Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

Latest Episodes:

Learned Helplessness and Working Horses Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

I am answering a listener question about repetition and learned helplessness which was a response to my newsletter. The definition of learned helplessness from Google is a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure to succeed. It is thought to be one of the underlying causes of depression.

So the definition is somewhere between a traumatic event and persistent failure to succeed. The question involved trotting in 10 circles, so it's definitely going to be more around the persistent failure to succeed model. The main concept of this podcast will go back to the four square model of the rider's mind, the rider's body, the horses mind, and the horse's body. Along with, the concept of what you believe about learned helplessness with people.

Show Notes:

[05:16] My response is going to be based more on the definition of a persistent failure to succeed.

[06:14] This is where the four square model really shines. We have the rider's mind, the rider's body, the horses mind, and the horse's body.

[06:51] As a person, you're going to have a lot of experience between where you think that line of persistent failure to succeed may be or stretching your comfort zone.

[07:09] When I think of learned helplessness with people I think about kids going to school. Kids often ask if they really need to go to school or having to sit in a long meeting.

[08:41] The rider's mind connects to your body and how you show up with your horse. This will be reflected in the horses mind and body.

[09:32] Horses do a good job of reflecting us.

[10:15] Horses are going to move with whatever is allowed.

[10:32] If a rider believes that 10 laps are negative, they will reflect that back to the horse.

[11:44] Horses pick up on your mind and your body.

[12:32] Breaking down the four square model is super important.

[13:44] There are places where you still have to do a lot of physical work, and this is where the rider's body and the horse's body comes in.

[14:15] I choose to believe that Willow is capable of more than what her natural reactions are.

[15:41] I decided that Willow would be my best bet to train for traditional dressage. I signed up for my first traditional show in February, and Willow had never have the saddle on.

[16:30] I trusted that I would be consciously competent at some point.

[16:43] I also trusted in episode 10 about making mistakes in the right direction and episode 14 where there's a lot of muscle memory and habit building on my side.

[16:58] I also believed that I was adding layers like an episode 31 and episode 22 where horses move beyond predator and prey.

[17:22] Willow and I just learned our bronze medal in dressage. The bronze is the first of the three levels that signifies your competency level.

[17:56] It wasn't easy or mistake free. We completed all of these levels because of belief and trying.

[19:11] What you believe will become evident as you play out your actions.

[19:42] Figure out what you believe about learned helplessness with humans and then think about applying something similar to horses.

[20:34] Next week, we start Season Four: The Horse's Body. I'll also be announcing my first sponsor, so stay tuned.

Links and Resources:

Starbucks Pony Espresso: Riding My Horse Thru the Drive Thru

Norco, CA Horsetown USA

Trail to the Western Dressage World Show

Episode 5: The Four Stages of Competency

Episode 10: Make Mistakes in the Right Direction

Episode 14: Muscle Memory: habits & experience can improve your horseback riding skills

Episode 31: Listener Question: Untraining a Horse or Adding Layers?

Episode 22: Beyond Prey vs Predator: You're Underestimating Your Horse

Have you ever wondered what a live version of this podcast would be like?I'm hosting some live, online video calls that are like a live version of this podcast. I teach on a subject, answer questions and for those who are brave, I'll turn your video on live too and you can join me for a conversation!

If you want to learn more about this you can visit https://stacywestfall.com/live/ for more information!

Listener Question: How Do I Peak My Horses Performance for a Show? Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, I'm answering a listener question about peaking a horse for a show. The question is how do you keep your horse from peaking before you go to the show? The listener is a week away from a cowboy obstacle racing show. She exercised her mare yesterday, and the mare was spot ready. She doesn't want to overtrain her horse if the horse is at its peak.

To answer this question, I ask some questions about getting the horse to peak, how long did it take, and how long did it last. Since, I'm not on the phone with the listener, I'm going to run through some different scenarios about these questions that will hopefully help her gain clarity. Also, if anyone is interested in recording a Q and A phone conversation with me, let me know. That could be a really fun podcast.

