Linda Tellington-Jones

 

Linda Tellington-Jones

The pioneering work of Linda Tellington-Jones has its roots in a philosophy that sees all beings -- humans and animals alike -- as reflections of a Divine Whole. The Tellington Method was first created 4 decades ago as a system of animal training, healing and communication that allows people to relate to animals in a deeper, more compassionate way -- a way that furthers inter-species connection and honors the body, mind and spirit of both animals and their people. The Tellington Method utilizes a variety of techniques of touch, movement and body language to affect behavior, performance, and health, and to increase an animal’s willingness and ability to learn in a painless and anxiety-free environment.

Linda’s highly effective and revolutionary approach to working with animals brought her world wide recognition, and it was out of this success that Tellington TTouch for humans has arisen, emerging as an important addition to the increasingly respected world of alternative healing practices.

The method for horses, first developed in the 1970’s, is known as TTEAM (Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method). In the 1980’s, Tellington TTouch broadened to include the world of companion animals, developing techniques that deepen mutual trust and understanding and strengthen the human/animal bond. During this period, TTouch work was also introduced as an effective and valuable method to reduce stress in wild life rehabilitation and to enhance the well-being of animals in zoos.

As an internationally acclaimed authority on animal behavior, training and healing, Linda has given presentations and demonstrations on her TTEAM method at veterinary conferences, universities, equestrian expositions, North American Handicapped Riding Association and the Delta Society world conferences, therapeutic riding associations, Olympic training centers, wildlife rehabilitation conferences, and zoos throughout the world.

Linda has also brought TTouch into the world of humans, teaching weekend and week-long workshops over the past 15 years in programs for individuals and their family members, as well as for health-care professionals. She is a visiting faculty member at the University of Minnesota where she has co-taught Tellington TTouch for humans annually since 2002. Tellington TTouch is included in the research program at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing. The results of studies on humans by Cecilia Wendler, PhD, RN, CCRN have been published in 3 prestigious professional nursing journals and the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.

Through her non-profit organization, Animal Ambassadors International®, she supports projects of children working with animals to enhance understanding, compassion and quality of life for both humans and animals.

 

• The Massage Therapy Hall of Fame recognizes Linda's contribution to the art and science of Massage Therapy.

  Linda Tellington-Jones' work has its roots in a philosophy that sees all beings - humans and animals alike - as reflections of a Divine Whole. The Tellington Method was first created four decades ago as a system of animal training, healing and communication that allows people to relate to animals in a deeper, more compassionate way - a way that furthers inter-species connection and honors the body, mind and spirit of both animals and their people. The Tellington Method utilizes a variety of techniques of touch, movement and body language to affect behavior, performance, and health, and to increase an animal's willingness and ability to learn in a painless and anxiety-free environment.

  Linda's highly effective and revolutionary approach to working with animals brought her world wide recognition, and it was out of this success that Tellington TTouch for humans has arisen, emerging as an important addition to the increasingly respected world of alternative healing practices.

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• To explain how special this award is, perhaps the wording on the perpetual trophy says it best: “In honor of those who have made a significant, meaningful difference in the world of horses.”

  This year an exemplary horsewoman was nominated, and she got “the nod” unanimously from the selection committee. The nomination form that heralded Linda Tellington-Jones’s accomplishments and contributions listed her numerous presentations, lectures, awards, television appearances, videos, books and an explanation of her work that has helped horses and horse people around the world for decades.

  An innovator in the horse world since the 1960s, Linda’s background includes an amazing variety of riding accomplishments, from hunters, jumpers, dressage, steeplechasing, combined training, competitive trail riding, English pleasure, Western pleasure, Top Ten placings in the world-renowned Tevis Cup 100 mile ride, to a world record in endurance she set in 1964 on a 100-mile race that remained unchallenged for seven years. Her unique background with horses includes directing the Pacific Coast School of Horsemanship in California, a 9-month residential school for riding instructors and trainers attended by international students.

