Book & DVD Reviews

How to Assess and Influence Personality,

Potential and Performance

Linda Tellington-Jones with Sybil Taylor

Trafalgar Square Books

Soft Cover, 2009, $22.95

ISBN: 978-1-57076-415-8

Available at www.horseandriderbooks.com

Reviewed by Carol M. Upton

I hope this book will help you to develop, trust and use your intuition, tuning you in to the universal language of the heart, and reminding you of how, in the first place, you came to love horses. ~ Linda Tellington-Jones

In this revised edition of her best-selling book, world-renowned horse trainer Linda Tellington-Jones explains how analyzing a horse’s physical traits can help you to better understand and improve upon the horse’s performance. One reader says he carries the book everywhere with him when he is working with horses because the theories have turned out to be so accurate.

Most animal-lovers know something about Tellington Touch or TTouch, the healing method developed by Tellington-Jones three decades ago. Top trainers today often use the touches, which are based on a variety of circular movements of the fingers and hands applied all over the body. Ttouch releases muscle tension and develops trust and willingness – the goal of every rider for their horse.

This book is not so much about TTouch as it is a thorough study of facial features and expressions – from “moose nose” to “quirk bumps” and “forehead swirls”. There is also a fascinating section on the meaning of conformation. We are taught how certain physical characteristics are tied to the horse’s personality. The illustrations and explanations are excellent. There are also insightful profiles of various horses and the ways in which Tellington-Jones has worked with these horses to bring out the best in them.

We learn that horses offer a lot of subtle information and we can use that information to handle them differently and strengthen our bond with them. The book is rich with nuances that will encourage a more rewarding relationship with your horse and it will prove particularly valuable for owners and trainers of multiple horses.

Linda Tellington-Jones, an internationally recognized equine expert, developed the Tellington Method three decades ago as a system of training and healing horses that strengthens the horse-human bond (www.ttouch.com). She is the author of 11 books and 18 DVD programs.