Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall
Episodes
Improving Steering & Teaching Neck Reining, Once in a Lifetime Horses
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 64: The Complete Guide to Improving Steering and Teaching Neck Reining is here! My newest teaching course releases today and I'm really excite...
Equine Career Q&A, Full Confession and Self Awareness
29 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Good horse training is boring...
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 bo...
Why would I look forward to my horse spooking?
15 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 tr...
5 Tips for Motivated Riding
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Experiencing A 'Bad' Riding Lesson
01 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 59: Stacy and Ginny discuss the power of using curiosity to overcome challenges. Stacy tells about here experience with a 'bad' riding lesson....
Christmas Morning in the Barn
25 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Ride with Faith...and Training
18 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Q&A: Rescue horses, boring riders, why striking & kicking?
11 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 l...
Training aids or gimmicks? Martingales, draw reins, etc.
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 wo...
Choosing saddle pads, cinch/girth, billets & breast collars
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 54: I'm discussing several items saddle pads, cinches or girths, billets and breast collars. I'll explain what I use and why as well as recomm...
Saddle Fit and Challenges
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In today's podcast, the focus is on saddles. I'm going to open with my thoughts on saddles and then answer three listener questions. And finally, I'm...
Tack: Bridles, Headstalls, Bits & Reins
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today's podcast I'm focused on the bridle, which includes the head stall, bit chinstrap and reins. First, I'm gonna give you five things to consider. ...
Tack: Halters, Lead Ropes, Lunge Lines
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this season, I'm going to explain some of the choices in tack and equipment available. I'll also share what I'm using and why. Today's focus is som...
Finding Work/Life Balance with Stacy Westfall and Ginny Telego
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I am live today with Ginny Telego recording from the Loko Bean in Loudonville, Ohio. Today is a milestone, because this is episode 50, so I thought I'...
Q&A: Changing Horse's Habits, Sell or Keep, Hobble Training and Riding Bareback
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I tackle four different listener questions today. If you would like to ask a question or have a topic you would like me to expand on please hit the or...
Q&A: Are multiple riders good or bad? Training Secrets?
16 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things I do on this podcast is answer listener questions. If you have a question you would like to ask or have a topic you would like to he...
Locking and Unlocking Traits in Your Horse
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I know your horse is smart. Do you know that your horse is smart? I hope you do, because today I'm sharing something that will be incredibly useful to...
5 Tips for Bringing Up Your Horses Energy
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I received a listener question about how to bring up a horse's energy level. If you have a question you would like answered hit the tab on the right s...
Whoa! Teaching Your Horse to Stop.
25 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's important to be able to stop safely when riding. Having your horse understand different cues for stop can make riding more safe and make the ride...
How Can I Improve My Horse's Lope or Canter?
18 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of the number one issues that I get questions about is improving a lope or canter and doing it safely. I use the four square model of the horse's ...
Improving Your Horses Steering
11 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been trail riding and realized that your right leg was passing very close to a tree? Have you pulled the reins to the left, and the hors...
Training HOT Horses
04 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hot horses are those high energy horses who want to run fast and don't always do what you want. In this episode, I go back to my teeter totter example...
True Forward Motion in a Horse
28 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When we become very familiar with a term, it can sometimes lose meaning. When I talk about a horse having a lack of forward motion or needing more for...
Why I Do Not Disengage My Horse's Hips
21 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There are times when you may need to make an emergency stop with your horse. One way to do this is to disengage the horse's hips. This is something th...
The Two Most Basic Cues When Riding a Horse
14 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's a bold statement to say there are two simple cues that fix most issues. When I say most issues I mean things like bucking, rearing, head tossing,...
Rewarding Physical and Mental Changes in Your Horse
07 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Timing is everything when it comes to horse training. I don't want to put any pressure on you, but you need really good timing. Your timing may neve...
Do This During Groundwork With Your Horse
31 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Before we begin I want to clear up something about last week's podcast. I randomly mentioned something going on with Popcorn's ear. He has a papilloma...
3 Reasons to Do Groundwork With Your Horse
24 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A big part of training is establishing communication in a safe way. In this episode, I share three reasons why you should do groundwork. I share how t...
The Reason We Are Fascinated With the Horses Body
17 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 4 where it's all about the horse's body. In this episode, I'm going to give you three tips to use when reading your horse's body lan...
Learned Helplessness and Working Horses
10 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I am answering a listener question about repetition and learned helplessness which was a response to my newsletter. The definition of learned helpless...
Listener Question: How Do I Peak My Horses Performance for a Show?
03 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 yo...
Horse With Mental Issues or Training Issues?
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 geld...
