Teatime with Elsa - Episode 151

Chatting about: Play versus fight…

In this episode I talk about the differences between play and fight on a spectrum, and how to tell the difference even when the behaviors are subtle, so that we can respond to the horse to prevent them from feeling unheard and escalating to higher stress actions that may compromise our sense of safety. Fight is when a horse pushes into another's space while feeling worse, in a way that the other individual does not appreciate. Play is when a horse pushes into another’s space while feeling better in a way that the other individual does appreciate and has the opportunity to reciprocate the interaction. Fight is an attempt to cause change in another individual and play is an attempt to enjoy an action with another individual. In this Tea Time we go deeper into the theory of the differences in body language and the desired outcomes of play and fight.

Originally aired on: April 11th, 2023