Study of TTouch^® with Anna Wise
Boulder Institute of Biofeedback, Boulder, Colorado

During this study the Mind Mirror showed activation of all four brain waves in both hemispheres, illustrating how TTouch activates both the logical and intuitive parts of the brain.

News from Linda

(Reprinted from TTEAM Connections Newsletter, February 2003)

If you've done much work with TTEAM and TTouch^® you have most likely discovered the benefits for animals - not only for horses, but also for dogs, cats, small critters, zoo animals and wildlife rescue. You may have discovered improvements in health and well-being, a reduction in stress, and often, miraculous changes in behavior. And in horses and dogs you will have been rewarded by enhanced performance and a more flexible, intelligent four-legged friend. Many, who work with TTouch^®, report an unexpected deepening of relationship that gives you the feeling you are Dr. Doolittle with the ability to communicate without words, and understand each other in a way you didn't think possible.

However, what is often unrecognized or unspoken, are the effects on the mensch. That means you! In this work there is often experienced a transformation in the people using TTEAM and TTouch^® as well as their animals. We become more flexible and balanced mentally and physically, as well as emotionally. Many adults report a sense feeling of being smarter and more confident.

In classes of school children practicing TTouch^® on their companion animals, teachers and parents describe similar changes - improved ability to focus and concentrate (just like horses and dogs) with heightened confidence and more tolerance. Children with a tendency to lose their tempers or bully other kids increase self-control and another level of understanding that allows them to adapt and be less reactive. I believe TTouch^® teaches children what I call "compassionate empowerment®".

What causes these transformational changes in the two-leggeds? I believe the reasons are two-fold.

1 . TTEAM and TTouch^® activate both hemispheres of the brain-resulting in Whole Brain learning. The left side of the brain is commonly referred to as the logical side, and the right side is thought of as the creative or intuitive side, although in reality that is not so. The brain is actually an integrated whole. The left hemisphere is more linear and the right is oriented to spatial issues and understanding the big picture.

You wonder how TTouch^® affects the whole brain?

Each time you push the skin in a circle imagining the face of a clock, the intuitive side is engaged, because imagining or visualizing as well as the actual movement have to do with the intuitive. When you "see in your mind's eye" the numbers on the clock, the logical is activated because numbers have to do with logical thinking.

When you're practicing leading exercises imagining the "Elegant Elephant's" trunk as the end of your "wand" or whip, the movement itself, and holding the wand and chain in both hands, affects the right brain. And the logical way of holding the wand and chain in two hands awakens the thinking side.

2. The second indication of this whole brain effect comes from the two studies I did in the summers of 1987 and 1988 in cooperation with Anna Wise of the Boulder Institute of Biofeedback. Working with a "Mind Mirror" developed by her mentor, British psycho biologist and biophysicist Maxwell Cade, produced some fascinating results. The Mind Mirror is an EEG that differs from the traditional EEG in that it used spectral analysis to simultaneously measure eleven different frequencies in each hemisphere of the brain. Unlike the normal EEG it has the unique ability to measure beta, alpha, theta and delta brain waves in both hemispheres of the brain.

We measured over a dozen students to determine their brain wave activity while being TTouched, rubbed, petted and massaged. Surprising was the fact that consistently, whether our students were being TTouched or TTouching a horse or a person, there was an activation of all four brain waves -beta, alpha, theta and delta - in both sides of the brain. When the person being measured was petted, stroked, rubbed or massaged, the relaxing alpha brainwave pattern was present, but never beta - the problem solving potential. Only with the circular touches were the beta brainwaves present.

As you may already know, we have email discussion lists for TTEAM and TTouch certified practitioners that are hosted by Maggie Moyer, Peggy Rouse and Judi Trusky, bless their buttons!! The discussions are often fascinating and educational, and sometimes there is a question directed to me. The following question that arrived over the Internet could be of interest and help to you.

Carol Bryant, a Tellington TTouch Apprentice in Oz (Australia) wrote the following. Stop! I need to know more about the "Mind Circles" you wrote about. What are mind circles? Are the TTouch circles done mentally on animals you are unable to touch and if so, can you tell me a little more about.

Hi Carole, Yes, these are circles done in the mind, directed specifically where you want them. We have some fascinating cases of beneficial effects which are described in my new TTouch book for humans. Until the book is published, just begin by visualizing them. I've used these imaginary Mind Circles in the air a few feet away from a terrified, aggressive tiger while visualizing/imagining that they were being done directly on the tiger's body and I could see a change occur right in front of my eyes. In the case of the snow leopard reported by Dr. Isenbugel in the forward to my Tellington TTouch book, I imagined doing circles on the second snow leopard who was watching me work her sister. The snow leopard I worked on, and the cub mate I visualized working on, recovered overnight from a respiratory disease that the zoo people expected the leopards to die from. You can visualize the circles while in the presence of an animal, or you can imagine you are with an animal that is not in your presence, and have this help. In the memory of Jonathan Livingston Seagull asking why seagulls can fly the answer is: "They think they can." Enjoy the journey!

So the next time you head out to the barn remember that TTouching your horse a few minutes a day can reduce your stress, clear your mind, deepen the connection with your horse and dog, and make you smarter. That's why the phrase "The Touch That Teaches" came into being.

