Inspirational Women in the Horse World

Linda Tellington-Jones dares us to open our hearts to horses, to recognize their gifts of unconditional love, and to relate to our animal friends with equal measures of grace and gentleness. She has taught, led and laughed for 30 years, creating the Tellington Method of training and healing.

TTouch, Linda’s method of healing, is a blend of intuition and break throughs in neuroscience. Brainwave studies with Anna Wise of the Biofeedback Institute in Boulder, Colorado found circular TTouches activate both the logical and intuitive parts of the brain, a phenomenon that did not happen with petting or rubbing the skin. Linda’s discovery that TTouch releases cellular memory of pain was confirmed years later by groundbreaking neuroscientist Candace Pert, PD, in her book Molecules of Emotion.

An avid horsewoman her entire life, Linda has competed in virtually every discipline and has won top-level competitions in endurance riding, eventing, dressage, Western events, jumping and steeplechasing, among other equine sports. She earned her first of five Tevis Cup buckles in 1960, and set a record in another 100-mile ride that stood for seven years. Among her dozens of awards is the ARICP (American Riding Instructors Certificate Program) Lifetime Achievement Award, which she received in 1992.

Linda has always been a world traveler, breaking cultural barriers by speaking the universal language of the horse. She took TTEAM, her training method, to Russia when the Cold War was still going on and was requested to visit the Royal Stables in Jordan by Princess Alia. The Japanese International Racing Association asked Linda to give eight days of seminars to trainers, Olympic riders and veterinarians. In Japan’s racing industry, the only women involved were clerks; there were no women in any important position. She was given tremendous respect and they translated her book into Japanese so trainers and grooms could understand her work.

Today, at age 69, Linda still actively travels the globe teaching, and has recently written her 15th book. She encourages women to trust their hearts and their intuition.

“Seeing horses as our teachers awakens a level of trust, relationship and respect which goes both ways, and in so doing shifts our relationship to the world,” says Linda, who lives and teaches her mantra, “Trust yourself, and remember your perfection.”