Tea Time with Elsa

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 40

Chatting about: Do less... sooner
In this episode I talk about observing my own stress levels in response to situations with my two stallions. Knowing how soon to intervene before their aggression gets overwhelming feels like critical timing. If I can step in to help them soon enough, I can be much more subtle about how I help them settle into harmony again.
Originally aired on: May 12th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 39

Chatting about: How fast is fast enough?
In this episode I talk about how training horses with a fast rate of progress will often trigger past habits of behavior reflexively without thought. When we slow down our rate of progress we give the horse time to think through their responses, before putting them into action. Perhaps slow training is fast enough?
Originally aired on: May 5th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 38

Chatting about: Is Freeze Good? or is Freeze Bad?
In this episode I talk about how I see Freeze in horses on a spectrum that can tell us a number of things about how a horse feels. If Fight/Flight/Freeze are the three responses horses have to high stress, then of the three options, freeze is actually the preferable response. How do we use that information in the process of training, understanding that Freeze is neither good nor bad, it is only better or worse than other responses.
Originally aired on: April 28th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 37

Chatting about: Nature and nurture...
In this episode I talk about how life is essentially a series of problems to solve. How we solve problems is determined by both our nature that we were born with and our life experience that has been nurtured into us. When we understand our horse’s nature and past life experiences then we can help them evolve in a healthy way to solve their life problems as  gracefully as possible.
Originally aired on: April 24th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 36

Chatting about: Safety with Drive and Draw...
In this episode I talk about the balance between habits horses have drawing towards humans, or being driven away from humans. When the draw has been reinforced disproportionally beyond the drive, we will need to be more careful and aware of safety in high stress situations. Finding balance in Freedom Based Training™ we use a high degree of subtlety that most might not see as drive or draw, but with consistency and time, subtle work is powerful.
Originally aired on: April 14th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 35

Chatting about: Interview with Chevalliance Coaching d’Harmonie in Belgium.
Florentine and I chat a bit about Taming Wild, Freedom Based Training™, the movies and learning from horses.
Originally aired on: April 7th, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 34

Chatting about: Rest in movement...
In this episode I talk about an experiment I am running with my Stallions Atlas and Ari and my Gelding Occasio. This experiment is not Freedom Based Training™, but instead utilizes a round pen to facilitate the herd bonding between two stallions who have had aggression issues in the past. This situation with a little more guidance from me keeps everyone settled as they adapt to being closer together, safely.
Originally aired on: March 3rd, 2020

Teatime with Elsa - Episode 33

Chatting about: Interview with Nina Mathejczyk in Germany. 
Nina and I chat a bit about: The evolution of Freedom Based Training™
and Taming Wild!
Originally aired on: March 24th, 2020