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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:

Improving Steering & Teaching Neck Reining, Once in a Lifetime Horses Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

Episode 64: The Complete Guide to Improving Steering and Teaching Neck Reining is here! My newest teaching course releases today and I'm really excited about the content. It's my best teaching yet. I explain the stages of training that horses go through and the techniques and patterns that I use. To save you time, I've edited the information into short videos, printable PDF's and even audios, similar to this podcast, that you can ride and listen to. I've made it easy to navigate so you can find exactly what you want to study. Later in the podcast, I discuss the idea of 'once in a lifetime' horses. I've had three so far…at least in the public view. What does that mean? And finally, I update you on my horses. I discuss getting started again after a break, Where I feel the 'loss' the most and the concept of finding the 'holes' in a horse's training.

Equine Career Q&A, Full Confession and Self Awareness Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

Episode 63: In this episode, I make a confession about how much (or not much) I have been working my horses, I discuss self-awareness and I answer 12 horse training/career questions for a young lady who wrote in. Horse Training Interview Questions

What inspired you to be involved in this career?
Describe one of the challenges in your career?
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Why did you choose to go to the University of Findlay to pursue this career path?
What qualities do you think a person in this career should possess?
What were some of the things you encountered in this job that you didn't expect?
Does your job carry over to your personal life? Explain
Does this job suit your personality? Explain
If you could change one thing about your job what would you change?
Did you have a role-model that led you to where you are now, if so who and why?
How would you advise someone entering the field to get started?
Are there any pitfalls that someone new to the career should avoid?

Good horse training is boring... Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Episode 62: This week's podcast continues explaining the levels of training that horses go through. I describe the middle part of horse training as boring… Picture a bell curve. The beginning of the curve is the beginning of the horse's training. I call it elementary school and quite a few exciting things happen there; haltering, saddling, bridling & riding. Then we get to the middle of the bell curve. Where the changes are subtle and the hours are long. The long, repetitive middle. Like Wednesday, everyday…if you don't see the details. I explain elementary school, high school and college using Presto, Willow, and Gabby as illustrations. I explain what is really going on there in the middle and how it leads to the beautiful things we want at the end.

Why would I look forward to my horse spooking? Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

Episode 61: I explain the stages of horse training as I see them. I use the levels of elementary school, high school and college as levels of horse training. I explain what I'm looking for in those stages…and the idea that just riding a horse for more hours does not necessarily mean they keep moving up through the levels. In this episode, I go into detail with Presto who is in elementary school. I also explain why I don't feel safe until a horse in elementary school spooks…and recovers. During this season, I will be sharing more behind the scenes with Presto, Willow and Gabby so you can better understand the methods I've been teaching you.

5 Tips for Motivated Riding Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Episode 60: Stacy shares what is going on in her barn with her horses. She shares how she is using the techniques and ideas that she has been teaching in the podcast...in her own barn. Stacy starts by answering a listener's question about motivation: "Hi, Stacy. My name is Andrea. And my question is, how do you just get motivated? To get out there with your horse when you feel like you're all alone and you just really don't have that encouragement. From others. I don't really know a lot of horsey people. How do you just get motivated just to get out there and be with your horse? Do your ground training refresher course and just get on the back of your horse? How do you just get motivated just to do that?" Stacy shares five actionable tips for staying motivated.

Experiencing A 'Bad' Riding Lesson Jan 01, 2020

Show notes

Episode 59: Stacy and Ginny discuss the power of using curiosity to overcome challenges.

Stacy tells about here experience with a 'bad' riding lesson.

Ginny discusses getting bucked off a horse she trusted and having to decide if she should sell the horse.

Stacy & Ginny discuss the power of the rider's mind to make different choices and how that can impact our riding, relationship and enjoyment of our horses.

Christmas Morning in the Barn Dec 25, 2019

Show notes

Episode 58: Welcome to the Christmas edition of the podcast, because this episode releases on Christmas Day this year, I thought I would share one of my favorite Christmas memories with you.

Or maybe it's a lesson you get to decide.

What you're hearing in the background is a clue to my favorite memory.

Are you ready?

My favorite memory is actually feeding the horses on Christmas Day. It's probably not what you're expected, right?

The horses get fed twice a day, every day, year-round around here. So why would feeding on Christmas Day rank so high? When I listen to people talk about the routine of feeding horses at their houses every day, it often falls into one of two extremes. They either say something like the best part of having horses at home is…

or sometimes you hear people say the worst part of having horses at home is….