Background Information

Follow-up to "News from Linda"

The February, 2003 TTEAM newsletter prompted several people to ask me for more information about the Mind Mirror studies. The most common question was asked about the difference between the Mind Mirror measurements of brain waves and standard EEG's. Here are some more details.

In the summers of 1987 and 1988 Linda worked with Anna Wise, founder of the Biofeedback Institute of Boulder, Colorado. After monitoring Linda's brain waves of while working with TTouch and discovering that she was working in the awakened mind state, Anna thought it would be interesting to check out TTouch students to see if they would have these same brainwave states.

Anna had worked with Maxwell Cade in England for 8 years before coming to the United States to continue her work with people using the Mind Mirror to develop insight, healing and creativity.

The following notes are exerts from The Anna Wise Center for Awakened Mind Training website and from her first book, The High Performance Mind: Mastering Brainwaves for Insight, Healing, and Creativity (Tarcher/Putnam, 1996, 271 pages)

There is major difference in EEG machines developed for medical use for diagnosis of brain dysfunction. The use of EEG to understand the pathology of the brain has been very thoroughly explored over the last few decades. The Mind Mirror was developed by Maxwell Cade to study states of consciousness.

"The study of states of consciousness was undertaken by C. Maxwell Cade, a distinguished British psychobiologist and biophysicist and one of the few nonmedical members of the Royal Society of Medicine, and Geoffrey Blundell, an electronics expert in the late 70s. They studied the brainwave states of yogis, swamis, healers, ministers, and masters of many traditions to develop the Mind Mirror series of educational EEGs. The process was interactive – with many revisions to the hardware as Cade and Blundell discovered how to measure brainwave states that correlate to subjective states of mind. What emerged was an "awakened mind" brainwave pattern. Cade continued to find confirmation of this lucid state in the highly evolved minds that he studied, and learned how to help his students develop it. (p. 11)

"The high-performance mind – the awakened mind possesses a potential for using optimum states of consciousness for greater creativity; self-healing; better general health, relaxation, and stress management; solving emotional problems; more productivity in the workplace; understanding and improving relationships; greater self-knowledge; and spiritual development.

This state of mind is clearer, sharper, quicker, and more flexible than ordinary states. Thinking feels fluid rather than rigid. Emotions become more available and understandable, easier to work with and transform. Information flows more easily between the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious levels. Intuition, insight, and empathy increase and become more integrated into normal consciousness. With an awakened mind, it becomes easier to visualize and imagine, and to apply this increased imagination to one's creative processes in many areas." (p. 2)

Anna Wise's Description of the Brain Wave Functions:

"BETA is your normal thinking state, your active external awareness and thought process. Without beta you would not be able to function in the outside world.

ALPHA brainwaves are the brainwaves of relaxed detached awareness, visualization, sensory imagery and light reverie. Alpha is the gateway to meditation and provides a bridge between the conscious and the subconscious mind.

THETA brainwaves are the subconscious mind. Theta is present in dreaming sleep and provides the experience of deep meditation when you meditate. Theta also contains the storehouse of creative inspiration and is where you often have your spiritual connection. Theta provides the peak in the peak experience.

DELTA brainwaves are your unconscious mind, the sleep state, but when present in combination with other waves in a waking state, Delta acts as a form of radar – seeking out information – reaching out to understand on the deepest unconscious level things that we can't understand through thought process. Delta provides intuition, empathetic attunement, and instinctual insight."

"Someone in the Awakened Mind brainwave state (specific activation of beta, alpha, theta and delta in both hemispheres) has access to the unconscious empathy, intuition, and radar of the delta waves, the subconscious creative storehouse, inspiration and spiritual connection of the theta waves, the bridging capacity, lucidity and vividness of imagery, and relaxed detached awareness of the alpha waves, and the ability to consciously process thoughts in beta – all at the same time!"

"The work I have done with interspecies communication and brainwaves involves horses and their riders or trainers. I fell into this work by accident when I met Linda Tellington-Jones. The first time she came to me for a brainwave profile I monitored her while working on people. In this state she produced a form of awakened mind brainwave pattern that was heavily weighted with theta brainwaves.

"I was interested to know if her students had a similar pattern, so we set up a test during one of her workshops at a Colorado ranch. I observed that all of the students who had studied TTouch over a period of time tended to have strong theta and delta brainwaves in a normal resting waking state. Six out of the eleven people I measured had near awakened mind patterns in the left hemisphere, and one person had an awakened mind as coherent as Tellington-Jones'."

Our next step was obviously to attempt to monitor horses' brainwaves and then to see if we could observe any effect from TTouch. We fond that the basic resting state of the horses was primarily theta and delta with occasional flares of alpha. When TTouch was administered we got an activation of all four categories of brainwaves on the horses. We say that alpha especially was consistently activated during TTouch, as well as some beta.

I simultaneously monitored the brainwaves of Tellington-Jones and a horse she was working on, and found a high level of entrainment occurring between the horse and the trainer.

Perhaps the most startling experience that we had took place while working with a two-year-old thoroughbred mare that the owner thought was crazy. Initially, this horse had scattered brainwaves and out-of-control, high-amplitude flares. She had exceedingly strong theta and delta and not as much alpha and beta as we thought there should be, according to the other horses' brainwaves. Tellington-Jones then spent some time doing TTouch on her.

