Video
Teach your horse to stand still: trail and arena. Episode 3: The Trail to the World Show
Question: Do you trail ride your show horses? Answer: Yes!!! In this video, I explain some of the reasons I trail ride. I also share how I ‘build a bridge’ between arena work and trail work. I explain what I consider ’emotional control training’ and show examples in the arena. Maybe the most interesting clips are…
Read MoreWestern Dressage: What is the judge looking for?
I attended the Western Dressage Judges seminar…and I don’t intend to become a judge. Why did I go? I went because I had one question: What are the judges looking for in western dressage? I had done some online research. I had shown at a few shows. But I wanted to know first hand what the…
Read MoreTrail to the Western Dressage World Show with Stacy Westfall
Do you like seeing behind the scenes? I do. The end result is often enjoyable; the fully decorated cake, the perfect wedding…an amazing horse in the show pen. But the story of how it all came about is often far more interesting. This year I’ve decided to invite you in for a behind-the-scenes look at…
Read More3 fixes for mud in horse pastures
I’ve lived in different areas of the country and seen many ways to deal with muddy pastures and paddocks. Some places don’t really have to deal with mud while others have lovingly nicknames spring ‘mud season’. I currently live in Ohio. If I had HUGE pastures the horses might not tear up the footing but…
Read MoreTeam Lia the Haflinger
I joined a team last weekend. A good friend invited me to play. I’ve never agreed to anything like this before and as I told my husband, “It makes me excited and nervous.” My day planner also said I should do something that scares me…so I said yes. Yes, I will show a horse I…
Read MoreFood stuck to my face…if only I had hands!
Newt was clearly wishing to snack on this…but he just couldn’t catch it! The things you see around the barn! I’m not sure if we will ever have a comedian quite like Newt…although his younger brother Lincoln and my rescue pony Presto might give it a shot!
Read MoreShould I breed my mare: Things to consider before breeding.
1-Commitment– Are you breeding to sell or for your personal enjoyment? Many people own a mare that they love and would like to raise one foal out of. This decision is usually made more from an emotional level than from a selling stand point. I personally made this decision with my mare when I was…
Read MoreMini horses are similar to unicorns…and other email topics
I opened this email today: “Stacy, How do you make the mini’s forlock so White? They are eye catching!” -Marcia I could see that Marcia was replying to a thank-you email she had received from me after signing up for my weekly newsletter. On that page there is a photo of me squeezed between two very…
Read MoreVideo: update on Presto and Justice, pasture, trailer and BIG news!
I documented the first few weeks of having the nurse mare foals in detail but then life got busy. I did keep collecting photos and video but I didn’t make the time to post about it. (see bottom for links to past blogs) This is my catchup video! It shows footage from July-January and include…
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.…
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