Episode 4 – Pacific Coast Equestrian Research Farm

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In 1961, Linda and Went established the Pacific Coast Equestrian Research Farm and School of Horsemanship, a nine-month residential school for riding instructors, in California. The students were required to show in Western pleasure and hunter classes, achieve at least a 50 percent score in a First Level dressage test, complete a 50-mile endurance ride and start a young horse without bucking.

In addition to educating well-rounded horse people, the school also conducted many research projects on equine husbandry, care and nutrition.

Linda and Went pioneered the development of feeding kelp, everyday wormer, rear-facing trailers and many other, then unheard of, practices.  They also compiled data on pulse, temperature and respiration rates of endurance horses, wrote one of the first books on equine massage and physical therapy, and explored the benefits of interval training.

Linda leading four Junior students on the 100 Mile Tevis Cup ride. The youngest in the group was 12 years old and all 5 of the group successfully finished in 15th place with more than 100 competitors in the race.
Valerie Pruitt Sivertsen riding “Tundra”, Linda on the stallion “Brado”, and Michele Pouiot on the young stallion “Nichok”, all Hungarian Warmbloods. The horses have very light strings, tied Indian style. This is before we begin using the neck rings.
Linda demonstrates a method of assessing correct confirmation of an American Thoroughbred; the length of the neck, shoulder, barrel, and hip length should all correspond.
Dinner at the school was sit down. Students were required to dress for dinner. Center is Linda next to Birch Jones, who would later become her second husband.
Students jumping with their arms out on the PCERF cross country course.
Students lived in dorms with 2 to a room.
PCERF students at a horse show in Visalia during summer school. We had an exceptional selection of school horses who could compete successfully in jumping’ lower level dressage, endurance riding, which was required for every student.
Students had lessons 6 days a week.
Students during the summer school of 1969; including our first student from Japan.
Strike A Long Trot: Legendary Horsewoman Linda Tellington-Jones by Shannon Yewell Weil This book chronicles the distinguished early equestrian career of Linda Tellington-Jones from endurance competitions at the 100-Mile Tevis Cup Ride to three-day eventing and steeplechasing at Pebble Beach.

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