Tea Time with Elsa

Epizode

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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 260 09.09.2026 5min

  Chatting About: The Foundation Work Of Simply Being… Originally aired on: August 29th, 2026 In this episode we talk about how sharing time with horses can sometimes be about simply being together without trying to change them. A “Watching Practice” sets the stage of understanding for all the training to come later.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 259 09.09.2026 21min

  Chatting About: Basic Needs First… Originally aired on: August 18th, 2026 In this episode we talk about how my understanding of the “Basic Needs” of a horse has become deeper over the years. Both horses and humans are herd animals and as such it is natural for them to value the needs of others they consider part of their herd. However, before they can act as a good herd member their “basic needs” must be addressed. Forage, Friends, Freedom and then beyond that, they need someone to acknowledge them as an individual with their own unique wants and needs. When we take the time to show them we understand them as individuals, we open up the possibilities around everyone becoming better partners.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 258 09.09.2026 15min

  Chatting About: Whimsy in Horse Training… Originally aired on: August 11th, 2026 In this episode we talk about how serious horse training can get and how perhaps, a little whimsy can be an incredible source of joy for everyone. What whimsical moments do you like to share with your horse?
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 257 09.09.2026 20min

  Chatting About: What do you want in a friend? Originally aired on: August 4th, 2026 In this episode we talk about the role of a friend that most horses play in the modern world. For some people horses are still work mates, for others they are sports equipment, for most of us I find they are friends first and foremost. Asking what we want in our friends is an important question. This impacts the way we interact with them every day.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 256 09.09.2026 17min

  Chatting About: The Non-performative Life… Originally aired on: July 28th, 2026  In this episode we talk about the idea of being performative, as a horse or a human. To be performative is to do things for others that you might not naturally choose for yourself. We ask our horses to be performative all the time, and we find socially as humans we often need to as well. When there is a time or a place when we can be non-performative for a while, it is a great luxury. Like everything, there is probably some balance between the two states that is healthy to strive for.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 255 09.09.2026 11min

  Chatting About: Pattern versus Details… Originally aired on: July 21st, 2026 In this episode we talk about how the brain chooses how to process the world it lives in, noticing the patterns (how today is the same as yesterday) or noticing the details (how each moment is completely unique). When we notice the patterns we become better friends and support to others. When we notice the details we form memories of events that are more romantic and rich and beautiful. My goal with horses is to first become the best friend possible so they can live a life that is beautiful. Then later we can switch, so they anticipate the patterns that best support the relationship while I get to bask in the details that make life and memories feel rich.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 254 09.09.2026 16min

  Chatting About: Our Relationship To Pressure… Originally aired on: July 14th, 2026  In this episode we talk about how past associations around pressure determine the quality of our relationship with pressure. In order to build a better relationship with pressure (from the horse’s perspective or the humans perspective) we get to start from where we are and, one experience at a time, build experiences that lead to better associations. “When pressure is felt, how excited can we feel about the possible outcomes?”
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 253 09.09.2026 12min

  Chatting about: A Good Luck Frame Of Mind… Originally aired on: July 7th, 2026  In this episode we talk about how training in freedom is all about capitalizing on the naturally occurring moments with our horses that are in the direction of training that we hope for. When training with more pressure we can create the patterns and habits we hope for in our horses. When prioritizing freedom, it is a game of luck. Developing a good luck frame of mind is all about honing our skills to see things we want, mark them and make them memorable. We tend to repeat what we remember.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 252 09.09.2026 21min

  Chatting about: Bringing Out The Best In Our Friends… Originally aired on: June 30th, 2026 In this episode we talk about how to bring out the best in our horses and, really, all of our friends in general. Specifically, I like to look at this from a sensory system perspective. The better our horses can sense the world around them, the better choices they make interacting with it and the more potential enjoyment they have in every moment.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 251 09.09.2026 20min

  Chatting about: Playing in Freedom versus Training in Freedom… Originally aired on: June 23rd, 2026  In this episode we talk about the care we take in training to set the horse up for success. In at least eighty percent of our interactions we should be making sure our horses encounter a world that does not push them to fear or anger. The rest of the time with our horses there is room to play a little without such careful thought. Simply try things, see the outcome, learn and do better with that information. It is ok if not everything goes perfectly when we are playing and carefree, so long as we ultimately learn from each interaction we have.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 250 09.09.2026 16min

  Chatting about: The Art Of Bonding… Originally aired on: June 16th, 2026 In this episode we talk about how the art of bonding is in the problems you can solve together. Much of normal horse training is about creating a problem for the horse that you can then solve together. In Freedom Based Training® we do our best to find naturally occurring problems we can help the horse solve, by understanding their hierarchy of needs and seeing where their priorities might be. This bonds us together, one solved problem at a time.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 249 09.09.2026 17min

  Chatting about: The long walk of shame… Originally aired on: June 12th, 2026  In this episode we talk about how sometimes, when we push a little too much in horse training and the horses have the freedom to walk away, we end up taking a long walk to figure out where things went wrong. Once we figure out what went wrong, we get to make a plan of what we might do differently when we see the horses again. I recently adopted two mustang mares and tried out some new ideas of training with them. The results were good, but we were not nearly as fast to make progress as I expected. I took a “long walk” across the ocean to teach in Europe for four weeks and half way through my trip I think I figured it out. Now I am on my way home to see if I can prove to my mares I learned something while I was away, and can do better now.
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 248 09.09.2026 13min

  Chatting about: We All Get To Decide What Is Important?… Originally aired on: May 5th, 2026 In this episode we talk about how we all get to decide where to focus and where we focus and how we show what is important to us as an individual. However, if the relationship to others is important, then what we focus on gets shaped by what is important to them. This is the primary way we show a horse that our relationship to them is valued.
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  Teatime With Elsa Episode 247 19.05.2026 21min

  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 you) this is a reality you probably can’t change in the moment it is happening, all you can do is stay out of the way and learn something from it, so you can do better next time you see a similar situation brewing. Originally aired on: May 17th, 2026
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  Teatime With Elsa Episode 246 19.05.2026 33min

  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 spectrum helps us slide toward a greater quality of life in the times it is possible. Originally aired on: April 28th, 2026
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  Teatime With Elsa Episode 245 19.05.2026 27min

  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 better. Originally aired on: April 21st, 2026
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  Teatime With Elsa Episode 244 19.05.2026 22min

  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 for any reason, it is ok to train faster. Knowing the side effects of training faster helps us to manage outcomes with the horse’s best interest in mind. Originally aired on: April 14th, 2026
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  Teatime With Elsa Episode 243 19.05.2026 24min

  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 senses" first. If horses learn a sensory first approach to pressure they have a better chance of gathering enough information to figure out what other changes might be needed. I also like to start with action around the horse to cause sensory use before I start the more challenging exercises of action moving toward the horse in ways that feel more like pressure. If we can start small with training and slowly build complexity from a solid base, horses are much more keen to learn with us. Originally aired on: April 7th, 2026
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  Teatime With Elsa Episode 242 19.05.2026 18min

  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 do I help the horse utilize and develop the parts of their sensory system that they have full control over, that no one can take away from them. When they can access those internal rewards their quality of life improves dramatically. Originally aired on: April 3rd, 2026
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  Teatime with Elsa - Episode 241 19.05.2026 27min

  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 for connection with them. Originally aired on: March 26th, 2026