Linda Tellington-Jones - Dressage with Mind, Body & Soul: A 21st-Century Approach to the Science and Spirituality of Riding and Horse-And-Rider Well-Being

The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book

Getting in TTouch with Your Horse

The Tellington TTouch

Getting in TTouch with Your Dog

Getting in TTouch with Your Cat

Getting in TTouch with Your Puppy

TTouch for Healthcare

TTouch for Dressage

Hit It Off with Your Horse!

Unleash Your Dogs Potential

Solving Riding Problems from the Ground

Solving Riding Problems from the Saddle

Starting a Young Horse

Haltering Your Foal without Trauma

The TTEAM Approach to Handling Stallions and Mares

Riding with Awareness

TTouch of Magic for Horses

First published in 2012 by

Trafalgar Square Books

North Pomfret, Vermont 05053

Printed in China

Copyright 2012 Linda Tellington-Jones

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, by any means, without written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer quoting brief excerpts for a review in a magazine, newspaper, or website.

Disclaimer of Liability

The authors and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. While the book is as accurate as the authors can make it, there may be errors, omissions, and inaccuracies.

Trafalgar Square Books encourages the use of approved safety helmets in all equestrian sports and activities.

The authors have made an effort to obtain permissions for all photos that appear in this book; however, some photographers and models identities and/or whereabouts were unknown. Should any names become available, they will be credited in future printings, assuming permission is granted.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tellington-Jones, Linda.

Dressage with mind, body & soul : a 21st-century approach to the science and spirituality of riding and horse-and-rider well-being / Linda Tellington-Jones with Rebecca Didier.

pages cm

Summary: Renowned animal behaviorist and horse trainer Linda Tellington-Jones explains how to apply her multi-faceted method, which includes bodywork, groundwork, and under-saddle exercises, to the equestrian sport of dressage-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-57076-426-4 (pbk.)

1. Dressage. 2. Horses--Training. 3. Horses--Psychology. I. Didier, Rebecca, 1977- II. Title. III. Title: Dressage with mind, body, and soul.

SF309.5.T45 2012

798.23--dc23

2012033428

Book design by Carrie Fradkin

Cover design by RM Didier

Typefaces: ITC Veljovic, Avenir

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

DEDICATION

I am dedicating this book to Meggles Weltall VA, in honor of his enormous heart.

Having the privilege to work with this 18-year-old, 18-hand Hanoverian gelding has given me hope that the courage he demonstrates in developing a new level of trust in humans may inspire other dressage riders to connect with their horses from the heart, and with respect for the incredible gifts horses bring to their lives.

You wonder why you feel good

when you touch us

lean into us.

It is because we connect you

to the stars.

from Message from the Spirit of the Horse by Linda Tellington-Jones

RESPECT AND TRUST GO HAND IN HAND AND ARE essential elements in a horses training, whatever his breed or discipline. The relationship that evolves between a horse and rider depends very much on having respect for and trust in each otherthis has been the key to my success and the joy I find in training horses, just as it was integral to my fathers work as a rider, trainer, and teacher. My father, Dr. Reiner Klimke, said to me upon giving me the first copy of his seminal Basic Training of the Young Horse, Ingrid, we want to understand the nature of the horse, respect his personality, and be sure not to suppress it at any time during his training. Then we are on the right path.

When asked to give riders one piece of advice, I often say that you must be patient and listen to your horse. Horses, especially young ones, look for safetythey must know that you, their rider, will guide them and give them the security they seek. The Classical Training Scale is important here, as it gives you and your horse a foundation of training that you can come to rely on.

When a strange situation creates anxiety in your horse, instead of pushing him forward make the circumstances easier for him to handle so he will learn to trust you. Thus, the moment of anxiety passes by and you survive it together without fracturing your relationship. Horses need to trust you. In new situations where they falter or spook, it might not be correction that is needed, but reassurance.

Horses also need to know when theyve done well and deserve praise, even in the middle of a dressage test. Much has been made of the small pat I sometimes give my horse after a good flying change and many have noticed this in my Olympic dressage test or during the European Championships. But when my horse has listened so well and performed so well, whenever that may be, he needs my thanks for that effort.

Trust, reassurance, giving thanksthese are some of the principles that Linda Tellington-Jones outlines in this book. I have known Linda for many years. She visited my fathers barn when he was still alive to share her Tellington Method with him and the staff, and she worked with him on several occasions in the years that followed. Linda has also used her Method with me and my own horses in Germany and I find that many of her ideals align with my own. Foremost in Lindas technique is the idea of trustinspiring trust in the horse, nurturing that trust, and helping it evolve into a base so strong that your riding partnership can withstand all manner of challenges from without and within. Linda also recognizes the great value in the Classical Training Scale, and she has creative ways we can subscribe to it in the modern day in order to better serve our horses.

Ingrid and Linda.

When preparing my event horse FRH Butts Abraxxas for the Olympics in 2008, Lindas Ear TTouch and Mouth TTouch (around the muzzle and nostrils) applied by me or my groom helped relax him and temper stress related to travel and competition. I have been very impressed with the Liberty Neck Ring, which I use with all my horses now. Riding Abraxxas with it has brought me closer to him, made my hands even lighter, and resulted in him listening so very wellit is fantastic! My daughter uses TTouches and the Neck Ring on her pony, and it is wonderful for me to see how well they work from the viewpoint of a parent and instructor, as well as a rider, trainer, and competitor.

Horses give so much to us. They want to do their best and do things right. They are individuals and need to be treated as such. In the business of horses, of dressage, you have to deal with people and be diplomatic, but most important, if you truly love horses, you have to listen to your heart. Being with horses, in all its ups and downs, should still bring a big smile to your face every day. And it is these joyful resolutions that Linda Tellington-Jones work, now explored in this book with dressage specifically in mind, can make real for every one of us.