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Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall — Outdoor
Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

Stacy Westfall teaches people how to understand, enjoy and successfully train their own horses. In her podcast, she shares all of her knowledge in her area of expertise: horses. She offers insights into issues that riders face in their own minds as well as the way they are viewing the challenges and goals they have with horses. She shares tips on becoming a better rider as well as a better leader for your horse.
Discover how you can understand things from your horses point of view so that you can enjoy the learning process with your horse. When you are able to understand what your horse is experiencing mentally and physically the process of learning new things becomes more enjoyable.
Your goals may be showing, trail riding or simply enjoying life with horses-all of which Stacy enjoys herself.
She shares her own struggles and successes to allow listeners to understand that everyone experiences ups and downs.
Through her podcast, website, YouTube channel and social media Stacy answers questions about: Fear, when to sell a horse, goal setting, safety, ground work, trailer loading, lead changes, reining, spins, stops, western dressage, ranch riding, when to get help, lessons, clinics and improving your safety, success and enjoyment of horses.

Copyright: © StacyWestfall.com

Latest Episodes:

Episode 214: Reviewing…without a self-doubt spiral. Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Self-doubt is often born out of a low-value cycle.

"I could have done better." sound so innocent. But what it really begins a little spiral of self-doubt.

The next time you have to make a decison, a part of you will feel doubt, because you KNOW you'll be judging yourself in the future.

Your treatment of yourself during a review, greatly impacts your willingness to participate.

It is possible to look at your past actions and learn from them without judging yourself for making the choice. It is possible to stay neutral about the choice, feel disappointment about the result, AND learn from the experiences.

On your horsemanship journey, you will experience many emotions. You will likely make choices that you won't want to repeat.

Changing your behavior is possible without adding shame or criticism.

Make the decision. Have your own back. Accept it as done and complete. AND realize you are still free to choose differently.

Episode 213: 'How greed' and your success pattern Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

When a rider sets a goal or begins to struggle, they are often tempted to heavily focus on the 'how.' This often appears as a heavy focus on the horse's body or the rider's body.

The real 'how' of reaching a goal or finding your path through a current struggle is a combination of the things you do, and the way you think.

Riders who focus on the action steps only begin to fall into 'how greed' and are even more likely to ignore the more subtle emotions that are 'coloring' the riding session. 'How greed' is a symptom of a low-value cycle, and without practiced awareness, your brain will automatically default to this. High-value thinking is created intentionally and can become a cycle. It will also reveal your personal success pattern. Your success pattern is how you navigate the tough stuff.

The more time you spend in high-value cycles, the more success you will have.

Episode 212: The 'gap' in the conversation tells you what your horse is thinking. Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

In this podcast, I explain how it is possible to teach a horse to offer desirable responses. I describe it as having a 'conversation' with a horse. I discuss the theory AND I give actual riding examples, including a link to a video example.

Inside a conversation, there are 'gaps' or spaces left for the other in the conversation to reply. What your horse offers in these gaps tells you what he is thinking.

I explain how the 'gap' changes as the horse's advance in training, and what to do if the horse fills the gap with a 'creative' idea.

I also cover what doesn't work, which is just LEAVING A GAP over and over. If you leave the gap…and they offer something undesirable…repeating that pattern doesn't create clarity for the horse.

Episode 211: Starting energy vs. Re-starting energy Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, I discuss the difference in the energy of starting something new, versus re-starting something after your plans were interrupted. New starts often come with an excited type of energy. Re-starting is an entirely different skill set. It requires you to use a different energy and a different way of thinking. I explain how it is possible to use the longing or desire that I felt during the interruption, to fuel me when I'm restarting.

Long-term plans will likely be interrupted. Understanding how to re-start effectively will ensure you make more consistent progress toward your dream.

Episode 210-Hundreds of reasons to be thankful for horses this Thanksgiving Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Listen while you prep for Thanksgiving, or anytime you need a reminder of what horses bring to your life.

