Many people are unable to attend six-day clinics, and have already attended several three-day clinics. Although each clinic offers a different experience since the horses and their issues are different, there is usually not much chance to move on in any depth to more 'advanced' processes, such as ground driving, helping more challenging horses, or working with a rider and horse under saddle.
The ongoing clinic is intended to provide new experiences with these applications for those who have not had much - or any - prior chance to use them.
Attendance at an ongoing clinic in combination with an introductory clinic counts as completion of a six-day clinic.
And if you don't have prior experience?
Come anyway - but take a look below at what you can learn ahead of time, which will allow you to participate fully.
The focus will be on moving forward with applications of the work.
Reading and watching videos will benefit your preparation hugely, and make up much of what you may be missing.
In order to make the most of the clinic, and be safe and effective, it's important that the participants have experience and, more importantly, practice, with some basic 'tools of the trade'.
Practice, practice, practice! Luckily you can practice these on your own - and even without a horse. I'm sure you'll find someone willing to be led around and TTouched. Mouth and tail work might be a bit much to ask of even a good friend, but the rest...
I'm hoping you will be familiar with the techniques below. Please don't get too hung up on whether you are doing them 'exactly right'. for one thing, there's no single 'right' way. We adapt what we do in the moment to what the horse needs then to help him. And on top of that, Moshe Feldenkrais said: "If you know what you do, you can do what you want." Previous instruction, with the addition of videos and reading material, have probably equipped you with an adequate approximation - so practice. (practice, practice, practice!) It then won't be difficult to fine-tune what you already know so that you can do what you want.
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Extremity work
Ear work
Tail work
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TTouches
Python lifts
Belly lifts
Abalone TTouch
Raccoon TTouch
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Leading positions
(on both sides)
Elegant Elephant
Dingo
Cheetah
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I've indicated some links to videos on the
Youtube Tellington TTouch Channel. I suggest you look at what's there - there's lots of good instruction. You can find others with an internet search, since not all may be on the channel.
The result:
I'm hoping that you will be able to incorporate body work into movement work, or
move easily and quickly between leading positions.
For example:
You are leading your horse in the Elegant Elephant and you have the feeling he's not really connected to his hindquarters. I'd like you to be easily able to stop, put lead and wand into one hand, and step back to do some quick tail work before walking on.
In an exercise in ground driving you may be leading the horse in the Cheetah. You should be able to move your hand quickly up to the horse's head to help steady him if need be, and then as quickly move away, or stop him and stroke with the wand, or ask him to move forward in the Dingo
In your practice - even in your imagination (very powerful) - make up a variety of scenarios and work through them. You may start off feeling you have a handful of thumbs, but I assure you that with practice you will end up with only two!
Suggested study:
Books: Linda Tellington-Jones's "Getting in Ttouch with your Horse" or the "Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book". Both are available at the TTouch online stores if you don't already have them.
Here's a wonderful general video about TTouch: HorsetalkTV.
The video "Solving Riding Problems from the Ground" is available at TTouch.com and covers the suggested material.
If you have any questions please get in touch!
All the best - do join us!
Edie Jane Eaton
