Tea Time with Elsa

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 72

Chatting about: Herd integration games…
In this episode I talk about setting horses up to be able to interact with new horses in low stress ways to prevent them from getting overwhelmed or hurt. The more that horses play, yield, and think, the better they are at making friends and having more harmonious relationships with both horses and humans. I share how we can lead by example to encourage playing, yielding, and thinking behaviors as well as some examples of things that I do to help set my stallions up for success as they learn to be more socially oriented in a herd.
Originally aired on: December 22nd, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 71

Chatting about: Working with what you have…
In this episode I talk about doing the best that we can with what we have and learning from our mistakes. The more that we can examine the imperfect moments, gather information from them, without judgment, and learn what we could do better next time, the more productive our mistakes are. I explain the reality of working with our horses when all we can do is the best that we can with what we have.
Originally aired on: December 15th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 70

Chatting about: Change and consistency…
In this episode I talk about the benefits of change and consistency and how we can find the right balance between the two that caters to our horse’s personality and learning ability, as well as our own. Change is how we learn, grow, and develop but it can also be stressful. Consistency is where we are comfortable and safe but it can lack the variety that enriches our lives. When we can find the right balance between change and consistency it creates a sweet spot for learning in freedom that nurtures enjoyment without being overwhelming.
Originally aired on: December 8th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 69

Chatting about: Dominance and jealousy in the herd…
In this episode I talk about what we can do to keep ourselves safe in a herd and how we can shape better behaviors and habits in the horses that help them to be more socially aware. When horses are in your space making you feel unsafe, you have every right to use dominance to evoke fast change to keep yourself safe. As we practice more Freedom Based Training™, if we can learn to pick up on patterns and behaviors that happen before the stress goes up, we can learn to predict when it is going to happen and we can get ahead of it. When we get ahead of a behavior, not only are we able to keep ourselves safe, but it also changes and shapes the behavior of the horse. The more you can get ahead of a behavior that you don't appreciate, such as dominance and jealousy in the herd, the less and less it will be repeated.
Originally aired on: December 1st, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 68

Chatting about: The sanctity of being home…
In this episode I talk about where we might choose to work with our horses and the differences in working with them in their home or in a new space. When we work with our horses in their home with their herd, we get to see their daily patterns and habits and what they have decided works for them or what doesn’t. This is really valuable information to see what our horses’ preferences, strengths and weaknesses are. I explain the advantages and disadvantages of working in new or familiar places with our horses.
Originally aired on: November 24th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 67

Chatting about: Feeling safe enough…
In this episode I talk about what we can do to increase our own sense of safety as well as the horse’s. I also talk about how we can set the horse up so they take into account everyone's safety, not just their own. A horse's priority is to feel safe in themself. When they feel safe enough, they expand their focus to the safety and feelings of others. In Freedom Based Training™ we aim to develop the horse’s confidence in their awareness and their own decision making skills so they have the ability to help themselves feel safer. This also develops the habit of being socially aware and more cooperative in the relationships with their herd members, as well as in the relationship between horse and human.
Originally aired on: November 17th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 66

Chatting about: Combining training styles…
In this episode I talk about the differences when working with tools and pressure versus working in freedom, as well as how we can combine training styles to increase safety or progress towards our personal goals. We have the freedom to choose how fast we want to progress with our horses and how much we want to develop our skills with them or how much we want to develop the feelings with them. I explain when and why we may choose to use contrasting training styles in combination with Freedom Based Training™.
Originally aired on: November 10th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 65

Chatting about: Time away…
In this episode I talk about how time away can give us a clear perspective on how our horses feel about our leadership. By understanding the horse’s response when we return, we can gauge where in the stages of learning the horse is at with the different skills and actions that we practiced before we went away. I explain how we read the horse’s response so we can see what we did too much of, what we can change or what we can do more of to further develop the enjoyment in the relationship with our horse.
Originally aired on: November 3rd, 2020