  Linda’s contributions to equine behavior, health and communication are recognized and acclaimed internationally; her TTouch and TTEAM methods have been successfully used by Olympic contestants and trail riders alike. As part of Linda’s legacy, she has authored 15 books in 14 languages and has produced 21 videos of her work with animals. To help spread her work around the world, there are Tellington Method certified practitioners in 26 countries. Her current projects include teaching orphaned children in Africa how to help animals in local veterinary hospitals and animal shelters by using the Tellington Method of TTouch.

  Linda Tellington-Jones was completely surprised about the Hall of Fame award, thinking that she was riding in the Saturday Evening Showcase as a clinician. She was loaned a Paint horse mare from one of the California Cowgirls, and she even borrowed a cowgirl hat with glittery tiara attached. When told at the last minute that she won the Hall of Fame award, ever the consummate show person, she smiled, gathered her reins and cantered to the center of the arena to be met by Horse Expo founder and president Miki Cohen and radio and television personality Rick Lamb. Linda said graciously as she was presented with her plaque, “I'm thrilled at the honor of being inducted into the Western States Horse Expo Hall of Fame. To share my work with over 70,000 enthusiastic lovers of horses at this educational expo is a wonderful opportunity to change the world one TTouch at a time.”

  Pat Parelli couldn’t attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the 2006 Western States Horse Expo. So this year he rode out to the arena before Linda Tellington-Jones to accept his plaque and make a brief speech. As the two Hall of Fame recipients rode around the arena to greet the crowd, Pat Parelli on his black mare Magic did some spins, slide stops and other fancy maneuvers --- but that didn’t deter Linda Tellington-Jones from keeping right up with Pat on a horse that she had ridden for about four minutes! The crowd leaped to its feet as the two performers and riders extraordinaire “strutted their stuff!”

Publications: Linda has written fifteen books about TTouch and TTEAM which have been printed in twelve languages. Her most recent efforts include THE ULTIMATE HORSE BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING BOOK - Enlightened and Revolutionary Solutions for the 21st Century. Linda Tellington-Jones with Bobbie Lieberman Foreword by John Lyons Introduction by Susan Harding, Publisher of EQUUS and TTOUCH FOR CAREGIVERS, her new book exclusively for humans.

Videos: Eighteen videos relating to horses, dogs, cats, and llamas have also been released.

TTouch Practitioners: There are more than 1300 practitioners of the Tellington Method in twenty-six countries, as well as Tellington Method Centers in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Africa, the U.K. and U.S.A..

Promotion: Linda and her work have been featured many times over the past eighteen years in prime time television in North American, Europe, United Kingdom and Australia and featured in innumerable publications.   In North America these include, including Equus; Practical Horseman; Modern Horse Breeding; Horseman; Good Dog; Trail Blazer; Arabian Horse World; Massage Therapy Journal; New Age Journal; Woman's Day; ASPCA Report; American Way; American Kennel Club Gazette; Horse Illustrated; United Airlines Magazine. Major newspapers and magazines and well as horse, dog and cat publications in Europe, United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Hungary, France have covered the Tellington Method over the past 35 years.

Awards: Awards include the 1994 Horsewoman of the Year Award from the North American Horsemen's Association, the 1992 Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Riding Instructors Association and the 1969 Award for Creative Citizenship from the State of California.

Vision and Outreach: Linda’s passion is for spreading her message of understanding and compassion for animals and their people through her books, videos and certified TTouch teachers in 26 countries.

Linda's videos and books, in English include:

• An Introduction to the Tellington-Jones Equine Awareness Method, 1985, a best selling horse book in Germany and North America; over 100,000 sold.
• The Tellington Touch: A Breakthrough Technique in Training and Caring for Your Favorite Animal, 1993, published in USA, Germany and England.
• Getting in TTouch: Understand and Influence Your Horse's Behavior, released in April, l995. A best seller Trafalgar Square Press.
• Let's Ride! with Linda Tellington-Jones. Published in English in 1997, Trafalgar Square Press.
• Improve Your Horse's Well-being: A Step-by-step Guide to TTouch and TTEAM Training, released in 1999.
• Fifteen training videos for horses; one for llamas and two each for cats and dogs. The latest is a 1999 video designed to build confidence with riding (in German).

www.ttouch.com