Tea Time with Elsa

Chatting about: Don’t Fight Reality… In this episode we talk about how working without tools is a great time to accept the reality of the horse’s state of mind. In each moment the horse will either have: a good idea, a bad idea, or no idea at all. If they have no ideas at all, the door is open for you to have an idea for them, if they are having a bad idea (pushing against you or pulling away from...

Chatting about: The Luxury Of Appreciation… In this episode we talk about how the greatest quality of life comes from a habit of appreciating whatever is naturally occurring. This however is a luxury we may or may not have depending on our situation. When a situation becomes time pressured around change, focusing on what is wrong and what must change becomes the priority. Seeing these options on a...

Chatting about: If you can do it better, do it again… Originally Recorded 26_04_21 In this episode we talk about how training is always a guess. Any action we take has a result. Once we see the result we have to take a guess and ask ourselves “If I repeated the same action, or an adjusted version of the action, would the result be better?” I think I should always repeat actions I think I can do be...

Chatting about: Don’t Change, Appreciate… In this episode we talk about the natural pressures of life that push us to train change faster than a horse might choose, and what the side effects of that might be. If reasonable, I always prefer to train at the speed the horse would choose, appreciating things so that we can build on things the horse already knows and practices. If that is unreasonable...

Chatting about: What Does Pressure Mean? In this episode we talk about the challenge horses have in learning what pressure means in relationship to humans. At a base level pressure should mean to change something. That change might be physical, mental, or sensory. What change is needed is a puzzle horses must figure out and for that reason I like starting with "pressure means change the use of the...

Chatting about: Reward Systems In this episode we talk about the different types of reward systems horses find themselves utilizing. Reward systems in general are sensory based, either seeking a sensory experience that feels good, or avoiding a sensory experience that feels bad. Obviously I prefer to lean toward the seeking of something that feels good. Then I want to take it a step further, how d...

Chatting about: The Kinds of Connection In this episode, we talk about how connection between two beings requires one to initiate and the other to join. Another way to say the same thing is, one needs to take attention while the other one gives attention. When we see patterns and preferences in our horses to be either a giver or a taker that gives us insight in how best to build a solid foundation...

Chatting about: Being Present or Future Minded… In this episode we talk about the value of thinking ahead a few steps for the benefit of relationships. This is in contrast with the popular idea of being fully present. I believe being fully present is a good default mode to fall into when our systems are tired and need rest, however, being future minded allows us to consider the needs of others abo...

Chatting about: Exploring A Third Option… In this episode we talk about how polarized training horses tends to be. Between giving the horse no direction, and the need to establish consequences if the horse does not follow human direction. A third option can feel impossible unless you truly take time. This is what Freedom Based Training® is aimed at. Can we know the horses well enough to shape thei...

Chatting about: Noticing the Absence… In this episode we talk about how easy it is for the brain to lock onto the presence of threats or difficulties and the absence of well being. When we challenge ourselves to look for the absence of difficulty instead it can be a slippery idea to grasp. This ability to notice the absence of difficulty and the presence of well being is the greatest predictor of...

Chatting about: Endings and Beginnings… In this episode we talk about Atlas. We talk about saying goodbye to horses in the most graceful way possible. We talk about change and how to prepare for moments of change we may feel less than ready for. Originally aired on: February 10th, 2026

Chatting about: Different Kinds Of Difficult…… In this episode we talk about the importance of contrast in training. In order for horses to choose something, it must be in comparison better than some other option. How do we include the idea of something difficult in our training, in a way that feels reasonable to the horse we are working with? Originally aired on: February 3rd, 2026

Chatting about: When to slow training down… In this episode we talk about when we might slow training down and when we might speed training up. There is a benefit to every option, when applied at the right time. Originally aired on: January 26th, 2026

Chatting about: Giving To The Relationship Or Extracting From The Relationship …… In this episode we talk about the difference in training styles when we think about giving to the relationship in ways and at times that the horse might choose. There are certainly times when it is most appropriate to extract desired behaviors from the relationship for the benefit of everyone involved, and the good h...

Chatting about: Why do we train the Sensory System?… In this episode we talk about the reasons why I train the way I do. There are both benefits and difficulties associated with every training pattern. I believe a sensory first approach has the benefits I look for in a relationship with horses. Originally aired on: January 13th, 2026

Chatting about: Retained Juvenile Behaviors… In this episode we talk about a way to look at behavior in our horses that may seem inappropriate. When we look at it as a maturity level issue, it gives us so much grace to help our horses and work with them. Both of us on the same team working toward a better quality of life for everyone involved. Originally aired on: January 6th, 2026

Chatting about: Pressure and Release in the Real World… In this episode we talk about how inevitable pressure and release are in life and how we might use the cycles of internal pressure and release a horse naturally feels to shape their habits and patterns. While we can artificially apply pressure and release, the most important part is being able to read what it is the horse is feeling from mome...

Chatting about: Fireworks… In this episode we talk about how we might prepare horses for extreme events such as the Fireworks that often come along with New Year’s celebrations. Freedom Based Training is not about solving problems that are currently occurring, but instead preparing the horse from a sensory strength view point. When their sensory system is strong and adaptive, horses are amazingly...

Chatting about: Rest and Freeze… In this episode we talk about how to see rest and freeze on a spectrum. Rest being essential for horses to process the information they have taken in through their sensory systems. Freeze as a type of rest where they are trying to process information taken in, but ultimately struggle to make sense of it. The only way we know for sure which it is, is by noticing if...

Chatting about: Arcs, turns, and intersecting lines… In this episode we talk about the social strategies of horses working together in herds. What do they want from each other when they approach in a direct line? Why do some get corrected all the time and others don’t? How do we use this information to walk into a herd with the awareness that can replace pressure. How do we share that awareness wi...

Chatting about: Stacking the Wins! In this episode we talk about noticing the quality of each interaction we have with our horse. When we adjust the level of difficulty correctly for the horse on that day, in that environment, then the horse is able to feel like their wins stack up from moment to moment. Once we have stacked enough wins we can start asking the horse to stretch a bit more or try to...

Chatting about: Training Obedience versus Training Interest… In this episode we talk about how we might look at training on a spectrum between obedience and interest in the horse. While we can train to have both in the horse, we probably have to prioritize one or the other in each moment of practice. Each side of the spectrum comes with different benefits and challenges. Originally aired on: Novem...

Chatting about: The 13th Rabbit… In this episode we talk about the story of the thirteenth rabbit and how anxiety, or fear, or anger stacks if we don’t notice it and take the time to allow a horse to fully process it. Not everything needs to be fully processed as it happens, but it is good if we know our horses and how much stacking they can handle before we need to take time for processing. Origi...

Chatting about: Associations… In this episode we talk about building positive associations in horses. The tendency is to wait for something to go wrong, the horse to feel overwhelmed, and then ask how to solve the problem. This is of course something we can do, but it is so much better if we build positive associations with novelty and change before we put them in new situations. Studying what we...

Chatting about: Optimism and Pessimism… In this episode we talk about the factors that make a horse more optimistic or more pessimistic. Once we can see the ingredients that go into developing optimism we can improve a horse’s quality of life. Originally aired on: October 10th, 2025