How You Can Help Your Animal

TTEAM and TTouch offer real value for money. You can learn how you can help your animal by attending a workshop or by working with a local Practitioner on a one to one basis.

One to One Sessions

You can call your local Practitioner and ask them to visit your home or take your animal to the Practitioner. All qualified Practitioners work on a one to one basis. Costs vary depending on area and skill level and there may be some travel costs as well. You will be shown TTouches and leading exercises if appropriate that you can do to help your companion animal overcome a variety of problems. Many clients see a change in their pet within the first session although this obviously depends on the longevity of the problem and possible contributory factors.

Costs for a one to one session at Tilley Farm and in the Bath/Bristol area, for companion animals and horses, by arrangement. Travelling costs may be added if the animal is unable to come to Tilley Farm and lives outside a 10 mile radius from the farm.

Workshops

You could also attend a workshop. Practitioners qualified to Level 1 and above teach one day workshops and those qualified to Practitioner Level 2 teach two day workshops. Costs vary depending on the skill level of the Practitioner and the area. Many people who attend our workshops go on to train as Practitioners.

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What is TTEAM?

The Tellington Touch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM) is a teaching method for horses that incorporates body work (TTOUCH), ground exercises and riding exercises to help improve co-ordination, balance, and athletic ability whilst deepening further communication and understanding between the horse and its owner/carer

TTEAM helps increase levels of self confidence and self-control.

Developed by Linda Tellington-Jones, TTEAM is used widely in many countries across the world by Olympic dressage riders, pleasure riders, trainers, veterinarians, therapists and horse owners.

TTEAM techniques gently guide the horse through non-habitual exercises that can alter existing habitual patterns. As posture affects behaviour, many owners and carers note that unwanted behaviour diminishes as the horse's posture improves. TTEAM teaches the horse to act, rather than simply re-act.

TTEAM blends well with many other modalities and training methods. It is not necessary to adopt the whole TTEAM philosophy in order to make a difference to a horse. Learning just a few of the simple body TTouches and movements can help make a difference to a horse's life.

TTEAM is not a replacement for appropriate veterinary attention and should never be used as such. If you suspect that the horse in your care has a physical problem please consult your veterinary surgeon.

The Three Phases of TTEAM

TTEAM offers a training approach that encourages optimal performance. TTEAM horses demonstrate marked improvement in athletic skills and an increased willingness to work and ability to perform. Owners can learn how best to help their horse by working with a trained Practitioner.

TTOUCH Work

Body TTouches find areas in the horse's body that indicate tension, fear of contact or discomfort. Specific movements and TTouches are used to improve circulation, release tension, calm and promote a greater sense of well being.

Ground Exercises

TTEAM leading exercises enable the horse to override old patterns of movement and behaviour without the use of fear or force. The ground work improves co-ordination, confidence, focus, self control, balance and co-operation.

Riding Exercises

TTEAM riding techniques combine Linda Tellington Jones's 30 years of classical riding experience with her unique training method to increase the comfort, performance and confidence of horse and rider.

Rescued and Rehabilitating Horses

TTEAM offers ways to assess, train and help rescued and rehabilitating horses. The body work and ground work are invaluable for horses that cannot be ridden and for those that lack trust and confidence. Some of our Practitioners already work closely with welfare organisations and TTEAM workshops and clinics have been held in several national rehabilitation centres.

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What Makes TTouch Different and Isn't Stroking my Dog (Horse, Cat) Going to Calm him Down Anyhow?

By Sarah Fisher

There are many overlaps in a wide variety of techniques and it is great that so many people are now recognising the benefits of bodywork for animals in whatever guise for inducing calm and releasing tension. Whether you are working with a canine, feline or equine touch can be a very valuable tool.

The Tellington TTouch started as a training technique for horses and Linda recognised a link between posture, behaviour and performance over 30 years ago. As she was working with the light skin movements (this is where it differs from the majority of massage techniques as we are not working purely with muscle) she noticed that the 'problem' horses that she was working with were not only more consistent in their performance but also became easier to handle in their day to day life. Unwanted behaviours such as bucking, biting, napping, bolting diminished without the need to 'train' each behaviour out of the horse. When these techniques were then applied to other animals including dogs, the same results were noted albeit on a clinical and not a scientific level.

The groundwork exercises improve co-ordination and self-carriage and are an excellent way of starting to work with animals that are fearful of contact on their body. The ground work helps the dogs to settle quicker and are an excellent way of improving focus and giving the dog much needed physical and mental stimulation without increasing hyperactivity and over excitement.

TTouch is not just about the bodywork or the groundwork however. It is a way of looking at the animal as a whole and we take into account the environment, the diet and so on. The reality is however that even when these other factors cannot be changed such as in a shelter the effect of this unique training approach is just extra ordinary and the dogs are being stroked by the staff and volunteers already.

One aim is to improve co-ordination, which increases levels of confidence, and to improve physical balance which influences mental and emotional balance. These correlation's are understood by many working in the human field and from my own experience can say that the same does apply to our animal companions. More importantly perhaps, it also brings awareness to the owners of their own influence upon that animal. If a person is out of balance when walking a dog on the lead for example, that person is more likely to set up bracing in the dog and it takes two to maintain the pull. The way we approach, handle and interact with any animal will have a direct influence on his behaviour and ability to learn.

The beauty of TTouch is that it enables people to understand their dogs on a whole new level. It increases awareness of what actually may be going on for that animal in terms of posture and how his posture affects his behaviour, his responses to stimulus and his fears and concerns. It removes many of the labels so readily and often incorrectly applied to dogs and uses a variety of tools including harnesses, body wraps, and different ways of leading in order to help that dog to learn in a calm and focused way. When Ear Work was done on horses that were wearing heart monitors, it clearly showed that the gentle slides on the ear actually lowered heart rate and respiration thus reducing stress and enabling the horse to move out of the Flight Fight reflex. This is why it can be so valuable for animals that are going into shock. When an animal is in the Flight/Fight reflex it cannot learn. Neither can we.

I have a wide variety of canine clients and teach workshops in shelters, service dog training centres and for working dogs. The staff enjoy learning specific skills which provides a consistency for the dogs whether they are going on to new homes, coming into the kennels and or being handled by a variety of trainers/handlers and many vets, veterinary nurses, physiotherapists, shelter workers, trainers, behaviour counsellors dog owners and lovers world-wide enjoy the benefit that TTouch brings to the animals in their care.

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