In 1965 Linda Tellington Jones and her then-husband, Wentworth Tellington, wrote the first book on equine massage based on a technique learned from her grandfather, William Caywood.

He learned this style of bodywork from Russian gypsies and attributed his success as Leading Trainer with 87 wins at the Moscow Hippodrome Racetrack in 1905 to it. For ten years Linda used this bodywork to help her endurance and show horses recover after strenuous athletic endeavour.

In the late 1970’s after attending a four-year mind-body integration training for humans with Moshe Feldenkrais, Linda decided to apply the techniques to her work with horses. She had wonderful results in treating “problem” horses and rehabilitating horses by integrating this method in her training.

In 1983 she began to develop the circular TTouches based on the theory of working at the cellular level. With further experimentation and the help of her sister Robyn – these techniques have been formalised into the various Tellington TTouch and ground work exercises.

The components of TTeam are bodywork, groundwork and riding with awareness.

Bodywork

Bodywork, including TTouch, is based on a collection of circles, lifts and slides that work on a cellular level and affect behaviour, performance, health and relationships. This form of bodywork is very gentle and differs from other “massage” work in that it is moving the skin on the body, rather than working directly into the muscles.

There are numerous circles, lifts and slides – used for many different purposes. The speed and pressure of the circles can have very different effects too. Doing the work mindfully, really helps increase the bond between horse and handler.

Incorporated in the bodywork are non-habitual movements such as “leg circles” where the legs are moved in a circle (horses normally move their legs in a forward and backward motion), helping to release the shoulders and hips, as well as bringing awareness to these areas. This principle is used a lot in TTeam work, as we teach the horse that he has choices in using his body and that some choices are better for balance than others.

Another unusual aspect of TTouch is the work done in the horse’s mouth. The upper gum is linked to the lymbic system and that is the seat of emotion and learning. Mouthwork can often be very effective for horses that bite and are very emotional. It is always important to keep the thumb on the outside to prevent your hand from being bitten!

Body wraps are also used to help increase awareness in horses. These can be put on many different places of the body, to give a sense of connection without restriction.

Groundwork

Groundwork consists of many leading exercises over a variety of obstacles called “the playground of higher learning”. There are many ways of leading horses, depending on their needs. TTeam may use one or two people to lead a horse, the object being to make the work as easy as possible for the horse to get it right.

The “obstacle“ most often used is the labyrinth. This is a set of six poles laid out in two inverted F-shapes, so that the horse can walk in-between the poles as well as over them. Numerous other pole configurations as well as board and plastic are used in the groundwork.

The aim of the groundwork is to help the horse to balance himself using sensory integration through movement. We will incorporate bodywork into the groundwork and also use the groundwork obstacles in riding work. Using neckline driving helps the horses to learn about getting signals from behind and using their hindquarters. We use the necklines to help the horse to rebalance without having to have pressure on the head.

Using boards, plastic, pool noodles, chairs – anything you can think of – the team can set up small challenges to help horses that have problems with loading. By breaking down the whole experience into small manageable chunks, they can help the horse gain confidence and balance, so that the horse box is no longer an issue. Getting them to walk under pool noodles or plastic and over-boards, can help tremendously.

Riding with awareness

TTEAM uses various methods to help people with riding. Peggy Cummings’s “connected riding” is called upon to help people to get balanced so that riding becomes much easier for both horse and rider.

Linda has also developed a training bit (roller bit) which helps horses soften through the jaw. This bit is often used in groundwork as well. Riding in a bitless bridle (Lindell) or with no bridle (using a lariat), can be a very enriching experience for both horse and rider.

Regular clinics are held to teach people this wonderful work. If you require further information, contact Lindy Dekker on 083 616 0577.