Show Notes:

[02:10] How did you get your horse to this peak? How long did it take? Have you had her at a peak like this before? How long did that peak last? What do you think brought her down from that last peak?

[03:05] Keep in mind as I run through these scenarios, we are trying to bring the horse into the zone, but it's kind of like that teeter-totter we've talked about previously.

[03:42] How did you get her to this peak? If a horse is going to peak quickly and then fall off the other side I need an awareness that it's happening.

[05:17] With a very responsive horse you need to realize what the breaking point is and where they start to tip over the edge. You might want to peak this horse right before the show or learn how to extend it afterwards like rocking the teeter totter.

[07:24] You should be trying to figure this out at home when you don't have a show.

[08:17] With a really relaxed horse, you want to start to sharpen them a week before the start of the show. With a horse like this ask how long the last peak lasted?

[10:13] Why doesn't the balance last? At the lower levels it's achievable. It's very possible to get a horse balanced in a state where you have a level way of being across the board.

[10:53] When you start taking horses to a higher level, you have to start thinking about getting into the zone. When you're operating at a very high level, you are asking for a very high level of mental sharpness which can cause a certain amount of stress.

[12:03] As the zone moves higher, it's a different conversation than the balanced teeter-totter.

[12:27] Think about how much you are taking the horse out of its comfort zone, and its ability level.

[13:09] Horses who have to max out physically are pushing the edge of mental.

[14:15] I love showing, because it brings up my awareness about the subject. These things happen everywhere where you work with your horse.

[14:44] It's important to remember when you work a horse at a high level, you are bringing a certain amount of stress, so it's important to also bring the horse down from that level of stress.

Links and Resources:

WestfallHorsemanship@gmail.com

If you want to learn more about this you can visit https://stacywestfall.com/live/ for more information!

Horse With Mental Issues or Training Issues? Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

Is your horse's behavior caused by mental issues or training issues? Today, I have a listener question from Italy. The listener has a 10-year-old gelding that is still exhibiting the same behavior or training problems that he had when she got him at four and a half years old.

She is wondering if some horses have trauma that makes it impossible to fix certain issues. I'll be answering this question by discussing what constitutes mental issues and what constitutes training issues. Then I'll share my idea that is 10%, 80%, and 10%.

Show Notes:

[02:52] The truest mental issues I've ever seen with a horse makes me think of a chemical imbalance.

[03:25] Studies have suggested that aggressive dogs don't have the same amount of serotonin in their bodies.

[03:53] Have you ever heard the expression are you loco? Animals can eat locoweed and experience symptoms and signs weeks or even months later. Altered and aggressive behavior is often observed.

[04:43] This includes a violent reaction to routine practices like putting a halter on. Horses also experience more severe neurological effects than cows or sheep do.

[05:05] Removal from exposure to the plant can help with some behavioral changes but some may be permanent.

[05:18] There is evidence that there are things that can affect horses mentally that can last for a very long time.

[05:44] Out of all of the horses I've observed, I've only seen two who I thought were in this case.

[06:31] If the horse is truly having an imbalance type of thing, you are going to see changes across the board.

[07:09] The undiagnosable horse I was talking about would become unnecessarily violent.

[07:42] The vast majority of issues I've seen with horses over the years are training issues.

[08:28] If you put training issues on one side of the teeter-totter and mental issues on the other side, there is a whole spectrum of issues in between.

[09:25] My observation is that there are about 10% of horses who are exceptionally good. They just have a golden temperament.

[10:08] We could maybe go as high as 10% of horses out there who really need an expert.

[10:47] The majority of us deal with that 80% that's in the middle. These horses are greatly influenced by how they were handled.

[11:26] 90% of the horses out there are really good horses with the potential to do great things.

