This episode explores how a horse's lightness can quietly fade long after the "preschool" stage—and how that process often begins in the smallest, most overlooked moments of handling. Using Baby Whisper's first haltering lessons as a lens, Stacy shows how early experiences with pressure and release shape a horse's lifelong feel, and how similar patterns appear in mature horses that have learned to lean or resist.

Key takeaways: – Lightness isn't something added later—it's created, or lost, from the very first moments of contact – Horses become heavy when we stop noticing where release actually happens – Even two pounds of unnoticed pressure on a lead rope can reshape a horse's expectations – True refinement begins by returning to the body, not the halter

This episode examines how lightness develops—and how it disappears—through the rider's timing, awareness, and feel. Whether you're leading, riding, or refining, it reveals why every conversation with your horse begins with how you release.