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In this episode Linda recounts her early childhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada as well as Yellowknife, NWT, Canada during WWII.

From rural living as a young school girl, riding her horse Trixie to school each day to becoming a suburban riding stable fixture, Linda spent a huge portion of her early life on the back of a horse.

Linda was always drawn to animals. Here she is as baby with her Aunt Muriel in Yellowknife, NWT. This bear cub had been orphaned.

The first 17 years of Linda’s life was spent in Western Canada, primarily in Alberta.

Linda and her younger brother Gerry with two holstein calves. Linda is the eldest of 6 children.

The entire family (less baby brother Randy who is 16 years Linda’s junior) would join the “Family Ride Class” at the annual Edmonton Horse show.

The “Hood Girls”. Baby sister, Robyn Hood, Susan Hodgeson, Linda Tellington-Jones and Marion Hood. All three sister became skilled horsewoman and spent the majority of their lives on horseback.

Today, Robyn still works closely with Linda and has been instrumental in the development and promotion of the Tellington TTouch Method worldwide.

A skilled horsewoman by her teens, Linda routinely catch rode at horse shows successfully. She was known for being able to hop on horses she did not know and have a fun and successful round, winning many ribbons and championships along the way. This catch ride on “Bouncing Buster Brown” at age 15 caught the attention of Wentworth Tellington.