[12:59] Horses that have a temperament to be creative, work the system a little bit more. Don't let your horse know that you are swishy, because if they figure it out it's a bad thing.

[15:24] There is a good chance that this horse has learned different rules between groundwork and ridden work. Because he only acts up in one area, it's a clue that he has learned a different set of rules.

[16:46] The bigger question would be how retrainable is he?

[17:39] Horses often change according to the handler.

[18:05] It's a really big topic of whether it's mental issues or training issues, and it's really worth pondering.

Links and Resources:

Locoweed

If you want to learn more about this you can visit https://stacywestfall.com/live/ for more information!

Listener Question: Untraining a Horse or Adding Layers? Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

This week I'm answering a listener question. First, I'm going to answer with the theory, and then I'm going to teach you all how to become a detective. The listener wants to know if she can 'untrain' the horse's desire to run full speed during mounted shooting competitions. She wants the horse to slow down or give her more control.

Some of the questions I ask incluse: Is the trigger only at shows or can you trigger a low level version of this at home? When he gets amped up…what aids does he get resistant to? Do you take him to practices? Does a practice amp him up half way between a shoot and at home? Can you set balloons off of him? This episode is a great look into the horses perspective and adding layers to his training.

Show Notes:

[02:21] Thank you for the question and congratulations on reaching level three.

[03:07] The first thing I would like to start the conversation with is adding layers. Instead of training the horse, start adding layers to his training.

[03:48] This also brings up habits versus control. Habits are usually some version of anticipation.

[04:29] His habit of being asked to give his all is affecting your control over him. This is very common with speed events.

[06:43] People sometimes overlook that horses can have an adrenaline rush and enjoy the racing.

[08:09] At the end of the day, when we add all of these layers, and say habit versus control, I want to feel like I can turn my horse up and down like using a dial.

[09:02] I have to do a lot of work to make a +7 horse a -7 horse.

[10:50] Here are the questions that I would ask for the detective work.

[11:28] Is the trigger only at shows or can you trigger a low level version of this at home? When he gets amped up…what aids does he get resistant to? For example, very sensitive to your legs, pulling/rooting on the bit, rocking horse lope, sideways movement…how does he express himself.

[13:26] If a horse doesn't relax into the hug, then he is resisting.

[13:58] Do you take him to practices? Does a practice amp him up half way between a shoot and at home? Can you set balloons off of him? Does he recover outside the ring or in the ring? Or once he gets 'up' does he have trouble coming back down?

[15:40] I go back and retrain my horses all the time. I go all the way back to the basics, because things can become untrained without use.

[18:26] When you become a detective and are able to do all this kind of stuff you will realize which aids he is leaning on and what he might be resistant to.

Links and Resources:

Stacy's Video Diary: Jac-Episode 13-Training Cycles in horse training: Physical and Emotional

Teaching a horse to handle stress. Episode 4: The Trail to the World Show

4 Steps for Training a Horse for Mounted Shooting

3 Steps for Introducing a Horse to Mounted Shooting

If you want to learn more about this you can visit https://stacywestfall.com/live/ for more information!

Correcting Behavior We Dislike In Our Horses Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

Let's talk about the idea of correcting a horse for behavior that we don't like. I'm going to share three examples of corrections, a different way to think about corrections, and a story to help you remember it all. How smooth are your corrections? If your horse anticipates your correction, does it make him better or does it make him worse?

I'm going to share some examples of corrections that I want you to ponder. Take the time to think about what these corrections would look like from the horse's point of view. The ultimate goal is for the horse to get better as a result of just thinking about the possible corrections.

Show Notes:

[02:03] Stacy kicks the show off with an extreme correction example that she saw when she was in college.

[03:36] It's really important to think about it from the horse's point of view. Does the correction cause the horse to anticipate it and get better or worse?

[04:08] A horse can't make the leap of the rider's mind. The anticipation of the correction can cause a problem.

