Kathleen Aspenns

TTEAM

Tellington-Jones Equine Awareness Method

Created by Linda Tellington-Jones, world renowned horsewoman and clinician, TTEAM is a training system based on cooperation, communication and understanding between horse and rider. TTEAM training consists of bodywork, groundwork and specialized riding exercises that release tension and resistance and increase willingness and the ability to learn.

Bodywork – “The Touch That Teaches”

TTouch is a gentle form of bodywork that helps to release pain, trauma and injury. Through a series of lifts, slides and circles on the skin, awareness and healthy function are restored. The touches are easy to learn and use, and can be a valuable addition to any rider’s “tool kit”.

Groundwork – “The Playground of Higher Learning”

TTEAM leading exercises, combined with the obstacles of the Playground of Higher Learning, aid in the development of balance and coordination in both the horse and handler. The exercises build trust and enhance communication while encountering new and unfamiliar situations.

Riding Exercises – “The Joy of Riding”

Through the use of various pieces of equipment and exercises like bridle-less riding, many challenging training issues can be addressed. From leaning on the forehand, balkiness and rushing, to everything in between, there are techniques and tools to help solve your problems under saddle.

I provide individual training sessions for clients and their horses in Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Lake Counties. Please call or email me for my rates and availability.

What my clients say:

My horse Cheney–a beautiful, opinionated, playful, 12-year-old Tobiano Paint gelding–and I first met Kathleen at a Linda Tellington-Jones TTeam clinic that I signed us up for on a slim hope. After struggling through series of serious assaults to his previous good health, including surgery for colic, jugular vein thrombosis, cellulitis in both front legs, suspensory desmitis and pigeon fever, Cheney was left in pain, angry, reactive and fearful of people whom he no longer trusted. For me, a year of dealing with veterinarians, trainers, handlers and purported “healers” that were anything but, put me in the same boat. During the clinic, Cheney presented a big challenge to the group–fighting leads, feigning strikes, tossing his head compulsively and pretty much resisting all attempts to calm and counsel him. My strongest memory out of a weekend filled with powerful memories, is of Kathleen and her willingness to “take us on.” Alone among a talented, committed group of horse handlers and “gentle leaders,” Kathleen seemed always ready, willing and able to try something else for Cheney, showing up consistently at gates, in Cheney’s pen and in the arena. During what turned out to be the darkest time of my relationship with Cheney, Kathleen held out a hand and brought a combination of flower essences, body work, TTeam techniques and her unique, quietly confident presence to work with us.

Kathleen never treated Cheney as a “problem” horse or a set of “symptoms” but instead as an individual who could and would be helped. As we continued to meet after the clinic, each week Kathleen assessed Cheney’s requirements and customized an approach for “this horse” on “this day.” Without judgment or criticism, she suggested alternatives for my handling that I now see had become tentative and negative, and also developed a course of flower essences to help me get past a writing block. With Kathleen’s help, Cheney’s true nature began to emerge again and today he is the horse that he was before his ordeal (and more). He currently lives joyfully with seven other geldings, including my second horse, on a twenty-acre property owned by a friend. He boxes and frolics with my other gelding, runs like the wind, and also leads calmly and stands quietly for the trimmer and grooming. For my part, I am a more sensitive and confident handler, and I am also close to completing a young adult fiction book that I was “stuck” on for several years before working with Kathleen. Of all the trainers, veterinarians, massage therapists, chiropractors, energy workers, herbalists, etc. that I hired to “fix” Cheney, only Kathleen was able to help me see that my horse was not a “broken” object, but instead a wounded soul who could, with help, find his way back to the light. I recommend Kathleen without hesitation.

Eileen O’Connor, Larkspur, CA