Training
Why use a bit in a horses mouth?
Snaffle or shank? Why not free, nothing in the mouth of your horse. Sidepull, that’s all. One of my horses reacted real good when we stopped with the snaffle. He was very stiff in the neck and became easy and willing, bending his neck in both left and right directions. I’ve noticed this before with other…
Read MoreInsecure horses and self control
Thankfully the horse show ended better than it began! Willow (the 7-year old I mentioned in a previous post) recovered nicely. Willow is not a naturally confident horse and this was her first horse show. To give an example of how nervous she was, the first night I was riding in the dressage arena we…
Read MoreWeaning foals with older horses
It’s weaning time! Actually, it has been weaning time for these two fillies for awhile now as we use a gradual system of weaning. These photos are from yesterday and they are turned out with Popcorn, my older gelding. I like weaning gradually and I like keeping them in a herd environment. You can see…
Read MoreThe Bare Facts About Bareback Riding!
“Stacy, I love all your videos on training! I have a question. On riding bareback, I know there are benefits for the rider such as balance and seat. I also know there are possible risks to the horse. So is it something I should include in my training of me and my horses or something…
Read MoreWhat am I doing wrong?
“Hi Stacy, I’m a trail rider and up until recently I didn’t understand the need to ride around in a circle. I bought a new horse about a year ago and on the trail he will follow my husband’s mare with no problems. He even leads sometimes, if she’ll let him. I live in —————…
Read MoreThe first horse I refused to train by Stacy Westfall
For many years I accepted any horse for training. Maybe they were bred to be famous or maybe they were unregistered and abused. Either way, I would take them. 30 days, 60 days, three years. All were possible if you just paid your bill. Until one day…. A man called and asked if I would…
Read MoreUnderstanding is the foundation for communication.
Without a doubt, my favorite thing to teach people is how to understand what their horse is experiencing. Love. It. Why? Understanding is the foundation for communication. When it comes to understanding horses, the place to start is by teaching people to read the horses body language. Horses are always communicating with us…but we need…
Read MoreSelf Control: You want it for your horse…but do you have it yourself?
When I picture a great horse, in any discipline, my mind always shows me the image of a horse with great self control. Confident. Strong. Steady. It is what I admired about the horse in the Black Stallion book and movies. It wasn’t about breaking his spirit…it was about understanding each other and both horse…
Read MoreClipper training horses: techniques that work
How do you approach body clipping foals if they aren’t halter trained yet? With good technique. The technique is the same one you should use with any horse (approach and retreat) but the application is different. Think about that sentence for a minute. The technique, the idea, the thought, the theory, is approach and retreat.…
Read MoreThe problem with just choosing a BIGGER bit.
When I ride a horse it feels to me like I am having a conversation with the horse. As I shift my hands, legs or weight I am either asking or rewarding the movement of the horse. The horse is allowed, even encouraged, to give me feedback as we go. The beauty of this is…
Read More