[05:20] You don't want to send your horse confusing cues. If you can't get forward motion, stop backing your horse up.

[06:10] Horses running backwards is very dangerous for you and the horse.

[06:23] Keys for good corrections includes slow hands and a stair-stepped progression. Coupled with the release of the queue on the desired response.

[07:53] Try a light tap with a rhythm. A hesitation in the rhythm is a noticeable difference. Rhythmic tapping can be much more effective, because the reward is much more noticeable.

[08:53] Clarity is required for your horse to figure out the pattern of the queue.

[09:33] Your correction should be smooth and clear and if the horse anticipates it, they should correct themselves.

[10:21] It becomes a beautiful thing when your horses understand your smooth clear corrections and start correcting themselves.

[10:46] Stacy shares an example of using horse training techniques with her kids and the power of anticipation. Where the correction helps get the outcome.

Links and Resources:

Episode 29: 3 Negative Thoughts Riders Often Have Toward Horses

3 Negative Thoughts Riders Often Have Toward Horses Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

How do you treat your horse when he makes a mistake? In this episode, I'm going to share three common ways I see riders react to their horse making a mistake and why that matters.

I'm going to talk about the rider not actually recognizing a mistake because of their own lack of clarity. How some riders view their horse through rose colored glasses and incapable of making a mistake, and the harsher view of not letting the horse win.

I tie everything back to a previous episode where I talk about how riders can make mistakes in the right direction, and this episode that explains why better clarity creates better communication with your horse.

Show Notes:

[01:47] It's common for riders to not have clarity or not understand what they want. Although, they do have some clarity on what they don't want.

[01:59] An example of this would be, "I don't want my horse to move when I'm saddling him." The reverse of this would be, "I want my horse to stand still when I'm saddling him."

[02:13] Having clarity of thought will get you closer to what you want.

[02:28] When you think about what you don't want your horse to do, you have a tendency to make corrections from a view of what the horse did wrong.

[03:02] If the clarity of what you actually want hasn't been conveyed to the horse, they are stuck in a guessing game.

[03:58] If we think the horse doesn't make mistakes, then the rider will have a tendency to make excuses for the horse.

[05:31] Sometimes riders will have the attitude of they can't let the horse win or I can't let him do it wrong or he'll learn to cheat.

[06:15] Riders with this attitude can have a tendency to use extreme pressure which will block the conversation between the horse and the rider. This becomes a very win or lose situation.

[07:13] When we're having conversations with horses, it's mostly physical.

[08:07] I can make mistakes in the right direction, because I have a very clear end goal.

[09:16] Horses can make mistakes that are unintentional. I still label it a mistake on the horses part and take action to correct it.

[10:36] As a leader, I have a plan, and I'm willing to execute that plan. I'm also looking to reward as many small movements along the way as I can.

[11:45] You need to know where your operating from when you're handling your horse.

[11:59] Recognize the thoughts that you have that drive your actions.

Links and Resources:

Episode 28: Is Your Horse Training Routine Dead?

Episode 10: Make Mistakes in the Right Direction

Is Your Horse Training Routine Dead? May 29, 2019

Show notes

How do you know if your training routine is dead? Last week, I talked about how horses can "learn how to learn." This week, I'm going to take that concept a little further and explain how I use training cycles to influence the horse both physically and mentally. In episode 25, I talked about anticipation in a positive and negative way, and "the horse anticipating the end of the ride."

Some people may take this as the horse doesn't enjoy being ridden, but actually the horse anticipating the end of the ride is such a clear reward. It's that clarity of the reward that gives the end of the ride such draw or pull. You can actually create that draw at multiple points inside your ride? By getting on and off of the horse, it will latch onto the clarity of those kind of endings. When horses "learn how to learn" they are pulled towards that draw, and it can be instilled throughout the ride. Today, I'm explaining how this can be a powerful training technique.

