Linda Tellington-Jones once excelled on the endurance-riding circuit. Here’s she’s shown working an Arabian stallion, Lothar, in Hemet, California, in 1962.

One night, Linda Tellington-Jones and a friend found themselves riding beneath a full moon across salt flats, knee-deep in water, flagging the route for a ride along the Pony Express Trail. As they emerged from water at the base of a mountain, clouds scuttled across the sky, obscuring their night light. They waited in pitch dark for nearly an hour, when an owl appeared low overhead and circled them. It flew up the hillside, and circled back. "In the dark, we followed the owl up the side of the mountain," she says. "When the moon reappeared, we were exactly where we were supposed to be. It was pure magic!"

And vintage Tellington-Jones. The internationally acclaimed horsewoman and teacher whose worldwide audience devours her books (13 in 12 languages) and videos (10), this year celebrates the 30th anniversary of her Tellington TTouch Equine Awareness Method (TTEAM; 800/854-8326; www.ttouch.com). Her intellectual curiosity and zest for life have taken her down new trails, both literally and figuratively, and thousands of horse owners have joined her for the journey.

The little girl who grew up on a farm in Alberta, Canada, and reigned as the Edmonton Rodeo Queen, excelled on the endurance-riding circuit, and now rides trails from Syria to South Africa, Austria to Australia.

We caught up with Tellington-Jones teaching classes in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before heading home to Kona, Hawaii. Read on to learn more about Linda Tellington-Jones, one of the great trailblazers of our time.

TTR: On top of everything else you’ve accomplished in the horse world, you’ve also done a lot of trail riding and horse trekking. What draws you to this type of riding?

LTJ: Surrounded by nature on a trail ride, I’m inspired by the wonders of our Creator. I love the companionship of a horse who is as interested in what’s over the next hill as I am. Breathing in the beauty of nature and Mother Earth, orchestrated by Divine Spirit, is nourishment for my soul.

TTR: Do you remember your first "real" trail ride? What were your first impressions?

LTJ: Between the ages of 6 and 9, I rode five miles round trip to school every day. But my first real pleasure rides were as a 10-year-old, at the stable where I rode each day after school. My riding teacher took us on lovely excursions through the woods, where there were dozens of small obstacles to jump. These trail rides were a refreshing change from ring work.

TTR: What are the most common mistakes trail riders make, and how can they avoid them?

LTJ: First, they fail to prepare their horse to be safe on the trail. A horse should trust his rider, and have the self-confidence and intelligence to deal with every situation. TTEAM provides the tools to train a safe, cooperative horse that will look after you. Second, they over-ride unconditioned horses. If you go for long Sunday spins after your horse has stood in a stall or paddock all week, you’ll have an exhausted horse with excess lactic acid stored in stiff muscles. They may sour, and why not? For them, trail riding isn’t a pleasant experience. Condition your horse, and plan your ride accordingly.

TTR: How does the Tellington method help trail/recreational horses and their riders?

LTJ: Our Confidence Course prepares a horse to be unafraid and safe in traffic, while crossing bridges and creeks, riding rough terrain, and in unexpected situations. TTouch body work develops a special bond between horse and rider, a true partnership. A few minutes of TTouch before your trail ride is more effective than 30 minutes of longeing. Relax your horse with Ear TTouches, and you’ll be calmer, too. Two minutes of the TTouch I call Lick of the Cows Tongue — slow strokes from the midline of the belly to the top of the back, starting at the girth and finishing at the flank — will soften a horse’s back so you’re not putting a saddle on a hard, cold body.

And consider our Balance Rein, which goes around the neck and is used like a second rein. It steadies horses who are spooky or nervous following other horses, and can prevent that annoying jig when you head back to the barn. Too, TTouch is something nice to do for your horses so they look forward to your rides.

TTR: When you work with a recreational/trail mount, what differences do you find between that horse and, say, one that’s on the show circuit.

LTJ: Most show horses don’t get enough turnout and may sour from arena work. However, many trail horses lack sufficient conditioning, training, or trail time. Too many are overfed and underworked. On the other hand, it’s such a pleasure to ride a happy trail horse who loves the ride as much as you do!

TTR: What was your most humorous trail experience?

LTJ: Last summer, at the Bitterroot Ranch in Wyoming, a group of us were herding a young bull across the Wind River. We jumped a narrow irrigation ditch at a slow lope, and as we landed I ducked low over my mare’s right shoulder to avoid a branch. Startled, she did a fast — and completely unexpected — 360-degree spin to the left. I departed the saddle like a projectile and landed sitting, with my feet straight up in the air and my bottom in 18 inches of water! Landing in the water felt like landing on a soft cloud. I was completely unscathed and found the incident very funny. I’m just sorry no one was there to film it.