Afterward I was standing in front of a group of people talking about our discoveries and discussing this particular horse's difficulties. I explained that this horse could produce only theta and delta and was unable to produce alpha – whereupon the horse immediately produced strong alpha. When everyone laughed, I said, "O.K., but she can't produce beta." When she immediately produced beta, no one laughed, because our mouths were all open! Time prevented us from experimenting further with this particular horse. I still wonder what would have happened if I had said "O.K., but she still can't produce an awakened mind." (p. 213)

These studies on multiple horses on two separate occasions were fascinating from the point of view of considering that horses demonstrated an activation of beta – indicating logical thinking in the mind's of humans.

However, the brainwave studies done on TTouch students were even more interesting to me than the results shown with horses.

The Mind Mirror showed a consistent activation of all four brain waves in both hemispheres of the people doing TTouch and those being TTouched. It is my belief that this explains the reports from people TTouching their horses, dogs, cats, other animals as well as two-leggeds, that they feel more alive, more balanced emotionally as well as physically, more focused, happier. This has been true for both children and adults. So that the time adults spend TTouching their animals is as much benefit to them as to their animals – in addition to the wonderful bonding and opening of the heart that occurs.

It has been demonstrated that activation of both hemispheres of the brain– to include both logical thinking and intuitive knowing– is important for "Whole Brain Learning". TTouch^® can be a powerful tool for this enhancement and at the same time healing for the body, mind and soul.

Anna and I have been in discussion regarding further studies and hope to get together later this year. My vision is to measure the brain waves of children TTouching their companion animals. I believe this would be a powerful tool for Whole Brain Learning and "High TTouch" in this age of "High Tech". With TTouch children can learn "compassionate empowerment" and a sense of kindness that is sorely needed in our modern world.

Aloha, LTJ

NOTE: TTEAM is an acronym of "Tellington TTouch^® Equine Awareness Method." Since this article was written, the brand name for all the facets of the TTouch^® organization is Tellington TTouch^® Training.

Immediate and Cumulative Benefits from Tellington TTouch^® Program Reflected in the EEG of An Anxious Mare

Robin Bernhard, LCSW, MEd, Sandy Rakowitz, Jessica Eure, MEd, EdS

Linda Tellington-Jones has created a gentle non-invasive system of bodywork comprised of specialized circular touches, lifts and slides that improves focus, balance and motor function, enhances learning and even promotes trust and communication amongst its users. Over the past 30 years, practitioners have seen both immediate and cumulative benefit from its use in training and healing animals and in healing the relationship between animals and their owners. After attending one of Linda's 5-day workshops in April 2005, I wanted to see if these techniques could help my injured mare to be comfortable while healing from a ligament injury and help us to improve our ability to communicate so that her balance problems under saddle would not degenerate into rushing out of control.

Read More

Integrating the Tellington TTouch^® Method in Guide Dog Training

by Janice K. F. Lloyd and Elizabeth Roe at the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia

The Tellington TTouch^® method is used to reduce stress and relax animals so they can learn more effectively. It aims to increase an animal's body awareness and balance by using a combination of techniques that include specific touches, body wraps and leading (movement) exercises. This article discusses the method and its potential role in guide dog training.

  Read More (Note! You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.)

Loading stress in the horse:
Behavioural and physiological measurement of the effectiveness of non-aversive training (TTEAM) for horses with trailer loading resistance.

This study was conducted by Stephanie Shanahan when she was a student at the University of Ontario Veterinary School at Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The research was funded by a grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation for Research targeting the Improvement of Animal Welfare. Stephanie won the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's 'Award for Student Excellence in Applied Animal Behavior Research'. Permission to post from Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.

Abstract

Resistance to trailer loading in the horse is a common source of stress and injury to horses and their handlers. The objective of this study was to determine whether non-aversive training based on Tellington-TTouch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) would decrease loading time and reduce stress during loading for horses with a history of reluctance to load.

Ten horses described by their owners as "problem loaders" were subjected to pre-training and post-training assessments of loading. Each assessment involved two seven-minute loading sessions during which heart rate and saliva cortisol were measured. The training consisted of six 30-minute sessions over a two-week period during which the horse and owner participated in basic leading exercises with obstacles simulating aspects of trailering. Heart rate and saliva cortisol were shown to increase significantly during loading as compared to baseline (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). Reassessment after training showed a decrease in loading time (P=0.01) and reduced heart rate during loading (P=0.001). Seven good loaders were also subject to loading assessment for physiological comparison. Increases in heart rate during loading were significantly higher in the good loaders (P<0.001). Non-aversive training simulating aspects of loading may effectively reduce loading time and stress during loading for horses with a history of resistance to loading.

As most of you know, in the summer of 1999, I conducted research retraining horses with trailer loading problems using TTEAM. So I'd like to give a general outline of what I did and what I was trying to do. In a later issue, I will present some of the interesting case studies that came out of the research.

Horses who are reluctant to load into a trailer are not difficult to find. In fact, it is one of the most common behaviour problems horse people are familiar with regardless of the breed of horse or discipline they are involved in. Unfortunately, trailer-loading accidents are also a common cause of injury to horses and their handlers.

My intention in this project was to scientifically ascertain the effectiveness of a TTEAM training program at improving willingness to load. I also wanted to know if the stress of loading would be measurable physiologically and furthermore, if TTEAM training could measurably decrease loading stress.

We started with 12 horses who, according to their owners, were difficult to load. The horses included a Shire/Thoroughbred yearling, two and four year old Quarter Horses, Arabian crosses, Canadian broodmares and a few thoroughbreds. The oldest horse in the study was 20 years old.

In the initial assessment, the horse had two seven-minute opportunities to load, one with the owner and one with an independent handler who did not know the horse or the purpose of the study. We measured heart rate and took saliva samples to measure cortisol before, during and after the loading. We performed this assessment with all the problem horses as well as with 8 horses who were considered to be good loaders.

In almost every case loading time was not significantly different when the owner or the person unfamiliar with the horse was loading.

One of the "problem loaders" loaded readily and one of the good loaders did not load so we didn't use them in the study but we did work with both of them anyway.

After the assessment some horses started the training while others waited and had a second assessment before the training. This was done in order to keep the independent handler blind to the training status of the horse.

The training program was based on a wonderful article by Marion Shearer, "Prepare your horse to load", which was recently reprinted in the May-June 2000 TTEAM Connections. The sessions were every other day for two weeks. It is definitely beneficial for horses (and people) to have a break between sessions in order for the brain to integrate the new information. Every other day is better than every day. Some horses may benefit from more than two weeks of training while others might only need to be asked differently at the time of loading.

Here are some of the most important components of the program we used (for more information, I strongly recommend reading Marion's article):

Lower the Horse's Head

Many of the problem loaders had naturally high head carriage. When they were concerned their head would go even higher making it difficult to negotiate getting into a trailer. This is a normal reaction for horses, a part of the flight response. They are raising their head to shift their weight back which lightens their front end so they can turn around quickly and get away from what is scaring them. The problem arises when the handler has no way of asking the horse to lower its head. It appears that lowering the head actually changes the horse's reaction to a situation. When the head is lowered, a horse is able to move forward to approach and investigate what it is concerned about. This gives the horse the opportunity to realize that the situation is okay. With his nose in the air, a horse is neither going forward nor giving the situation a chance, he is asking to leave.

As part of our training we used as many different ways as we could think of to teach the horses to lower their head when asked. Some of the ways are listed here:

Leading position:

• Putting the chain up the side of the halter

While standing:

• A gentle signal and release downward on the chain, or "milking" of the chain
• Stroking of the horse's chest and forearms with the wand

While walking:

• Allowing the horse to walk into the wand which is held in front of the horse midway between the knee and shoulder

Body work:

• Raising the back with the tips of the fingers pressing on the midline of the abdomen
• Tail work
• Mouth work and ear work

These may not lower the head directly but can be very useful to get the horse to pay attention and think about what you are asking when you are stuck

Since we only had a short period of time to work with and the owners were not familiar with TTEAM, we did not teach ALL the possible tools that COULD be useful when working with horses to improve their willingness to load. We focused on a few basic principles and were very happy with the results we got.

The training sessions involved the introduction of these TTEAM techniques at the pace that seemed appropriate for that particular horse and owner:

Leading positions

Cheetah: This was used as the BASIC leading position. The important principles were to habituate the owner to being further away and further ahead of their horse while leading. We emphasized that the horse would better be able to listen if they could see the person leading them. It was also an opportunity for the handler to learn to use the wand to more clearly communicate what they wanted the horse to do.

Dingo: This is considered a very important part of trailer loading problem solving. The horse must learn to go forward from a signal. It seems that horses understand the signal on the croup combined with the signal on the chain very well, but it is important for the handler to learn to coordinate this movement in a consistent manner.

Dance: It is believed that many horses are more concerned about backing OUT of the trailer than getting into the trailer. Imagine backing out of something and not being able to see or feel the ground behind you! Teaching a horse to back one step at a time and to negotiate backing over obstacles, inclines and off bridges makes the horse more willing to load onto the trailer as well as backing out more calmly and safely.

The obstacles we used were whatever combination of poles, planks, tarps and barrels was available. We tried to simulate the different aspects of what CAN be difficult for a horse when trailer loading:

1. Stepping over or onto something i.e. poles raised or piled, bridge, cavalettis

2. Stepping onto an unfamiliar surface that makes noise i.e. plastic tarp, plywood sheet, bridge

3. Walking into a narrow space i.e. poles raised on barrels, tarps hanging over the poles, plywood

4. Walking under a low roof i.e. an arch of wands, a Styrofoam pole, a rolled tarp

The horse would walk up to the obstacle and be asked to halt. If the horse's neck was above the horizontal, the handler would ask the horse to lower its head and then proceed with the obstacle. It is not necessary to stop EVERY time before negotiating an obstacle. It is useful, however, in order to make every step clear and intentional to practice stopping and moving forward in a controlled manner with the head lowered.

Some of the horses appeared not to know that their limbs were connected to their body. So we used the body wrap to help them get a sense of how they might coordinate legs and body as a unit. For the horses who could not step over a pole without tripping, the body wrap seemed to make a world of difference!

Body work

We also included one session of bodywork for each horse. We were focusing on touches that would help ground, calm and connect the horse. We started with an exploration of the horse's body, which the owners found FASCINATING. The reactions of the horse fit with the pattern of difficulties that they had with them on the ground and under saddle. All of a sudden they seemed to understand that the horse was not stubborn or difficult but tight or sore or habituated to a particular way of carrying itself.

The touches we used:

Grounding:

• Python lifts
• Leg exercises

Calming:

• Ear work
• Mouth work

Connecting:

• Raising the back
• Tail work
• Lick of the cow's tongue
• Noah's march
• Zigzags

Results

Seven of the ten horses who completed the study loaded in the allotted seven minutes on the final assessment, a very significant improvement from the initial assessment. Three of these seven loaded instantly, in less than 30 seconds, and did so repeatedly during the 14-minute loading assessment.

Of the three horses who did not load:

• one had fallen when the lead shank broke during the initial assessment
• another owner had chosen not to participate in the training sessions
• the third owner had been absent for the initial loading assessment and was so nervous at the final assessment that she was crying.

By analyzing the data we had collected, we were able to show that the heart rate and saliva cortisol increased significantly when a horse was asked to load. While after TTEAM training the willingness to load was significantly improved AND heart rate was significantly lower when they were asked to load. The saliva cortisol measurement was not sensitive enough with the small number of horses we had to show a difference after training.

Good loaders

One of the most interesting things we found was that the good loaders had a higher increase in heart rate when they were loaded onto a trailer than the problem loaders. We don't have a specific explanation for this. My guess is that even though these horses are obedient enough to load when asked, loading onto a trailer is still stressful, definitely more stressful than standing in the crossties! Conversely, the horse might associate the trailer with going somewhere exciting, like a competition or trail ride, and their excitement is reflected by the increase in heart rate.

We also noticed that the horses who moved around and whinnied the most while they were in the trailer had LOWER heart rates than the horses who just walked on and stood there. That was a real eye opener! How often we forget that freezing is a panic response!

• "He was just standing there, quiet as could be, and all of a sudden, he just exploded!".
• "He's not scared, he's just stubborn. He just stands there and doesn't move."

Just because an animal isn't showing overt signs of being stressed, it doesn't mean he is relaxed.

Discussion and further questions

When I told my childhood coach about my research project, her response was: "I think you should measure the stress of the handler instead of the horse". And I think there's some truth to that. I think a key component of the training program was the owner involvement. Learning to communicate more clearly what we want from our horses allows them to feel safer doing things that seem inherently unsafe, like getting into a trailer.

Will horses who have had a bad experience with a trailer benefit from this training?

In this training, we did not use a trailer at any time other than the assessments. There were specific orders that the horses should not spend any time near a trailer during the study. We did this in order to show that the fear of the trailer itself is often not the problem. When a horse is more confident about its coordination and balance and receiving clear communication from its handler, the trailer is suddenly no longer a problem. In some cases however, being in the trailer is much worse for the horse than loading onto the trailer. Some horses will load readily and as soon as they are in the trailer, their heart rate triples and they are sweating profusely. The response to specific exercises will vary from horse to horse because in each case, we don't know EXACTLY what the horse is concerned about. And there will be some situations in which this training will not be the answer.

What would happen if the good loaders went through the training program, would their heart rates be reduced?

Well, we don't know. It's possible. It is possible that doing TTEAM groundwork with these horses because of its many benefits unrelated to trailering may improve the horse's comfort with trailer loading by improving its balance and coordination.

What about using the Clicker? Why didn't you use a Clicker?

I didn't use a Clicker in this project because I wasn't very familiar with them at the time. Also, the more variables you introduce in research, the less meaningful it becomes. I have since spoken with MANY people (behaviourists, trainers, TTEAM Instructors) who would include Clicker and Target Training in a trailer loading program. I think it's a great idea. Definitely horses learn very quickly and enjoy learning with positive reinforcement!

Why didn't the saliva cortisol show a decrease after training?

We're still just in the beginning stages of applying the use of saliva cortisol to measure stress in horses. The number of horses and the interval of testing we used was not sensitive enough to be able to say whether or not there was a decrease. Though the increase during loading was significant, a lesser increase after training could not be demonstrated.

How significant was the bodywork in the training program?

Well there's no way of knowing this either since we did not have a group who received ground work without bodywork. But the owners definitely seemed to find it very important. If nothing else, it allowed them to look at their horse in a different way which is an essential part of learning to work with them differently.

Happy trailering, Steph Shanahan

NOTE: TTEAM is an acronym of "Tellington TTouch^® Equine Awareness Method." Since this article was written, the brand name for all the facets of the TTouch^® organization is Tellington TTouch®.

When we attend a TTouch training we arrive with excitement and wonder. The common bond that all of us share and the one that attracts us to Linda’s work, is that we each believe, in our own way, that there must be a better way to be with horses, other animals, the people in our lives and with the world in general.

The knowledge learned from the Tellington TTouch Method for Horses work is accumulative. In the beginning, it seems simple and easy. As we continue year after year to learn more of Linda’s shared skills, from clinics, workshops, CD’s, and her books, we begin to see a complete metamorphosis in our approach to riding, training and in many ways, to our interactions with other people as well. At a time of such great need for balance in the world and in our personal lives, by becoming TTouch trained, we become part of the change.

Linda’s life philosophy is woven like a rich quilt and openly shared at her clinics. During the daily lunch break she shares ideas about thought provoking books and theories that open all of the participants to see that we all have unlimited potential. For most of us, there is a recognition that horses can be our teachers.

At Linda’s five-day clinics, many of us notice a personality pattern expressing itself as we work with our horses—our horses mirror this pattern back to us, many times it appears to be the root of the problem that we seem to be having with our horses, and yet it is a problem that we have in other aspects of our lives, too. The horses keep giving us an opportunity to not only get it right, but to get it better. At a recent workshop, there was a horse that was very pushy with its person. As the days went on, the person revealed how primary people in her life did not treat her with respect either. As she learned techniques to express her boundaries to her horse, she also had an awareness of different ways of being with humans in her daily life.

The work that Linda teaches at her clinics is far beyond horse training. Linda shares with her students the richness of her life journey with humans and with animals that she has finely tuned over the past fifty years. A woman always ahead of her time, she gently and humbly shares her knowledge with everyone present. The attendees at her horse clinics are of varied backgrounds from trainers, competitors, therapists, medical professionals, NARHA instructors, backyard horse owners and anyone with a desire to share with a horse in a more compassionate way. Whatever a person’s knowledge base is, Linda has a way of speaking and sharing examples directly so that they are easily understood and absorbed.

The variety of touches, leading positions, special riding equipment and connected riding techniques offer everyone something new and thought provoking to encourage and stretch skills, from professional trainer to horse lover. A questionnaire was sent to participants from a recent clinic. Christal Bannister, a massage therapist, answered, “I learned to touch a horse (and people) in a new way. I learned how to be soft and effective with the touches. I learned also how to be direct, observe and to give clear signals.”

The TTouch method offers us possibilities of dealing with our horses in an entirely different way. The depth of Linda’s work supports humans in continuing to unravel the myth of domination and ignorance in our relationship with our equine partners. When attending a five-day workshop, it is truly joyful to see horses and humans develop new ways of interacting together. In western civilization where horse ownership, racing, showing and winning have guided most peoples training background, it is so refreshing and important that we now have a choice.

Because of work like Linda’s Tellington TTouch Method, we have an opportunity to see, to learn, to try and to succeed in improving the lives of our horses and at the same time improving our lives as we see that compassion, listening, honoring and thought out techniques are available to everyone. An attendee at a recent clinic, Kathleen Aspenns wrote, “I really like seeing Linda work with challenging horses---to see what to do when they don’t like the first ten things you try---keep trying something different. Linda’s work in heartfelt—I absolutely love her respect for and her communication with the horses. It inspires me to be a more compassionate person.”

Linda and all the Instructors, support each student and help all of them to embark on their own journey filled with all of the skills that she can possibly share. TTouch work is not only about changing the way we deal with horses, it is about changing the way we see, hear, listen and deal with our lives . . . changing the way we are with each other, one horse, one person at a time.

"I guess horses, like people, can develop a dislike for something over a period of time, especially when it becomes associated in their minds with some similar, but bad experience. Out elder mare, Canadair, developed a real hate for paste worming over a period of years, until our only recourse was to fit her with a snug, stout halter, lash her head firmly against a solid pole (of the power-pole type!) and wait until she gave up resisting, sighed, and let us do it. 

"She always looked faintly surprised after, as it was never (in recent years) as bad-tasting as she’d expected. Mind you, she's not an evil-minded horse, never bit or struck at us, just tried with all her strength and skill to keep her mouth out of reach. It took, I suppose, no more than five minutes in all, from haltering to worming, but it was nerve-wracking for me to handle her enormous resistance.  In fact, I always postponed worming the entire stable until me son who was very quiet and cool with horses could be home to help.

"Then I learned the mouth work at a Tellington TTouch weekend clinic and before the next worming day I gave the mare some “treatments.” Hey! She loved it! The mare that disliked anything going on around her head! We decided to try the worming sans power-pole, just my son’s hand on her halter, head over stall door, but essentially free to charge backwards. I worked the gums, played piano on her tongue, gently worked the nostrils, sides of the mouth and then slipped in the paste wormer - MAGIC!! No fight, no fuss, and all over in a matter of seconds! No fluke either; we’ve wormed twice since the breakthrough.  And next time I’m going to have a go at doing her all by myself!"

   – Pat Ritchie  in Alberta

"This TTouch Training showed me:

effectiveness in changes

new realizations

confidence

philosophy

strength to be “weird”

appreciation and honor to all animals - we are all the same at cell level.

"At the end of this week-long training (my 6th or 7th, I think), I am once again struck by how powerful the TTouch method is. The combination of the TTouch body work, the ground work and leading, and the overall philosophy creates overall changes in the horses and in the people working with them. I have never seen this in any other system in my 25 years of working with animals.

"These competitive event horses began with very obvious problems: stiffness, short-strided, uneven gait, high headedness, dragging the rider to the jumps, kicking, biting, unwillingness, lack of attention. In every case there was dramatic improvement.

"We were fortunate to have top level riders who showed us their horse being led and being ridden nearly every day. This allowed us to see the changes in the horses after being worked each day by the clinic participants. It also allowed us to see the riders soften and ride more correctly after using the specialized TTouch equipment in their riding sessions. It was a joy to observe the riders' pleasant surprise as the horses became easier and more enjoyable to ride.

"After working as an animal professional for almost 20 years, I was so impressed by Tellington TTouch effectiveness. In the years since then, I’ve used it more and more in my work. I continue to learn better ways to work with animals through TTouch trainings and to be constantly amazed by the changes the TTouch method for horses brings about.  

      - Penny Stone

TTEAM News International Back Issues, 1990 Pp. 91-92

TTEAM Practitioner and Educator Erika Hull works with a class of Developmentally Delayed students (ages 12 -21) in Bracebridge, Ontario. She has taken a number of week-long TTEAM Trainings with Linda Tellington-Jones and Robyn Hood. She also owns and rides two horses and has a dog and two cats.

About eight years ago, first used the Tellington TTouch on one student who was totally out of control - the student was screaming and could not sit or stand. In "self defense" Erika did a few light-pressured Clouded Leopard circles and the screaming eased while Erika was doing the circles. Since that time, the use of TTouch in her classroom has become, in her words, "a way of being" that is integrated into the rest of her teaching. However, with some students, she may spend a little more time to deal with specific problems.

In January, 1990 I visited Erika to observe, video, and write about some of these special cases, so that they could be shared at the first Tellington TTouch Workshop for Humans held at Esalen Institute in February 1990.

David (not his real name)

He came to Erika's class at the age of 12 years suffering from Cerebral Palsy. At that time, he was violent and disruptive. He had no friends, did not talk, did no work, and had to wear diapers. His head moved constantly, he could not see anything, and was unable to focus. Go could not straighten his arms, and they were always on his chest. He was unable to feel heat, cold or pain.

Erika told him that if he wanted to remain in her classroom, he had to be smart like everyone else, and that his brain was the boss. She began TTouch by working on his arms and hands with the Clouded Leopard, doing Noah's March down both arms, and telling him that he had a telephone connection from the brain to his fingers. This was the "beginning of a new life" as Erika puts it, "he began to get an idea of where his body was."

Two years ago, a hamstring operation was done and his legs were in full casts (from the hip to the toes). His mother was told by the doctors that he would never have sensation or movement in the toes. Erika did Clouded Leopard and Raccoon circles on his toes, working on him for about 20 minutes each day for six weeks while he was in the casts. After the casts were removed, she did circles over the feet and legs. To help him stand, she put his feet in high ski boots. She used the wand to direct the brain signal from the head to the foot, and he is now able to wiggle his toes. He is also able to stand without the ski boots and instead of 100% of his weight on the heels, it's now 60% on the heels and 40% on the toes. He is now able to walk without assistance. By doing TTouch down the outside of the leg David is beginning to be able to turn his feet straighter (instead of out), and is able to walk backwards.

To assist David with his writing and improve his eyesight, Erika did TTouch circles on David's temples. He has learned his letters and numbers, and is now able to write them. He has become very social, has many friends, and can have a sensible conversation with people. He can dress himself, is able to use a urinal, and doesn't wear diapers any more. During the TTouch work, a great deal of emphasis was placed on breathing - because the breathing helps to "unfreeze the neural impulses that direct the muscles". Erika says that David is now one of her host students.

Tara
She has been in Erika'a Class for 1 & 1/2 years. It the beginning she had no speech, and had so little strength or balance that she was unable to got on the school bus. Her speech problem was related to an inability to take air into the lungs. She was unable to rotate her spine, which interfered with her washroom activities . TTouch was done on her feet and legs to improve their strength and she is now able to get on a ladder.

When first TTouched on the back, four months ago, Tara gasped, due to extreme sensitivity probably caused by inflammation of nerve endings. Very light Python Lifts and Raccoon touches were done all over her back to help improve her breathing and enable her to rotate her spine. Tara can now be TTouched all over her back with the Abalone without feeling any discomfort and can use the washroom. Her parents are very pleased with the changes in her.

Bill
Bill was expelled from every school and every school bus due to violent behavior. (e.g. throwing a VCR through the window). His Ontario Student Record is 1" thick with incidents. He was placed in Erika's class in November 89. At the beginning, Erika did not use the TTouch on him, but she used the TTEAM Philosophy of offering alternatives instead of force, as she had learned in TTEAM horse clinic. Whenever force, (in the form of coercion) had been used with Bill, he had exploded (as some horses will). When offered alternatives, he began to be able to cope.

More recently (March, 90) Erika began doing the Python and Butterfly on his arms and hands (his hand would shake,, and he had difficulty writing. She also used Tarantulas Pulling the Plow and Lick of the Cow's Tongue on his back; sometimes she only does Noah's March. If Bill receives some TTouch twice a day, his behavior is acceptable, and he is beginning to be helpful with other students. It seems that Bill possibly suffers from the opposite of tactile defensiveness - he becomes sick if he is not TTouched. When he first came to the class, he could not use the computer with his hands, but would use his nose instead. In March, he began to use the computer with his hands. When the TTouch is done on his arm and hand, he will write. He was not able to do this six months ago.