Show Notes:

[02:43] Think about your training cycle as physical work followed by an emotional cycle.

[04:33] You can get a lot more done when you use cycles, because you are putting the horse through more cycles, and you are taking advantage of the physical and emotional.

[04:46] The first cycle can expend a lot of their energy and then the other cycles won't be as physically demanding.

[05:33] It's a little bit different with an older horse. The emotional cycle will look more like a rest break, because the horse has learned how to take advantage of these cycles.

[06:47] If your horse isn't in a balanced emotional state, it won't take advantage of that break time.

[07:07] When the horse doesn't take advantage of the break, it must be stressed and is asking for guidance.

[08:30] Using the training cycles helps you gather more information about your horse.

[09:11] I often see riders get on and ride and then be done without any clear cycles in between. Try visualizing a heart monitor. Work cycles need to have ups and downs daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.

[10:35] The question to ask is has your training cycle flatlined.

[11:34] If you ride your horse at the same intensity day after day, your training cycle may be flatlined.

Links and Resources:

Episode 25: Is Your Horse Anticipating?

Episode 27: Horses Can 'Learn how to Learn'

Teaching a Horse to Handle Stress. Episode 4: the Trail to the World Show

Stacy's Video Diary: Jac-episode 13-training Cycles in Horse Training: Physical and Emotional

Horses Can 'Learn how to Learn' May 22, 2019

Show notes

How horses learn and why it matters is an interesting topic that we will be talking about today. Horses are really interesting, because they are excellent at detecting patterns. They look for patterns when they are speaking and communicating with other horses, and if you observe horses in the field, you will see a lot of questions being asked and answered.

When horses learn to communicate with humans, you will see a lot of the same patterns. There will be a lot of questions, answers, and repetition. Once we understand the patterns that our horses our recognizing, we can use these to teach our horses to learn faster.

Show Notes

[02:57] Horses can learn how to learn. When a horse moves up to college level, and this means that they are really good at some advanced stuff.

[05:31] Presto is a great example of a horse that did not learn how to learn early.

[06:17] Justice had more language skills with other horses than Presto.

[07:24] Presto was lacking in natural reactions, but he still picks up on patterns.

[08:00] His interaction with Popcorn really helped him a lot.

[08:43] Now I've noticed that Presto is actually looking for patterns. He starts to ask questions earlier, because he is seeing the patterns.

[09:33] You may see a horse teach a human how to do something.

[10:57] Not all college-level horses have been trained through the method of learning how to learn. Some have been trained to be reactive. These horses don't necessarily enjoy the learning process and will be more reactive or have negative anticipation.

[11:26] Avoidance anticipation is the opposite of learning how to learn.

[11:57] You want your horse to enjoy the learning process not be trained in a way that he wants to avoid learning.

[12:40] There's a disconnect for horses to learn a lot of things in a short amount of time when they are worried about avoiding discomfort.

[13:35] I'm very intentional with paying attention to the patterns that I use when I work with my horses. I'm consciously making decisions to recognize and know what patterns are happening and what the side effects of these patterns are.

[14:01] Pay attention to any patterns you have with your horse. A simple one to pay attention to is feeding time.

Links and Resources:

Introducing Orphan Foals to New Horses

Orphan Foal: Pasture Turn Out With Adult Horses

Episode 25: Is Your Horse Anticipating?

Is Your Horse 'Swearing' at You? His Intentions Matter. May 15, 2019

Show notes

Intentions matter. Today, I'm talking about your intentions when training your horse, and your horses intentions. I'll talk about what constitutes a good intention and a bad intention and remind you to keep in mind that sometimes your horse is just asking a question in your conversation.

It's important to be aware of your own intentions when working with your horse. You also need to be aware of what your horses intentions actually are. Are you teaching your horse that it's ok to step towards you? Are you accidently allowing your horse to act more dominant? Being aware of your intentions and your horses intentions is important. It's actually very freeing once you understand that intentions matter.

