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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 344: Ask December You: The Time Travel Trick for Better Decisions Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Checking in on your goals mid-year might feel uncomfortable—especially if you've lost track of them or suspect you're not where you hoped to be. But that discomfort holds valuable clues. In this episode, Stacy Westfall shares why she used to resist mid-year reviews, what finally changed her mind, and how looking honestly at where you are now can realign you with what matters most.

In this episode:

Discover why forgetting your goals or avoiding progress checks signals a deeper problem with your approach
Learn the difference between changing your plan because it got hard versus finding a genuinely better path
Explore the "time travel" technique that helps you make decisions with clarity and confidence
Understand how emotions sabotage your willingness to look at facts and what to do about it

This episode demonstrates how a simple mid-year pause can transform scattered efforts into focused progress. Whether you're a goal-setter who's lost momentum or someone who typically avoids goal-setting altogether, you'll discover practical strategies for staying connected to what matters most without the guilt and overwhelm that often derail good intentions.

Episode 343: Why "Almost Right" Will Bring Less Tension Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Striving for precision too early in training often backfires—not because correctness is wrong, but because perfection adds pressure. In this episode, Stacy shares how choosing to leave something slightly off, or "almost right," can actually lead to greater clarity and softer communication. Using a real-time groundwork session with her mare Luna, Stacy illustrates how intentional imbalance builds understanding without triggering tension.

Key takeaways:

– Aiming for perfect balance too soon often creates tension in both horse and rider – Allowing small, chosen "mistakes" can give horses space to problem-solve – Overcorrecting sends mixed signals and creates a trapped feeling for the horse – Progress comes from subtle repetition, not dramatic gear changes

This episode examines how allowing "almost right" moments helps horses and riders stay mentally and physically relaxed while learning. Ideal for riders who find themselves overthinking, micromanaging, or unknowingly creating tension in pursuit of perfection.

Episode 342: Stuck Between Knowing and Doing Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Episode 341: Forward Is a Direction—And a Trained Skill Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

This episode builds on the previous discussion of horses "falling in" on circles by shifting from the problem to the proposed solution: teaching forward as a direction, not just a speed. Stacy explains why forward is often misunderstood and rarely trained as a purposeful, straight-line intention—and how this gap shows up in real riding issues.

Key takeaways:

Most riders unconsciously cue left or right more often than they intentionally ask for straight forward movement
Horses do not default to straightness—it's a trained skill, not a natural tendency
Trails and arena rails can give the illusion of straightness, masking a lack of rider-directed movement
Problems like dropped shoulders often stem from poor forward engagement, not just steering issues

This episode examines how redefining "forward" as a deliberate, trainable direction can dramatically improve your horse's balance, straightness, and responsiveness. Riders struggling with tight turns, imprecise lines, or inconsistent stops will benefit from this practical framework for improving both clarity and control.

Episode 340: Why Your Horse Keeps Falling In—and Leaning on Your Inside Leg May 28, 2025

Show notes

Episode 339: Training with Energy: Preparing Horses for Real-World Challenges May 21, 2025

Show notes

Recorded from her truck at a horse show, Stacy Westfall explores the critical but often overlooked concept of energy management between horse and rider. She observes that many riders fail to prepare their horses for the inevitable energy fluctuations they'll encounter in new environments, whether at shows or on trails.

Key takeaways:

External energy sources (flapping tents, other horses, tractors) and internal energy (rider nervousness, horse excitement) create an energetic environment that many riders mistakenly label as "problem behavior" when their horse responds
Training at home rarely includes deliberate practice with higher energy levels, leaving horses unprepared when they encounter intense situations in unfamiliar environments
When challenges arise, a rider's instinctive physical response—either shrinking back or providing confident support—reveals their underlying mindset and directly impacts their horse's confidence

This episode examines the fundamental difference between riders who approach challenges thinking "I might be causing this problem" versus those who think "my horse needs support," demonstrating how this mental distinction creates dramatically different outcomes when horses face uncertainty. Particularly valuable for riders who compete or trail ride in varied environments where energy management becomes critical for success.

Episode 338: The Mind-Body Connection at Tricky Trail Crossings May 14, 2025

Show notes

Stacy shares insights from her first off-property trail ride with Ember, revealing a critical moment where riders unknowingly teach their horses problematic behaviors. By identifying the exact instant when most riders make a fundamental mistake at water crossings, Stacy demonstrates how arena training directly transfers to trail success.

Key takeaways:

When a horse hesitates at obstacles like mud or water, is "go now" REALLY what you want to say?
Arena work that develops nuanced communication between horse and rider enables successful navigation of trail challenges
Maintaining consistent guidance when horses encounter new situations prevents confusion, unlike the mixed messages

This episode examines the direct connection between indoor schooling and outdoor application, demonstrating how the "high school" level subtleties developed in controlled settings become essential tools when facing real-world trail challenges.

Riders who struggle with water crossings or similar obstacles will gain actionable insights into how their communication either resolves or creates these common trail problems.

Episode 337: Change the Angle, Change the Lesson May 07, 2025

Show notes

This episode explores how shifting between perspectives reveals critical blind spots in your horsemanship. To illustrate this Stacy shares a 'backward' look at a common problems: a horse that spooks. When you commit to looking from each of these angles, you are more likely to get the full picture, transforming how you interpret and address training situations.

Key takeaways:

Discover how alternating between perspectives exposes patterns you miss when fixed in one viewpoint
Explore how the same situation (like a spook) transforms completely when analyzed from each of the four angles
Learn why your interpretation of events is heavily filtered by which perspective you habitually default to

This episode demonstrates the transformative power of intentionally changing viewpoints to solve persistent riding challenges. By using spooking behavior as a practical example, riders will gain a framework for applying this four-perspective approach to any training situation, allowing them to break through plateaus and develop deeper understanding of the horse-human partnership.

Episode 336: Horsemanship as Art—And the Tension of Teaching It Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Horsemanship is often described as an art—but teaching it requires breaking that art into pieces. In this episode, Stacy reflects on the challenge of translating feel, flow, and intuition into teachable steps—and why both structure and flow must coexist within the art of horsemanship.

Key takeaways:

Building flow without foundation leads to instability—structure is what gives flow freedom
Inspirational teaching often reflects flow, but lacks the tangible grip of mechanics
Over-focus on structure can limit the experience of partnership and presence
The artistic expression of riding emerges when steps become second nature

This episode examines the contrast between structure and flow in horsemanship, offering insight into why both are essential—and how recognizing your own tendencies can bring more balance to your training. Ideal for riders who want to understand the 'why' behind the feel, and step into the dance themselves.

Episode 335: The Rider's Body – When Your Body Tells a Different Story (Part 2) Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

Stacy Westfall explores the hidden conversation happening between riders and horses—beyond conscious cues. Using the analogy of learning to float while swimming, she reveals how riders can unintentionally contradict their own instructions through subtle physical signals.

In this episode:

Discover why your horse reads your tension, breathing patterns, and hormone shifts as clearly as your intentional aids
Learn to distinguish between helpful awareness and counterproductive anxiety by recognizing when your body is communicating mixed signals
Understand why even experienced riders must consciously evaluate both their horse's readiness and their own physical state in challenging situations

This episode demonstrates that skilled riding isn't just about technical precision—it's about mastering the subtle interplay between internal belief and physical communication. Your emotions will always "ooze out" of your body and become part of the conversation your horse is already listening to.

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