Episode 237: How capable is your horse…really?

05/31/23 • 25 min

Train Your Own Horse with Stacy Westfall

In this episode, I discuss how quickly horses begin to recognize patterns of behavior, and I answer a listener question about working around feeding time.

While these may seem unrelated, I think the contrast highlights how incredibly valuable it is to recognize how you view your horse. Do you view your horse as a dependent in constant need of care and looking after?

Or as highly capable?

Are you judging their physical ability?

Their mental ability?

A combination of both?

In this episode, I discuss how quickly horses begin to recognize patterns of behavior, and I answer a listener question about working around feeding time.

Or as highly capable?

Are you judging their physical ability?

Their mental ability?

A combination of both?

Previous Episode

Episode 236: One skill that rules them all…first ride to bridleless

Confidence and self-confidence are both important. But if one skill rules them all, it is the belief that you can trust yourself.

Confidence comes from a Latin word which means "to trust"; therefore, having self-confidence is having trust in oneself.

Self-confidence is an emotion that you generate without any history to back it up or external evidence. It's based on the belief you have about yourself. It comes from thoughts like, “I will figure this out.”

Confidence is supported by experience and external evidence.

In this episode, I use the simple example of haltering a horse to illustrate how many times riders begin to collect evidence AGAINST themselves if they are not mindful of their thoughts.

As I talk through the haltering example, imagine how something more complex like riding is full of these opportunities.

At the end, I offer a physical experiment you can do to teach yourself to watch your thoughts more closely. You’ll need ten pennies or pebbles and some increased awareness.

Next Episode

Episode 238: To those who are pursuing their dreams...

I have the beautiful privilege of speaking with many people who love horses. The majority are women. Many of them are pursuing their horse dreams in the second half of life.

The tipping point where I meet many of these women is...the stage where they are stepping into action to pursue their dream.

In this episode, I explain the challenge of pursuing your dreams with your horse and I share, a very vulnerable moment that I frequently witness.

I hope that by explaining what is happening, I can help normalize it.

And although it is a very, very vulnerable spot...I very much hope you experience it.