TTouch Seminar for Horses, Slovenia

Slovenia is spectacularly beautiful. We had 98 for the horse demo!! Darja has been writing articles about TTEAM and Animal Ambassadors for years. This year alone she had articles and a half page ad in the leading horse magazine.

Let’s Ride and TTouch for Dogs Translated into Slovenian
Darja did an amazing job of organizing the translation of two of my books to Slovenian – the dog book and Let’s Ride. The very enthusiastic publisher, Irma Toman attended the both days and plans to translate the human book. Darja held a morning press conference to announce the opening of the TTEAM and Animal Ambassador center and the publication of the books. Nine newspapers and magazines and 2 radio stations attended. The weather was a perfect 74 degrees and I have never experienced the level of organization Darja has achieved for the seminars

I worked with 4 horses during the day – Izi, a 14-year-old Warmblood mare who pins here ears at anyone approaching her stall but is lovely to be with as soon as she is bridled. Everyone was amazed that I had 8 children doing TTouch all over her body and she loved the attention.

 

Horse Seminar at the new Slovenian TTEAM center. I'm explaining what 6 of Darja's students are doing with their TTouches on this mare, Izi, who was rescued by Darja because she was said to be so aggressive.

I again lead all the participants through the basic TTouches, Teaching them pressure and tempo and some basic Lying Leopard, Heart Hugs and Ear TTouches, along with self-help for back pain.

 

Suprisingly Izi allowed many hands on her, and lowered her head as she felt the loving hands TToucing her. these are students of Darja who have been TTouching animals for years

 

Izi looks skeptical.I do mouth TTouch to overcome her fear of people. Working on the gums effects the Lymbic System - the center of control for emotions, reducing fear, nervousness or agressive behavior.

 

Izi lowered her head and relaxed under my hands. Ear TTouches - sliding from the base out to the tips, hs so many positive effects on the immune system and develops TRUST in a matter of minutes.

 

Izi begins to relax as I slip my thumb into the corner of the mare's mouth.

 

Izi begins to lower her head and looks like she is smiling.

 

I combined the Playground for Higher Learning exercises with trailer loading. Of the hundreds of horses I have worked with in demos over the years, Gypsy was one of the most resistant I have worked with. Darja told me she had worked with him once before to load. I will write more about it later when I have the photos. He simply went into freeze and shut down like I have never seen. I can’t imagine what has happened to him before they got him, but he must have been traumatized. He showed no fear – just could not move his legs without great difficulty. Fortunately we had lots of strong men so we used the crossed poles, lots of TTouch, and a 3 by 12 foot platform leading up to the trailer. We had one of the best trailers in Europe for horses, a Bochmann trailer that I have known of for 30 years. High, wide and open so that made it easier. We loaded him twice – quietly and without trauma of course, and normally after that a horse just walks in almost alone, but I wanted to wait until the next day to load a 3rd time, but by then the trailer was gone so we did not continue. It is much easier to load a horse that goes into flight than into freeze.

by getting lots of TTouches and quiet hands on this gelding we can help get him to be aware of his body, get grounded, and feel safe. These teenagers have had years of TTouch and know how to give a sense of confidence and love with their hands. This is a horse that Darja rescued and I think the was afraid he was being sent away by trailer.

Five Veterinarians in Attendance
As I usually do, I managed to shake hands and meet almost all of the 100 plus attendees for the seminar as they checked in to get their packets before the start. We had an interesting cross section of people – riding teachers, trainers, dog owners from the previous day who came back for more, beginning riders, students of Andre, and about ten percent who planned to ride in the future, but as yet had no chance.

 

Learning the lightness of TTouch is possible by feelling it just below your eye and above the cheekbone.

There were five veterinarians in attendance, all friends of Darja and Andre’s. Rok Krajnik and his partner, Viktorija Loncaric from the Zvitorepka Veterinary Hospital, Nina Ambroz, Dr. Luka Krusic and Silvia and Massimo De Ra from Italy who are organizing my TTEAM training next weekend. I so enjoyed them all and loved their input. I visited two of the vet hospitals the following day and will report tomorrow.

Nina Ambroz just opened her very first veterinary clinic last week, and returned Saturday evening to report her first success. A client had brought a very nervous dog to her for vaccination and the dog refused to enter the clinic. She did a few minutes of ear TTouches and the dog followed her readily into the waiting room. When he refused then to enter the examination room, a few more TTouches changed his mind, and her client was very impressed.

© Linda Tellington-Jones 2008