Show Notes

[02:02] At some recent clinics, I've had some horses experimenting with bad intentions. When you have a horse who truly means to dominate that is a bad intention.

[02:23] He could also have a bad intention when he attacks another horse. Instead of using good or bad, we can also say healthy or unhealthy. For Simplicity, I'm going to use good and bad.

[02:48] If you had a really aggressive stallion who wanted to dominate you, we would label that as bad intentions.

[03:08] On the other extreme, we have horses that are sweet and easy to get along with.

[03:10] But there are a lot of horses between those two extremes.

[03:27] When people are backing away from their horse, sometimes the horse will step boldly towards them. When a horse does this they could be asking a question that the handler doesn't recognize. The horses intentions could shift from boldly stepping with confidence to boldly coming towards them to dominate.

[05:01] I've seen horses that aren't normally dominant stumble onto the fact that the handler is kind of awkward with the tools.

[06:07] This will perfectly fit into a place for a horse to move a human and that's where we're going to label this a bad intention.

[07:06] Intention matters. When I'm watching people and horses, I'm watching whether the horse intended to move the person or if it was an accident.

[07:37] If you suspect your horse is trying to control you, those are things you need to look out for. You may even want to set up a video to see what is going on.

[08:27] Oftentimes horses have good intentions. They may be trying something new and just be making a mistake. How you handle a horse with good intentions matters.

[10:11] If your horse is swearing at you, that is one of the clearest indications that his intentions aren't good.

[11:24] A lot of times people who come to the clinics are concerned that they are asking too much of their horse. Very rarely this is the case.

[11:50] Most people who are worried about over-correcting are usually the people who aren't doing enough.

[12:05] A lot of people are worried about abusing their horse.

[14:15] The person who's worried about overdoing it is likely the one who isn't overdoing it.

[14:28] It's very freeing to know that my intentions matter and that my horses intentions matter.

Links and Resources:

Stacy Westfall YouTube

Is Your Horse Anticipating? May 08, 2019

Show notes

Anticipation is one of those ideas that is a double-edged sword. Is it a friend or Foe? At first glance, people think of anticipation as negative, I think it might be more positive to think of it as something we can balance on the teeter-totter. Sometimes, I call it trying too hard.

I want to help you guys think out of the box and not label things in a negative way. When we label anticipation as trying too hard, keep in mind that sometimes the horse will try too hard in ways we want and sometimes in ways we don't want. Either way, you need to recognize that we use anticipation as a training tool in horse training, and that is what this episode is all about.

Show Notes

[02:36] We want the horse to anticipate.

[03:47] In training. after a certain amount of repetition the horse will see a pattern.

[04:11] Anticipation is your friend when it helps in training.

[04:41] There is an arc of anticipation, just like in the bell curve. It starts out as a friend, but a point comes when it can be our enemy.

[04:58] If we don't like the anticipation, we label it as negative.

[07:55] I had been teaching Jac a way of thinking for 50 hours. It involved the use of anticipation as friend. You can actually see Jac remembering what we ended on and trying it.

[09:10] Often times patterns are put into horses by the rider. Switching things can change the anticipation.

[10:08] Horses can anticipate cues, and the rider backs off and the horse becomes more sensitive.

[11:31] Horses will sometimes try too hard and help you out, and the rider gets frustrated.

[12:27] If you can start seeing things from the horse's point of view, he sees a pattern and is just trying to help you out.

[12:38] The first thing you need to see is that the horse is actually trying too hard not trying to be bad.

[13:01] You don't want to get in an anticipation cycle with your horse. Realize when it is a problem for you.

[14:40] Go back in your mind to a time when you recognize anticipation happening. Work out from the horses point of view what he was trying to get to.

Links and Resources:

Stacy Westfall YouTube

Stacy's Video Diary:Jac- Episode 26-Horse training is a conversation between horse and human

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected