Tellington/ T-touch experience?

[Greentchr]

I bought an interesting book about the Linda Tellington-Jones T-Touch theory/practice, and wondered if anyone has anything to say about it all? I tried to do a search and was unable to find anything in the forums...

If anyone has a link to threads where this has been discussed, I would appreciate it!

Otherwise, if you have any experience bad/good, I would appreciate knowing your thoughts on it.

[KateWooten]

I've just bought the book too - on the recomendation of Jessey on this board. Have a look for threads by Jessey talking about Bo, and the improvements its made to him.. and my 'lunging experts' thread where Jessey explains how it can help work with Rosie.

[mayoguinness]

I did a one day introduction to it. It was good. Some horses seem to love it and others are a bit indifferent to it ;)

[KarinUS]

I have a book written by her but I don't think it's the T-Touch one. It has some massage moves in it but it also has a whole bunch of 'weird' stuff in it like if your horse has a bump on his forehead he's willful and stubborn; if a horse has a swirl on his neck' he's soandso, etc. It's that part of the book that turned me off to Tellington-Jones a little bit. I am not a big fan of preconceived notions based on what somebody looks like. It seems to be more of a hindrance than a help - no matter if it's with people or horses. ;)
I tried the massage things with DJ and he didn't seem to mind.
But that's all I know about it: Massage and Stereotyping by appearance. I am sure there is more to it. :)

[KateWooten]

Yep, I was put off for a long time by that stereotyping by appearance thing - if you said (or thought) all that stuff about people .. you'd be called a bigot !

[Greentchr]

.... it also has a whole bunch of 'weird' stuff in it like if your horse has a bump on his forehead he's willful and stubborn; ... I am not a big fan of preconceived notions based on what somebody looks like. It seems to be more of a hindrance than a help - no matter if it's with people or horses.

I looked her up on The Horse Show with Rick Lamb and listened to her talk about all that... I have to say it is pretty hard to swallow:rolleyes: . I am willing to listen to someone with eccentricities, however, as long as the rest of the stuff is worthwhile :) .

What I have heard and read so far is that it works on some horses, or at least they don't seem to mind it, and other horses do not like it.

I suppose some of it could be technique: it seems pretty specific about the amount of pressure, size of circle etc. She says in this book that if you don't do it correctly, it will irritate the horse. I can understand that- I don't ask my husband to rub my sore shoulders because he just can't get the hang of it and it is uncomfortable to me. My kids do a much better job:) .

So, if a person is trying to learn it on his/her own, and the horse does not respond as expected, it may be
1. The whole technique is worthless, or
2. This particular horse just doesn't like it, or
3. The person is doing it wrong which makes the experiment invalid.

I suppose I need to experiment with it myself. I just hate to put so much effort into learning it if it is just a wierd idea with a good sales pitch:rolleyes: . I guess I am a skeptical person at heart...

KateWooten- I did read through some of the threads of Jesseys- thanks for the steer.

[Bling]

From what I remember attending a few clinics, the Theory involves a "cellular memory" or something like that; so the aim is to get a horse conscious of his body. I don't follow the techniques too closely, but I know for certain that all my horses love being combed from the tip of their ears down to their feet. I think they like being reminded of all their parts, if that makes sense. The Practice part I liked best was the assertion: "Try it -- it can't hurt." The clinicians never promised miracle cures, and horses were always checked for injuries etc. before proceeding. It gets complicated, and I believe there's a club you have to join now to get involved.

[fitz]

aha I just got a t-touch book today.... for the dogs. havent started it yet.

[LMS]

Here's her site:
http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/

I've used her methods for at least 20yrs now. I like it.

[KarinUS]

Here's her site:
http://www.lindatellingtonjones.com/

I've used her methods for at least 20yrs now. I like it.
Hey, get off the internet. You should be working! :p

I just remembered I did see an article (http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/behavior/tellingtonjones_121506/) on her in the new Equus and I liked one thing she said:
I have found that troublesome behavior often traces to a source that can be readily identified and remedied. As a result, I offer the following list of common contributors to resistance, poor performance and difficult behavior in horses. Consider them before you assume the worst about your horse...before you reach for a stronger training aid...even before you try any of my TTouches and exercises. You and your horse will be better for it.

[LMS]

Thhhhppppp:p Hey it's been a week & am on parole don't ya know!

I just posted an update & am using the ear massage technique from Linda T. So you can see that it can work. Though it took Heidi 7yrs to let me be able to handle her ears without going mental over it. She was tolerant of letting me put the bridle & halter on her but other than that it was no touchy touchy!

It was on Equus eons ago that I first learned about TEAM TTouch. And it really helped in breaking down the barrier that my QH had towards humans.

Oh... I guess I should get back to work. The warden is about to yank on the chain & drag me back in to the trenches!:D

[Greentchr]

LMS- So, do you do the whole body T-touchs, or just concentrate on the ears? Do you do any of her ground work such as the labyrinth, etc.?

[Greentchr]

I just remembered I did see an article (http://equisearch.com/horses_care/health/behavior/tellingtonjones_121506/) on her in the new Equus and I liked one thing she said:

Yes- I read that in the book also, and was glad to see it; she seems to be concerned that all pain/fear issues are taken into consideration before going the massage route. It makes sense to me.

[LMS]

LMS- So, do you do the whole body T-touchs, or just concentrate on the ears? Do you do any of her ground work such as the labyrinth, etc.?

Yes to all of the above depending on the particular horse's needs. For example we have a mare at the stable that needs a full massage workout. If I had the time, I would do the ground exercises with poles. I have her in one of my classes that I teach (therapeutic riding) and I do the stretches & massages on her. It great to find the stiff spots or knots, work on them & watch her relax, chew & sigh.

If a horse is receptive to it, it works well & has benefits.

[LMS]

Alright found my book... it's called "The Tellington Touch - A revolutionary natural method to train & care for your favorite animal" by Linda Tellington-Jones from Penguin books. It's basically stories on her journey in developping her techniques with brief explanations & diagrams on how to apply them.

The horse section in it has a diagram of the ear's acupuncture points. Stroking & circling (which is what I'm doing with Heidi on my thread) is very beneficial at any time (for shyness, sickly, keep an healthy animal fit...)

I'll try & scan it tomorrow if I have time to show you.

Here's an exerpt on the technique:
"One hand supports the head on the noseband & the other hand strokes the ear from base to tip. When working to counteract shock or colic, be sure to touch the very tip of the ear. Ear work is an effective aid for horses who are overstressed, fatigued or fearful, and it is also very successful in bringing an animal out of shock or preventing shock from occurring. Ear work can actually make the difference between life & death."

The pictures I have on my thread show this technique but as you can see it's not text book, though it started with my hand resting on her nose, but when the head goes up & I'm short, I ended up with my hand resting on the cheek piece instead. In the last pictures which show Heidi relaxing, her head has come down, my hand is resting on her nose on top of the nose band (you can't see it though) and I was massaging the tip of the ear.

[Greentchr]

Thanks so much for you input! I think I will spend time this weekend really trying to understand it all. Shoes are going on tomorrow, so I really need to start working with the girls!

I will follow the directions in the book and let you know how it goes..:)