TTR: What’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you on the trail, and what did you learn from it?

LTJ: Coming across three hungry lions while on safari in Botswana. They began to stalk us through the long grass, and when they picked up their pace, so did we. Fortunately, we were on fast horses! I learned to always carry a "bear banger" — a device that scares off lions with a mini-explosion without harming them.

TTR: Who was your most memorable trail horse — and why?

LTJ: I’ve had many wonderful trail horses, but my Arabian mare, Bint Gulida, was my favorite. She was my first endurance horse, and in 1961, we won the Jim Shoulders 100 Mile Ride in Oklahoma by 6_ hours, and won Best Condition, too. When I bought her as a 3-year-old, she was barely halter broken and quite skittish. I started her under saddle by riding her in the dark, which created a special bond between us.While practicing for the Western States One Hundred Miles in One Day Endurance Ride — known as the Tevis Cup — I slept on the ground in the paddock I’d created by my trailer. One night, she actually lay down beside me to sleep. Much later, I leased her to be bred, and she left our ranch for a year. The day she came home, I was on a long trail ride. When I returned, Gulida was at the distant end of the pasture, but when I called her name, she came galloping to me. That was an affair of the heart.

TTR: What have been some of your most memorable times on the trail?

LTJ: Riding in the Tevis six times; galloping with herds of giraffe and zebra in Kenya; splashing through knee-high water in Botswana; gazing in awe as I crossed beneath a glacier near Banff, Alberta; feeling the spirit of the aboriginal outback in Australia; and crossing a swinging footbridge with Icelandic Horses high on a mountain trail at the top of the Alps in Switzerland. Each was a special blessing.

TTR: When you meet a horse, what impresses you first?

LTJ: I’m interested to know if the horse trusts people or shows signs of wariness, depression, or has no interest at all. I evaluate this by expression in the eye, the set of the ears, the shape of the head, the size of the nostrils, the form of the mouth. All give an impression. Reading horses’ expression and attitude has been my lifelong interest, and I’ve developed it into an art that anyone can learn from my book, Getting In TTouch: Understand and Influence Your Horse’s Personality.

TTR: What are the most important lessons that horses have taught you?

LTJ: There are three, all interconnected: Patience, flexibility, and understanding. I’m patient because I’m flexible. And if I ask a horse to do something and he doesn’t get it right, I attempt to understand what I’m doing that is unclear, and find another way to make the horse successful. Never continue to do what isn’t working!

TTR: What sort of riding are you doing most these days?

LTJ: I ride problem horses in clinics and demos, and enjoy the opportunity to ride many breeds. For instance, last year in Germany I gave a demo at the Munich Olympic Center and rode a big warmblood mare bridle-less — much to the amazement and delight of her owner. At home in Hawaii, I have the privilege of trail riding on a 12,000-acre ranch only minutes from my house.

TTR: Do you have any overseas horse trekking planned this year?

LTJ: This September, I’m riding Icelandic Horses in the mountains of Austria, and in October, horse trekking in South Africa after my TTEAM trainings in Johannesburg.

TTR: Finish this sentence: At the end of a long day in the saddle, I love to treat myself with…

LTJ: …a relaxing swim with my husband, Roland Kleger, under the stars at our home in Hawaii with our Westie, Rayne, keeping watch close by.

TTR: Tell us about your husband — does he ride?

LTJ: Yes. He had a ranch in British Columbia for many years and moved to Hawaii to care for his father when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

TTR: Any major life changes since your marriage?

LTJ: My office and staff remain in Santa Fe, but for me it was huge to move to Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Now, because it’s such a long haul to the mainland, I rarely teach weekend clinics, but I do give demonstrations and teach certification training for horses, companion animals, and humans.

Tellington-Jones is perhaps best known for her elaborate touch work on horses and other animals. “A few minutes of TTouch before your trail ride is more effective than 30 minutes of longeing,” she says. “Relax your horse with Ear TTouches [shown here], and you’ll be calmer, too.” For details on this touch technique and others shown, see Tellington-Jones’ book, Improve Your Horse’s Well-Being (Trafalgar Square Publishing).

TTR: Outside of home, what’s your favorite place on earth?

