TTouch

TTouch, is based on specific circular movements, slides and lifts using your fingers and hands all over the body. The intent of Ttouch is to activate the function of the cells and awaken cellular intelligence. TTouch is based on cooperation & respect and it offers a positive and gentle approach to training. TTouch can also improve performance, wellbeing and overall health. TTouch presents solutions to many common behavioral and physical problems.

TTouch helps relieve tension, fear of contact, soreness and discomfort. Often it helps transform horses attitude’s and behaviors. Ttouch has been used extensively to speed healing and recovery from injury, illness and surgery.

TTeam carries the TTouch into training and riding, integrating what is learned at a cell level.

TTeam

TTEAM® – the Tellington TTouch method for horses – Improves Behavior, Performance, and Well-being and Enhances the Relationship Between Horse and Rider.

TTEAM offers a training approach that encourages optimal performance and health and presents solutions to common behavioral and physical problems. TTEAM horses demonstrate marked improvement in athletic skill and increased willingness and ability to perform. Not only does the horse benefit, but also a deeper rapport grows between horse and rider because of the increased understanding and more effective communication.

There are three phases of TTEAM work:

• The Tellington Ttouch or Ttouch
• Learning Exercises from the Ground
• The Joy of Riding

With the TTEAM approach, a series of Ground Exercises enable an animal to override old patterns and to learn without fear or force. Using a variety of obstacles including the labyrinth, ground poles and plastic, TTEAM exercises result in self-control, focus, self-confidence, cooperation, balance and coordination. Moreover, with eleven unique ways of leading your horse both the horse and handler learn fun and inventive ways to increase ability and coordination.

The Tellington Ttouch helps to relieve tension, fear of contact, soreness or discomfort and transforms nervous, spooky or resistant horses and often improves attitude and behavior. With Ttouch your horse will enjoy learning and cooperate willingly. Ttouch has been used extensively to speed healing and recovery from injury and/or illness in horses and other animals, including humans.

The Ttouch techniques for first aid offer animal owners and invaluable tool. Hundreds of case histories about emergencies with colic, illness or injury demonstrate the value of TTEAM work with the ears to keep a horse out of shock or to bring a horse out of shock while waiting for the veterinarian.

The Joy of Riding combines Linda’s 30+ years of teaching classical riding and her experience as a Feldonkrais practitioner for humans. TTEAM has developed several unique tools like the Balance Rein, the Neck Ring and the TTEAM Training Roller Bit to encourage the well-being of the horse. Experiencing the joy of riding with awareness increases the comfort, performance and confidence of both the horse and rider.

TTEAM has been used successfully with:

• Sore backs, muscular soreness and stiffness
• Stress
• Nervousness or tension
• Inconsistant performance
• Lameness or unlevel, uneven stride
• Cincheness or girthing issues
• Resistance to vet or farrier
• Bucking and rearing
• Clipping, pulling manes or giving shots
• Head tossing or tail wringing
• Biting and kicking
• Pulling back when tied
• Trailering
• Resistance to being tacked up
• Stubbornness or laziness

The Equine Touch

The Equine Touch is a technique that invites changes rather than forcing them to happen.

BACKGROUND

Equine Touch was something that just happened, and evolved to where it now is in the equine world simply because it works. Developed in 1996 by Jock Ruddock as a holistic body address which worked on the principle of vibrating the soft tissue of the human by performing an Aikido based move over specific points on the body. The results of this technique, which he later called the Vibromuscular Harmonization Technique (VHT) were astounding and shortly after he began to teach it to bodyworkers the inevitable question was asked ‘ Will this work on Horses?’

MVDr. Ivana Ruddock is the consummate researcher, she translates Jock’s amazing intuition into fact, giving it form and putting it into an educational format that has achieved credibility and respect from the veterinary community. The Equine Touch is the only bodywork with National Accreditation in the United Kingdom. It was the only Equine Bodywork to be recognized by the Institute for Complementary Medicine (ICM) and The British Complementary Medicine Association BCMA (when they were recognizing animal modalities). In the past ten years Jock and Ivana, as the founders have taught Equine Touch and the human version, VHT in over 20 countries around the globe, sometimes even risking their lives, teaching amid the troubles in places such as Zimbabwe where their students were terrorized daily and one even murdered.

