I've been an admirer of Stacy Westfall for some time. She's a horse trainer in central Ohio who is probably most noted for her bareback, bridleless riding in reining competion.
Below is a video of Stacy riding the black Quarter Horse mare known as Roxy, without saddle or bridle, at the 2006 All-American Quarter Horse Congress.
Pretty amazing, aren't they?
If you'd like more information on Stacy and her training techniques, check out her website here.
I don't know much about horses but I'd think riding a horse this way would be painful.
ReplyDeletea very special commune between those two. really great video. the announcer had me tearing up from the start...
ReplyDeleteWe used to jump a few who were near a farm I visited as a kid. Sometimes they were broke and sometimes not.
ReplyDeleteWhat a magnificent creature. The love, trust and respect between the two of them is palpable
ReplyDeleteWhoa! How'd she train that horse to do that? They are really in sync, aren't they? Did I detect that the announcer choked up while talking about Stacy's dad? What a beautiful video, Linda. Thank you for sharing. Wow.
ReplyDeleteStephen - Bareback riding CAN be painful on some horses. Roxy seems to be as comfortable as a rocking chair for Stacy.
ReplyDeleteTheresa - Yes, that was an emotional performance.
Steve - You were an adventuresome lad! :)
Hilary - I totally agree. Roxy was an amazing mare. (She died this past February.) And there's a very obvious bond between her and Stacy.
Gail - How cute that you began your comment with "Whoa!" Horse and rider were definitely in sync. As for how Stacy trained the horse to do that, her website says that she tries to think like a horse; and that helps her know how best to work with each one. And, yes, the announcer did choke up as he was introducing Stacy and Roxy. I suspect there were some tears among the audience, too.
This is truly amazing. I would occasionally ride bare back growing up on a farm -- it's not always easy. Thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the video, George. I rode bareback when I was too young to fear falling. :) But I could never ride like Stacy does in this video.
DeleteWhat an interesting video, Linda. Stacy looks natural when riding bareback, I guess it helps her to communicate with the horse. I could see her stroking the horse's back in several different ways and talking to the horse while performing, it must take a while to train a horse this way.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you enjoyed the video, Petra. Stacy does indeed look natural when riding bareback. She started riding at a very young age, so I suspect she's as comfortable on a horse as anywhere. I noticed the stroking, too. It may be a way of reassuring the horse.
DeleteLinda, this was truly AMAZING...in so many ways! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDiane - I would love to be able to ride like that. Unfortunately, that horse would have lost me on the first sudden move, and that's with a saddle. Glad you enjoyed it.
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