wasn’t pretty. And it probably went something like this:…
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