After ten years, what started off as a small simple system of bodywork taught to vets, the Equine Touch has now developed and evolved to where it now has over 5000 students at different levels worldwide. The main focus still being on teaching the foundation class to horse owners enabling them to give their mounts a better quality of pain free life, at a price everyone can afford. The technique itself has been praised by some of the top natural horsemen in the world including, Ray Hunt, Monty Roberts, Kelly Marks, Peggy Cummings, Pat and Linda Parelli, David Stuart and Bergy Bergeleen as well as respected equine vets on both sides of the Atlantic. Due to the success, the evolution and development of the work, The Equine Touch Foundation now has four different levels of expertise that can be attained.

WHAT IS THE EQUINE TOUCH

Equine Touch is a non-diagnostic, non-invasive, equine bodywork system which is a holistic soft tissue address, affecting mostly connective tissue – muscles and tendons, joint capsules and ligaments using a very specific move.
ET is an energy and connective tissue discipline which works at the complete holistic level; that is, it addresses the equine as a whole without paying any particular attention to any named problem as such.

ET consists of a series of gentle vibrational moves performed over specific points in specifically choreographed patterns, some of which may be interspersed with observational periods to allow the equine to recognize and process the effect of these subtle procedures.

These soft tissue vibrations have the effect of releasing spasms, distortions and adhesions in the connective tissue and smooth muscle of organs. In synergy they stimulate the body’s natural inclination towards balance and harmony in its structure and function while creating awareness of placement and motion within the equine.

The Equine Touch is gentle, body-based modality, non-invasively addressing the connective tissue such as fascia, muscles, tendons and ligaments. The tissue is mobilized and “stimulated” by using a specific move, or series of moves, over precise points of the horse’s body. These could be acupuncture points, trigger points or sites of common injuries.

Firstly a very specific body balancing foundation address is applied to the whole body. What is applied to one side is repeated on the other, utilizing the “blueprint” effect. Additional, specific Area of Concern addresses can be later applied; to have a greater chance of success in encouraging longer lasting changes when applied to this balanced and relaxed body. These areas are chosen according to tissue response and the horse’s reaction to our touch.

By addressing the meridian pathways, together with muscles and fascia, The Equine Touch crosses the line between physical bodywork and an energy modality. It can have the effect of inducing deep relaxation, releasing hypertonic and traumatized muscles, improving muscle tone, encouraging recovery from injury and muscle atrophy, reducing the pain spiral and assisting in detoxification and lymphatic drainage by increasing circulation. The horse’s awareness is changed and it is encouraged to rebalance not only physically, but emotionally for deep relaxation also encourages the autonomic nervous system to drop toward repair and renewal. Energy blockages and unwanted structures appear to dissolve as the flow of Ki is stimulated through the meridians. This allows the equine to tap into its own innate healing ability and to allow it to work to its maximum potential.

AlphaSonic

The AlphaSonic produces waveforms in the approximate range of 8-14 Hz which have been scientifically identified as being key in activating the body’s own natural healing process. Application of the AlphaSonic can result in relaxation of muscle spasm, decreased inflammation, increased circulation, and softening of scar tissue. These waveforms travel throughout the body with a ripple effect, penetrating deeply through cellular structure, moving stagnant fluids, activating a cellular healing response.

These inaudible signals travel throughout the body with a rippling effect, penetrating deeply through cellular structure, moving stagnant fluids and activating cellular response. The AlphaSonic time and time again has proven highly effective. Rapid pain reduction is achieved naturally through a decrease of inflammation, muscle spasm relief, increase of local circulation and a general state of relaxation. Often users report very fast results (sometimes in just ten minutes) that are long lasting.