I asked…and YOU answered. Messages flooded in from around the world sharing why you love horses, why you are thankful for horses…and how horses have changed your life.

Horses are good for the soul. Challenges. Triumphs. Friends, conversation. Time stops. Worries leave. Peace. Companions to my grief. Wonder, joy, love, adrenaline, fear. Magic. Connection. Mutual respect. Unconditional love, respect. Focus. Joy. Gratitude. Compassion. Purpose and belonging. In my element. Learning about myself. How to be a better person. Calm. Self awareness. Sensitivity. Open, willing. Better, kinder, smarter human. A chance to see the world from their back. Beauty. Strength. Escape. Grow, learn, inspired. "I Can." Peace, love, joy. Grounded. Focused. Sane. Considerate. …and so much more.

Thanks for sharing, for inspiring, and for listening. Happy Thanksgiving.

Episode 209: The teacher and the student (human or horse) Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Have you heard the statement, "There are no stupid questions." It's a common saying because it's a common problem. Students fear asking a question because they would rather not appear stupid. On the flip side, teachers also have the challenge of explaining things clearly, without reacting to the idea that a student might misinterpret this.

It is worth looking at both of these scenarios because it is very likely that you will find yourself in both roles: student and teacher. As the teacher, do the hard work of going back and reviewing the basics whenever you think it would serve the student. As the student, ask the questions that occur to you without pre-judging them yourself with labels like, "this is too basic, too simple, I'll sound stupid asking…"

This is work worth doing to improve your human to human experience, and it can help you understand your role as teacher to your horse as well. The good news is…your horse won't worry about appearing stupid, AND will continue to ask the questions. What kind of teacher will you be?

Episode 208: Reflecting to reveal your pattern of choices. Nov 09, 2022

Show notes

Reflection is different from remembering. Reflecting is looking back at experiences and making sense of them from your current point of view. It is the intention of learning from the past that makes it reflecting. One challenge people face is looking back without judging themselves for the choices they made. When I ask, "What could I have done differently?" it is intended to reveal the multitude of choices I had…so I can understand why I chose the one that I did. In this sense, the question isn't about whether I selected the right or wrong path, but rather how I made the decision. This type of clarity will show me my decision-making habits. Understanding why I chose what I did helps me understand who I was at that moment, and then I can decide if I want to make similar or different choices in the future.

Episode 207: The very real work of changing your mind. Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

Imagine how much freedom you would feel if you could watch videos of your rides and see what is working first, instead of only seeing what wasn't.

Or imagine committing to training your horse…and having the side effect of losing 20 pounds as a byproduct.

Some concepts, like doing 'thought work' or 'mindset work' can seem very vague if talked about in general terms.

On today's podcast, I share with you the power of this work, in a way that will also move it out of a 'concept' and into reality. Listen as two students share moments of their journey that provide insights into their remarkable results.

Episode 206: How riders use planning against themselves or their horse Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

What is the point of planning your ride…if you don't follow through on the plan? And if you plan, but then ride without regard to your full experience in the moment, or your horse's full experience…did the plan help or hurt?

In this episode, I share an example of a moment when I needed to re-evaluate my plan for the day. I explain how I decide to continue on with the plan or when and how I decide to stop, or even go back to review more basic skills. I'll explain the power of plateaus and how sometimes the best time to stop is when the plan is working brilliantly.

Episode 205: Planning transitions and revealing habits Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

You have two choices when riding; plan your transitions or ride reacting to what is happening. Planning your transitions when riding involves the mental transition as well as the physical transition. Mental transition: "I will begin there" Physical transition: change of gait, change of bend, etc.

Planning may sound tedious or boring, but the benefits include:

planning increases your awareness of your habits
planning increases your awareness of your horse's habits
planning will smooth out your transition

Listen to learn how increasing your focus in this area can help you create your training plan and advance your riding.

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