Erika continues to integrate the TTEAM philosophy and TTouching her students. She has also maintained a delightful sense of humor as she works in situations which can be stressful.

NOTE: TTEAM is an acronym of "Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method." Since this article was written, Linda decided to use a brand name for all the facets of the TTouch organization. Currently, that is Tellington TTouch.

In October, 2004 I joined Practitioner Jaynellen Kovacevich and her Oakland Zoo "Goat Rangers" for a presentation to the youth and their parents. Jaynellen's program won the Oakland Zoo "Volunteer of the Year" award for 2003.

Jaynellen arranged this presentation and potluck lunch with me as a reward for the Goat Rangers.

Their parents were invited to spend the day at the zoo with their rangers, the youngest volunteers at the zoo, to learn more about the program and the benefits of TTouch. This was also an opportunity for the parents to hear about the special contribution the Goat Rangers have made to the zoo and to show pride in them for their accomplishments.

It was especially wonderful to have this chance to honor the work of Jaynellen. She is both a Companion Animal and a TTEAM Practitioner in addition to being a special education teacher. Jaynellen has been teaching TTouch in her school classes for almost 20 years, since the beginning of the Animal Ambassador program.

I talked about the history of Animal Ambassadors International^® and how I was inspired with the idea of Animal Ambassadors International from my work in Russia with children and animals beginning in 1985. That was the year that I organized a telephone exchange between a school in Moscow and a school in Utah. In both schools the kids could hear each other (through the interpreters) over loudspeakers that could be heard ri all the classrooms. How rewarding it is to see this concept of animals being our ambassadors for promoting understanding between people and animals these 19 years later.

I presented the Goat Rangers with Animal Ambassador certificates that state, "I hereby vow to use my hands, my heart and my voice to speak for and protect all . . . . . (This space is then filled in with the name of the animal or animals the recipient chose. Many of the youth wrote in "all animals.”)

After lunch we spent an hour with the goats and sheep in the petting zoo, where the rangers introduced me to their favorites, including Pygmy goats, an Alpine, a Nubian, a La Mancha goat and a flock of Barbados sheep. It was exciting and impressive to watch the Goat Rangers as they TTouched several of the senior goats who are being treated by the zoo veterinary staff and zookeepers for arthritis. Educational staff members and keepers have noted that the Goat Ranger program and TTouch have been beneficial to these older goats as well as the other goats and sheep.

Jaynellen has been teaching this class twice a month for almost four years at the Oakland Zoo and has shared the benefits of TTouch with many educational staff members, zookeepers and docents. When she began the program, many of the sheep and goats shied away from being touched. They were used to the public feeding them, but often they were approached by young children pulling on their horns, face or legs. In return, the goats often tried to escape by butting the children. Sometimes parents pushed or hit the goats and sheep to keep them away when they were aggressive about getting food. Not exactly ideal for a petting zoo.

Jaynellen taught her Rangers how to teach visiting children to quietly and respectfully groom the goats and sheep with a soft brush and to do some TTouches on them. Every two weeks for the past four years the Goat Rangers have been handling the goats and sheep in this way.

I just could not get over how gentle and relaxed the animals are. Normally one has to be careful around goats with horns because they can make abrupt moves with their heads and hurt you unintentionally. These goats are so quiet and careful with their heads and will lie still for ages to be groomed gently and TTouched. This gives visiting children and their parents a new way to be around animals with gentleness and respect.

Jaynellen and Avril Keimey, one of the first Goat Rangers, commented that the behavior of the goats and sheep changed dramatically with the use of TTouch and brushing. Avril had this to say about the program: "I used to go to the Zoo when I was younger, and I was one of those kids who was afraid to go into the petting zoo because there were goats jumping on people. About four years ago, I became a Goat Ranger, and started doing TTouch on the goats and sheep, and showing little kids how to pet them nicely. In the time I've been a Goat Ranger, I have seen a huge improvement in the animals' behavior. They approach people instead of running away. I now see very few kids who are afraid to go up to the goats."

Later in the day, Roland and I were shown video footage of the Goat Rangers teaching visiting kids of all ages, including parents, how to gently brush and TTouch the goats and sheep. It is fascinating and inspiring to watch kids enter the area with rambunctious behavior, and within five minutes be relating quietly to the animals. It's totally intriguing to listen to these young Goat Rangers demonstrate and explain exactly how to gently brush the goats. On the video you see goats lying perfectly still, often with eyes half closed, or sometimes lying flat on their sides, enjoying every minute of the interaction. These Rangers are awesome Animal Ambassadors and articulate, patient teachers.

Gail Ellis, School Programs Manager, The Oakland Zoo, said: "There has been an obvious and dramatic change in the behavior and temperament of both the animals and the youth involved. It has been amazing to see."

The "Goat Rangers" are volunteer kids between the ages of 12 to 17. The youth have to commit to six months of volunteer work to be accepted in the program and Jaynellen puts them through a rigorous interviewing process before they are accepted.

NOTE: TTEAM is an acronym of "Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method." Since this article was written, Linda decided to use a brand name for all the facets of the TTouch organization. Currently, that is Tellington TTouch^® Training.