AlphaSonic application would be appropriate when a condition would benefit from:

• Increase local circulation
• Decrease of inflammation
• Dissolving of muscle tension
• Softening of scar tissue
• General overall relaxation
• Pain relief

The following list is a sampling of various conditions that can benefit from increased circulation, decreased inflammation, easing of muscle spasms/tension, and softening of scar tissue.

• Arthritis
• Navicular
• Tendon Problems
• Scar Tissue
• Sore Joints, Backs
• Sore Feet
• Wounds
• Inflammation
• Swelling
• Bruises
• Muscle spasm
• Pre and Post Surgery
• Neurological
• Soft Tissue (tears and strains)
• Circulatory deficiencies
• Asthma
• Bones (fractures, breaks)
• Headaches
• Fibromyalgia
• Colitis
• Diarrhea
• Nosebleeds
• Laminitis
• Carpal tunnel
• TMJ

Are there any safety concerns? AlphaSonic technology is non invasive, does not heat tissue (as compared to ultrasound), sound waves are bio-compatible, safe to use in all phases of an injury, and no tolerance buildup.

BioScan

BioScan is a unique therapeutic system proven effective in the assessment and treatment of a multitude of acute and chronic equine ailments. The BioScan products generate and deliver photodynamic light precisely tuned to specific frequencies that studies have shown to accelerate the healing process. The specific frequencies stimulate cellular reproduction, relax muscles, stimulate acupuncture points, enhance immune response, provide relief of minor aches and pains, improve range of motion, stimulate wound healing and nerve transmissions. The BioScan system was developed as a therapeutic tool for the prevention of injuries by helping the equine athlete maintain peak physical condition and enhance performance.

These specific frequencies of light have been shown to:

• Stimulate cellular reproduction
• Relax muscles and stimulates nerve transmission
• Stimulate acupuncture points and immune response
• Provide relief of minor pains and aches
• Provide an improved range of motion
• Provide an increase in local blood circulation
• Stimulate tissue granulation and connective tissue projections, which are part of the healing process of
• wounds, ulcers or inflamed tissue.
• Stimulate fibroblastic activity which aids in the repair process.
• Increase RNA and DNA synthesis. This helps damaged cells to be replaced more promptly.
• Increase vascularity (circulation) by increasing the formation of new capillaries.
• Stimulate the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

VitaFloor

Vitafloor is the first ever whole body vibration platform designed specifically for horses. Vitafloor can be employed for training, rehabilitation, maintenance and injury prevention. Research has shown Vitafloor to increase blood circulation, bone density, enhance musculature, improve hoof quality, and speed up healing of suspensory injuries. Vitafloor can alleviate joint and muscle soreness after training sessions, allowing the horse to recover more quickly.

Canine and Equine Bodywork

Bodywork is never a replacement for veterinary care, but it is a great complement to veterinary care.

Your body work professional is a large part of your animal’s health and wellbeing team. This team is often made up of your veterinarian, farrier, groom, body worker or physiotherapist, nutritionist, and veterinary specialists as needed.

Whether it is just in normal play, supervised exercise, training, competitions, or rehabilitation; where there is movement, there is always a possibility of stress and strain on the body. They, like us, can experience the aches and pains that come from simply overdoing it and experiencing sore achy muscles, strains, or even sprains.

Sometimes our animal friends experience acute and/or chronic pain issues that need a veterinary diagnosis and ongoing care. Again, appropriate body work can be extremely helpful in these cases.

What are the benefits of bodywork for all beings?

• Relaxation
• Relief of muscular pain and stiffness
• Increased range of motion and flexibility
• Enhance performance and gait quality
• Increased circulation, aiding in healing and repair of injuries
• Decreased swelling
• Improved disposition
• Stress relief
• Observation of physical condition

In some cases, our animals need more support from other professionals. I have a large network of equine and veterinary professionals to refer to. This group includes, equine osteopaths, equine master dentists, veterinary acupuncturists, veterinary chiropractors, journeyman farriers, veterinary homeopaths and many others.