Listener Question: Untraining a Horse or Adding Layers?
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Correcting Behavior We Dislike In Our Horses
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
3 Negative Thoughts Riders Often Have Toward Horses
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Is Your Horse Training Routine Dead?
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 con...
Horses Can 'Learn how to Learn'
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 excel...
Is Your Horse 'Swearing' at You? His Intentions Matter.
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Intentions matter. Today, I'm talking about your intentions when training your horse, and your horses intentions. I'll talk about what constitutes a g...
Is Your Horse Anticipating?
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Is Your Horse Being Creative?
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is in response to a listener question. She asks, "what do you mean by a creative horse?" This is a great topic as we continue our season ...
Your Horse Has Questions
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I'm explaining something that was a game-changer for me and my horse. When I share this topic with people at clinics, I see an instant change in them ...
Beyond Prey vs Predator: You're Underestimating Your Horse
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to season 3 where we are going to talk about the horses mind. There are two things I'm going to talk about today. The first one is that you mi...
Your Horse Needs You to Do This
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's time to wrap up season two on the rider's body. I covered a lot of ground on the last two seasons. We talked about the rider's mind and the rider...
The Hierarchy of the Riders Aids as the Horse Advances
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Riders will need to use different riding aids differently as a horse progresses through the different grade levels. In episode 6, I compared the horse...
Your Weakest Aid When Horseback Riding
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When being a balanced rider, you have aids that can assist you. These include your right hand, left hand, right leg, and left leg. Today, I'm talking ...
Improving Your Aids When Riding Your Horse
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm talking about how the rider's mind and the rider's body are both equally required for improvement. I'll be talking about balancing your aid...
Are You Helping or Interfering With Your Horse When Riding?
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm talking about active and passive riding. Do you know if you are doing too much or not enough when riding? A rider who doesn't know how to r...
Riding Horses; Western vs English vs Bareback
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I share my experience of three different riding styles. People often ask me if I ride Western or English. I actually ride and compete in Wester...
3 methods for improving your horseback riding & breaking the habit of looking down: Episode 15
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, I talked about how time and repetition will create a feedback loop that you can modify. This week, I'm going to expand on the concept of th...
Episode 14: Muscle Memory: habits & experience can improve your horseback riding skills
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are talking about muscle memory. I'm going to share my two different views on muscle memory and one way that you can fast-forward you're ...
Episode 13: Make riding easier for your horse; add strength and flexibility
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I'm talking about strength vs muscle memory as I continue season 2 which focuses on the rider's body. I will also be giving you my time saving ...
Episode 12: Is Horseback Riding Dangerous?
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this season, I am focusing on the rider's body. In this episode, I'll be discussing four different aspects of danger including is horseback riding ...
Episode 11: Q & A: Evaluating Horse, Confidence & Desire, Limiting Beliefs
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this Q & A episode, I am going to cover evaluating a new horse, overcoming loss of confidence and desire, and how to overcome the limiting belief t...
Episode 10: Riders should make mistakes in the right direction
23 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I discuss why riders should make mistakes. I'm going to break it down into three different things. Why you should make mistakes. Which mistake ...
Episode 9: How riders view pressure will affect their horses
16 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Issues that affect the way a rider thinks has been the topic for this podcast season. This episode is about something that you should spend some time ...
Are you failing your horse or disappointed as a rider?
09 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I get a lot of emails and comments from people who are afraid that they are giving their horse the wrong cues. They are afraid they will fail their ho...
Setting SMART goals for you and your horse
02 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It's the start of the year and time to talk about goal setting. I'm going to talk about SMART goals or goals that you have control of and accidental g...
The horse's path of learning is NOT the same as the rider
26 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's important to understand that riders and horses don't follow the same path of learning. I talk about the straight line progression of a horse's le...
Riders experience four stages of competency
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There are four stages of competency when riding your horse. I first read about these on an article in Dressage Today. The first stage is unconscious i...
Responsibility & accountability between horse and rider
18 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 4: In episode 3, I talked about the three stages that riders go through in their horsemanship journey. I also discussed a little bit about res...
Responsibility and the stages of learning riders experience with horses
17 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 3: The topic of responsibility is going to be a two-part series. In this first part, I'm going to talk about the stages that riders actually g...
Leadership vs Getting Along: Horses want to know who is leading, Grandma's rules
13 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 2: Today's topic walks the line between the mental idea of leadership versus the physical execution of leadership. I'm tempted to talk about t...
Fear vs Danger: Riders can improve if they know the difference
12 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 1: Welcome to season one of the Stacy Westfall podcast. I'm Stacy Westfall, and I'll be teaching you why horses do what they do and action ste...