Tea Time with Elsa

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 64

Chatting about: Understanding personal preferences…
In this episode I talk about how everyone has personal preferences for behaviors they do and don’t appreciate and helping your horse understand your preferences can be as simple as being aware and having good timing. The way we know what our horses like, and the way our horses know what we like is by the response we give. When you’re in harmony with the horse you are confirming that you like their behavior. When you’re in action you’re still allowing the horse the freedom to make their own choices, but you’re not reinforcing that behavior. For the horse to understand your personal preferences you have to be really clear about what behaviors you appreciate and mark by going to harmony and what behaviors you don’t appreciate as much for your partnership that you go to action for.
Originally aired on: October 27th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 63

Chatting about: Movement…
In this episode I talk about how movement facilitates good feelings. If we can set our horses up to get plenty of natural, playful, rhythmic, and harmonious movement, we improve the horse’s overall quality of life. The more that horses move, the less reactionary they are and the better their communication and problem solving skills are. When horses get enough movement they experience more good feelings, which gives us more opportunities to create good associations with our companionship and our leadership and develop intrinsic motivation.
Originally aired on: October 20th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 62

Chatting about: Freedom versus Security…
In this episode I talk about how the associations our horses have with their own decision making skills, in contrast to other’s decision making skills, influences their preferences for more freedom or more security. The more freedom a horse has, the more decisions they have to make. The less freedom and the more security a horse has, the less decisions they have to make. In Freedom Based Training™ the horse is free to choose whether they follow your decisions or whether they make their own decisions for themselves.
Originally aired on: October 13th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 61

Chatting about: The challenging stuff…
In this episode I talk about how we can navigate challenges within our relationships with our horses. When we meet a challenge with our horses, if we can break it down and figure out what is adjacent to the challenge, we can build better associations in smaller steps towards the action that the horse finds challenging and build confidence all around the problem until it becomes something the horse associates with good feelings.
Originally aired on: October 6th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 60

Chatting about: Safe socialization…
In this episode I talk about how different horses have different social expectations and how this affects the way horses are able to adapt to new herds. Breeds, living environments, early socialization, and even climates can create different languages among horses. I talk about how we can set our horses up to create social bonds in a way where the horses can learn about each other without hurting each other.
Originally aired on: September 29th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 59

Chatting about: The use of tools in training…
In this episode, I talk about the use of tools and dominance being necessary at times to keep everyone safe. Tools can help manage the emotions and stress of the horse. If we’re in an environment where safety is at risk if the horse makes a bad decision, tools can help direct the horse’s focus and body strategically to focus the horse for safety.
Originally aired on: September 22nd, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 58

Chatting about: Going back to basics…
In this episode I talk about Feel and Timing being the foundation of everything we do with our horses and just how important it is no matter what we choose to do with them. “Timing” is knowing when to start and stop or change an action, and “Feel” is knowing which action to do. Many people get stuck figuring out what to do, but understanding the timing of when to do it, as well as when to stop doing it before it becomes too much, is far more beneficial to your progress and your relationship with your horse. The better your timing is, the more it proves to the horse that you’re aware of them and yourself, and the more trust you build in your leadership.
Originally aired on: September 15th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 57

Chatting about: Spooking and bolting…
In this episode, I talk about the cause of spooking and bolting as well as the signs leading up to it. Horses and people solve problems in an attempt to find comfort. The horse resorts to fight and flight when there is a problem they feel they cannot solve. There is usually a subtle freeze before the horse goes to fight or flight where they get hyper-fixated on the problem. The goal in Freedom Based Training is to develop the horse’s thinking and focus changing ability, so they know how to help themselves feel better, how to lower their own stress and to increase their sense of safety.
Originally aired on: September 8th, 2020