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 yo ...
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Episode 307: Through Their Eyes: A Horse's View on Group Riding
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In this episode, Stacy addresses a listener's question about riding horses in groups larger than two. She outlines six key points for evaluating and preparing a horse for trail riding, including at-home and on-trail assessments, making predictions, communicating with other riders, and self-evaluation during the ride. Stacy emphasizes the importance…
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Episode 306: Listener Q&A: Enhancing the Relationship between a Novice Rider and a Capable Horse
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In this podcast episode, Stacy Westfall responds to a listener question from Laura, who has a highly trained and well-behaved horse named Parker. Laura says, “he's just so good. And me being new, I kind of wonder what I can offer him.” Stacy offers four angles for Laura to consider: 1. Use Parker's excellent behavior as a model to study and apply t…
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Episode 305: Listener Q&A: How Can I Increase My Confidence In My Goals?
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Episode 304: The Anticipation Paradox: When Good Training Creates New Challenges
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In this episode, Stacy addresses a common issue in horse training: anticipation. A listener from Denmark asks how to handle a horse that performs learned exercises without waiting for cues. Stacy explains that anticipation is initially a positive sign of successful training, likening it to the first half of a rainbow arc. However, as training progr…
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Episode 303: Consistency is Key: Transitioning from Arena to Trail
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Stacy shares insights on transitioning horses from arena training to trail riding. She emphasizes the importance of embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, rather than avoiding them. The podcast highlights the differences between controlled arena environments and unpredictable trail settings. Stacy explains her approach to introducing her…
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Episode 302: Words Matter: How Language Shapes Your Equestrian Experience
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Stacy Westfall discusses the overuse of the phrase "I'm sorry" in everyday situations and how it relates to horsemanship. She recounts observing excessive apologizing in a workshop setting and at grocery stores, questioning whether these apologies are genuine expressions of remorse or habitual responses. Westfall emphasizes the importance of unders…
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Episode 301: Indecisive No More: Conquering Decision Fatigue, and Miserable Maybes
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This episode of the podcast explores the concept of "decision fatigue" and the challenges of navigating the "messy middle" or "miserable maybe" when faced with big life decisions. Stacy shares how this process can be similar to what a horse expereinces when being trained to approach and relax around scary objects. Key takeaways: - Decision fatigue …
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Episode 300: The Challenge of Choosing Change
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In this milestone 300th episode, Stacy Westfall explores the challenges and benefits of choosing change. She reflects on her journey of creating weekly content for over a decade and how it has shaped her perspective on change. Stacy discusses the constant nature of change and the importance of distinguishing between changes we can control and those…
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Episode 299: Thematic Thinking: Unlocking New Perspectives
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In this episode, Stacy explains how she picks and maintains a theme when working with her horses. She shares how studying one theme over a longer period reveals the many angles that are possible. It also helps her see how the theme applies to non-horse parts of life as well. Key takeaways: • Focus on a specific theory while working with horses • Ho…
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Episode 298: Mimicry’s Limits: How Horses Move Beyond This And You Can Too
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This podcast explores the crucial difference between mimicking and understanding in learning processes, using examples from horse training and human skill acquisition. Stacy emphasizes that while mimicking is often the initial step in learning, it's merely the beginning. True mastery comes from developing a deeper understanding of the 'why' behind …
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Episode 297: Marking Mistakes: Why Non-Reactivity Matters in Horse Training
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Stacy Westfall discusses marking behavior as a fundamental aspect of horse training. She explains how this technique, often used in clicker training, can quickly reinforce desired behaviors, or can accidentally mark a mistake as well. Stacy explains the powerful tool horses use with each other of simply not reacting, and why it works so well in a f…
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Episode 296: From Theory to Saddle: Building Your Equestrian Toolbox
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Episode 295: Allowing Choices: Empowering Your Horse's Mind
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Stacy Westfall introduces the concept of "allowing" versus "making" in horse training. She emphasizes that both approaches have their place, with "making" including positive actions like guiding or shaping behavior. The power of allowing is highlighted as a tool to influence a horse's mind and encourage desired behaviors. Stacy uses the example of …
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Episode 294: Predictable vs Unpredictable: From 'Oh This Again' to 'Oh, I See It There!'
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In this episode, Stacy discusses the importance of addressing predictable problems in horse training before tackling unpredictable ones. She argues that focusing on known issues is more effective, as it allows for better planning and addresses both the horse's and rider's thought patterns. Stacy emphasizes that riders often ignore or make excuses f…
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Episode 293: Recalibrating Your Horse Goals: A Step-by-Step Guide
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Stacy addresses the common feeling of being "behind" in horse training, offering a framework to reassess and recalibrate goals. She provides four key questions to ask yourself when feeling behind, then offers two action steps to move forward productively. Key points: • Recognize the difference between having a concrete plan and a hopeful wish • Eva…
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Episode 292: You are Invited: Two Invitations Horses Offer Riders
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In this podcast episode, Stacy Westfall introduces the concept of viewing a horse's behavior as an "invitation" that riders can choose to accept or decline. She explains that horses often present two types of invitations to riders: - Emotional invitations: When a horse becomes anxious, jumpy, or displays a particular emotional state, it can be seen…
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Episode 291- Lessons Learned on the Trail and Foal Update
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In this podcast, Stacy recaps her experience with the Tevis Cup Virtual Challenge. She shares that she will do it again, and what she will do differently next time. She also shares an update on Lefty and Stormy, the two orphan foals that impacted her original spring plans. Key takeaways: • the challenges of tracking miles • the benefit of participa…
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Episode 290-The Power of Touch: Building Connection Through Contact
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In this episode, Stacy emphasizes the importance of establishing contact with horses in order to achieve connection. Contact refers to physical touch, whether direct or through tools like reins or whips. Connection, on the other hand, has two meanings: the flow of energy through the horse's body in dressage, and the relationship bond between horse …
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Episode 289: Recovery Time: The Missing Piece of Your Training Plan
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When pursuing long-term goals with your horse, it's crucial to intentionally plan for both physical and mental recovery time. While most riders allow physical recovery for their horses after intense events, they often neglect their own need for mental rest and rejuvenation. By taking intentional breaks, postponing further work until a set date, and…
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Episode 288: Dancing with Discomfort: Steps of Faith and Evidence
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Episode 287: Distracted: Should I let my horse stop and look, or keep him moving?
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Episode 286: When Words Fall Short: How You See It vs. How I See It
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In this episode, Stacy dives into the challenge of using words to describe what happens with your horse. She starts with a common experience: reading a student's description, then watching a video to match it with reality. This exercise often reveals discrepancies. For instance, while a student might describe a horse as "reactive" or "stuck," the v…
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Episode 285: Five levels of distraction you can see in a horse.
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In this podcast, Stacy shares five levels of distraction that she see in horses. This is important to think about, because if you can recognize it in layers, or levels of distraction, then you have a chance to see the progression. People use the term ‘distracted’ to describe a wide range of behaviors, so I want to show you this in layers. Level 1: …
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Episode 284: How Riders Can Avoid These 3 Self-Created Obstacles
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Episode 283: Switching Gears: Mastering Multiple Roles with Your Horse
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This podcast episode discusses the dual roles riders embody: the supportive advocate and the accountable coach. The challenge arises when riders need to switch between these roles depending on the situation with their horse. Using personal anecdotes and analogies, Stacy illustrates how these roles manifest in real-life scenarios, such as encouragin…
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