And both opinions are valid. There isn't really a right or wrong.

And I'll admit that I have felt the wear and tear of the everydayness of feeding and cleaning. And I admit that sometimes that makes it feel like a chore. And maybe that's why feeding on Christmas Day feels different. Maybe it's because that feeling of celebration is in the air.

Or maybe it's because the time leading up to Christmas is anything but routine. And so the routine of feeding is welcome.

Maybe it's the quietness and the barn that morning or the horses smell.

Or the horsey sounds.

I'm sure of one thing, though. What I'm sure of is that my mom influenced me in this area.

When I was growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money, owning horses was a struggle at times, so it was very easy to remember not to take them for granted. And while I was growing up on Christmas Day for as long as I can remember, our routine was to get up. My brother and I would be so excited. That could be pretty early. And the first thing we would do was open our stockings and then we would all stop and go feed the horses. I remember as a child begging to open presents before we fed. And I remember my mom explaining and never getting angry that the horses were in our care and that they depended on us and that we had made this commitment to them. And we would put on so many layers of clothing and we would trek through the snow,

(remember, I grew up in Maine) and we would feed the horses. And looking back, this also gave Christmas morning feeding a special feeling, the anticipation of the presents that were about to be open, hung in the air. And you might think that this made me rush through the feeding, but the horses were always so funny because we would bring them special treats. So instead of Christmas feeding being a speed event, something to rush through to get back to the presents, it began with giving presents to the horses, carrots, apples and other treats and always extra hay.

And maybe it's my memory or the weather or maybe they picked up on our energy level, but they always seemed extra perky on those cold mornings. And when I became a mother, we continued the tradition. Whatever time the kids got us up on Christmas morning, we would open the stockings first and then we would head to the barn to feed.

And then it was my turn to explain that the horses dependent on us. And it was my turn to hope that the boys could see the simple joy. And to hope that they would enjoy the anticipation instead of resenting the interference. But in the end, I knew that is each individual person's choice, whether they view it...s the joy or the interference.

Is the everydayness of horses. The best thing or the worst thing? I guess it's all in how you look at it.

Merry Christmas.

Ride with Faith...and Training Dec 18, 2019

Show notes

Episode 57: Stacy explains that she has been pondering the answer she gave to a listener last week and she has more to add this week. She discusses the role of faith in horse training as well as mistakes she sees people make when they use the word 'faith' as applied to their horse.

Stacy also discusses how 'good-natured' horses can still hurt people and why this happens.

Q&A: Rescue horses, boring riders, why striking & kicking? Dec 11, 2019

Show notes

Episode 56: I answer listener questions and receive some feedback from Ron.

I answered a question for Ron in a previous episode and he calls in to let me know that he has tried the methods and they are working well.

Question 1: Hi, my name is Virginia. I'm calling from Westchester County, New York. Thank you so much for your podcast and learning so much. I recently rescued a gelding they think is between 15 and 18 years old. We think he has a new century. We don't know too much about his history, though. He came to the new barn underweight and I've been feeding a lot, but he's been very pushy on the ground and in the arena. He trots and canters off before I cue him. It goes to the gate and stops as if he's saying, I'm done. I want to just go back to my and eat, because when I do lead him to his stall, he pushes right through me. So any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Question 2: Hi, Stacy. Thank you so much for your wonderful podcast. My question for you is what prevents a well-trained horse from kicking out or striking out at its handler? I am kind of new to the horse running and have quite a fear of being around the hindquarters or the front end and within striking distance. And I'm looking for a good answer that's going to kind of give me peace. I for example, let's say I'm behind the horse, washing his tail, washing his lower legs or even on the side putting on his saddle. What prevents him from kicking out is there's one small thing that frustrates him. Let's say he doesn't like it when you wash his tail or he doesn't like it when you squeeze his lower leg when you're trying to get the water off.So what makes him say, you know what, I'm just going to handle this?

So what prevents him from kicking me or striking out at me even as he respects me, even if I don't know even if what, but just what prevents him from striking out and kicking out if I do something he doesn't like? Is it just that there's a line of respect and he knows not to cross that?

Training aids or gimmicks? Martingales, draw reins, etc. Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

Episode 55: I'm answering a listener question about martingales, training forks, draw reins and the like. Let's listen to the question.

Some people would consider these things to be training aids and other people would consider them to be gimmicks. Let's have a conversation and see if we can come up with a few different ways to view them. And then at the end of the podcast, you get to decide what you believe.

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