LTJ: That’s hard! The Austrian Alps and high mountain passes in Switzerland are unforgettable, and the outback of Australia on camel safari is an experience I highly recommend. On one of the Adventures on Horseback I led, several of our riders fell in love with the camels and wanted to bring them home.

TTR: Which three people of any era would you like to swap stories with around a campfire — and why?

LTJ: First, my grandfather, Will Caywood, whose training methods and love of horses greatly influenced me. In 1902, he was employed by an Austrian count to race in St. Petersburg and Moscow. He stayed in Russia for four years, and in 1905, was the leading trainer of Thoroughbreds at the Moscow Hippodrome, with 87 winners. This led to an invitation for me to give seminars at the very same Moscow Hippodrome 79 years later. My grandfather attributed two reasons for his success: He "rubbed" every horse with short strokes over the entire body, and he never entered a horse in a race unless "it told him it was feeling fit to win." His massage technique inspired my former husband, Wentworth Tellington, and me to write Massage and Physical Therapy for the Athletic Horse.

I’d also invite Frederic Pignon and his wife and partner, Magali Delgado, stars of the spectacular equestrian production Cavalia (www.cavalia.net). They have created a relationship with their stallions that honors the individuality and freedom of horses, and is unique in my 60 years in the equine world. After I shared TTouch with them in Germany, France, and California, we recognized our kindred spirits and mutual desire to celebrate the mystical bond between horses and humans.

TTR: What do you like most about your life today?

LTJ: The chance to travel the world, and meet the people, horses, and dogs in my classes. As a child, I never imagined that someday I’d be giving seminars at zoos. I was blessed to work with Keiko, the orca, twice while he was in Mexico. It touched me deeply to see how bonded he was to his trainers and four dolphin friends. Today, I teach three-year certification courses for horses and dogs on four continents, and TTouch for humans in Germany. I travel seven months a year, teaching in North America, Europe, South Africa, and Australia, and best of all, my husband travels with me most of the time.

TTR: Least?

LTJ: That there are only 24 hours per day and 365 days per year!

TTR: What’s your favorite equine book?

LTJ: The horse book that has influenced me most came to me in an unusual way. I grew up on a farm just outside Edmonton, Alberta, rode my horse to school, and after school rode at Briercrest Stables. I’d have dinner with my riding teacher, Mrs. Alice Metheral, then ride home. Riding home one day, I was hailed by an old man with a cane who’d hobbled down a long driveway to speak with me. He said he’d ridden with the cavalry in the Spanish War, and he gave me a book written by an American cavalry officer about starting young horses under saddle without bucking. Although I’ve lost the book and cannot recall the author, this book was a major influence on my life. My parents were boarding a young, untrained Thoroughbred, and following the book, I drove and mounted this mare with no drama or bucking. That was the beginning of my lifelong work developing a method which makes it possible for even amateur riders to start their young horses without bucking.

TTR: Your favorite nonequine book/s?

LTJ: Man on His Nature, by Sir Charles Sherrington, MD, awakened me to the amazing intelligence of our cells and the healing potential of our bodies. Its inspiration led me to discover the circular Tellington TTouches. A Course in Miracles made me understand that aggressive behavior in horses (and humans) comes from a place of fear. When I realized that biting, bucking, or kicking is usually based on fear or pain, it inspired me to find nonaggressive solutions.

TTR: What book are you currently reading?

LTJ: Messages from Water, by Dr. Masaru Emoto. He photographs frozen water crystals, and shows how words, music, and prayer influence the water. This leads me to believe we are affected in the same way, since we consist of approximately 90 percent water. The words and thoughts with which we address our horses, dogs, friends, or even ourselves can influence our health and happiness.

TTR: People would be astonished to know that…

LTJ: …although I’ve been married only four years, I’ve known my husband for more than 40 years and taught him to ride when he was 17.

TTR: What’s your idea of perfect happiness?

LTJ: My life! I have a delightful husband, wonderful friends, five fabulous brothers and sisters, loving parents, and world travel. I have TTEAM and TTouch to share, with the opportunity to ride great horses on five continents, care for others, and make a difference in the world. And I know the value of thankfulness and prayer.

TTR: What message would you like to give trail riders?

LTJ: In former times, horses were necessary for man’s survival. Nowadays, they’re perceived as more for recreation. But because of the stress in our lives, I believe horses are necessary for our spiritual survival. Our trail horses play a vital part in our re-creation, bringing us closer to our Creator as we enjoy the magnificent gifts of nature. See you down the trail — or as we say in Hawaii, "A hui hou."