Could your horse benefit from some energy healing?

Energy healing in its many forms has become a very popular way for people to enjoy deep relaxation and enhanced wellbeing.  If you are a horse owner and have experienced this sense of peace for yourself, you might have wondered if your 4-legged friend would benefit from some healing too.  If this is the case, read on, because I'll be explaining a little bit more about how healing works and how it can benefit not only you but also your horse and the relationship that you share.

Albert Einstein said:

"Everything is energy and that's all there is to it. 

Match the frequency of the reality you want

and you cannot help but get that reality. 

It can be no other way. 

This is not Philosophy, this is Physics"

We can measure this energy, and even photograph it (using Kirlian photography).

Energy Healing works with the life-force energy, enabling the body to fully relax, which in turn allows healing to take place on many levels: physical, emotional and psychological.  This makes it a very powerful therapy and yet it has no negative side effects.

Each of us may have a slightly different understanding of the term 'wellbeing'.  To me, it is not simply the absence of disease.  I believe that wellbeing encompasses all layers of our being: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.  The details of how this looks and feels may differ for each individual, but for me, it is about being able to truly enjoy each day to the full, being comfortable with who you are and feeling confident and capable to deal with anything Life brings.

All animals (including humans!) are made up of millions of cells which are inter-connected and inter-dependent.  Chemical and electrical messages (in the form of hormones and nerve impulses respectively) constantly flow around the body, co-ordinating all its functions and -- when well -- maintaining a state of balance and harmony.  This is known as homeostasis. 

If something disrupts this balance it results in dis-ease.  Thankfully the body is an intelligent system and so it generally knows how to restore its equilibrium.  Although this is a natural process, sometimes the body can be overwhelmed, or get stuck in a condition of disharmony.  When this happens it can benefit from support to help 'kick-start' the journey back to wellness.

Our modern world has come to believe that disease is a 'mistake' of some kind, and that it is to be feared and avoided wherever possible.  In contrast, I believe that dis-ease has a purpose.  It comes from the body's response to something that isn't working and, if we explore the nature of the disease, it can lead us to identifying a trigger and thus deal with the issue and make any necessary changes in order to return to the natural state of balance.  This greater awareness also helps us in maintaining a good level of health and reducing or avoiding dis-ease in the future.

Animals are particularly receptive to energy healing as they are generally very open and accepting, without the conditioned concerns that we humans often experience.

Energy Healing:

• involves the transfer of natural energy
• relaxes and re-energises
• stimulates self-healing ability
• is non-invasive — there is no physical manipulation or massage involved.  Only a light touch is used

 It can be used to support many issues including:

• the immune system                                  ?     cell repair
• detoxification                                            ?     enzyme function
• oxygen uptake                                           ?     absorption of nutrients
• wound repair                                            ?     pain relief
• balancing                                                  ?     release of endorphins
• a sense of wellbeing and calm

Horses are a little different from most of the other animals that share our lives, for several reasons:

• their size - most horses are much bigger than the average 'pet'
• their nature as a herd animal
• the nature of our interaction with them, particularly riding

When we domesticate an animal and keep it in a human-controlled environment we can find that the animal begins to exhibit unwanted behaviours.  I believe that these behaviours can be viewed in a similar way to dis-ease, in that there is a trigger which we can discover and so learn how to improve the experience of the animal in question.

Research has shown that "horses are sentient beings…reflecting various emotional states when stressed or happy" - Ellen Kaye Gehrke, Ph.D.  They also act as mirrors for us, helping to reveal stresses and discomforts in our lives. 

Gehrke and her team studied Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and discovered that:

"During the experience of negative emotions such as anger, frustration, anxiety, sadness or depression, heart rhythms become more erratic or disordered (or incoherent). Conversely, sustained positive emotions such as appreciation, love, or compassion are associated with a highly ordered, or coherent, pattern in the heart rhythms, and can be regarded as an indication of physical and mental health states.” 

When they put a horse together with a human, and measured their respective HRV they found that:

"The horses perceived, in the moment, coherent or incoherent human HRV and began reflecting that human HRV in their own behavior. It became apparent that the horse’s heart rate would synchronize with the human’s, although it did not appear that the human would reflect the horse’s emotional state.”

This has profound implications for the horse-human bond.  Horses pick up on what we are feeling and their behaviour mirrors those feelings back to us.  For this reason it can be very beneficial to share an energy healing session with your horse.  Not only will it help you both to feel relaxed and promote wellbeing, it will also enhance the bond of love and trust between you.  When I offer healing I am working at a level that impacts on these heart rhythms.  I become still and 'present' and invite you both to share in that feeling of peace and inner harmony. 

So what can you expect from a typical healing session?

When working with a horse, it is helpful for me to begin by getting some information about the them and the environment in which they live.  It can be helpful to see them in their stable, or in the yard, and for you to put a headcollar on them  and to loosely hold the rope while I work.  It is best for them not to be eating during the session, however it is good to have some fresh water within reach.  Healing works best when the body's cells are well hydrated as this allows the energy to flow most effectively.  Animals are in tune with this need and will often drink during a session.

I spend a few moments being quiet before putting my hands on or near the horse to begin healing. 

This therapy works holistically, treating the whole animal rather than focusing on any particular symptom.  It is completely natural and non-invasive, offering a sense of calm and deep relaxation.

After the session
After having healing it is advisable, where possible, for the horse to take it easy for the rest of the day - no long hacks or strenuous work schedule.

It can take up to 48 hours for the effects to fully work through their system.


The cleansing process
After having a treatment the horse may go through a cleansing and rebalancing process.  This can result in them feeling a little 'under the weather'.  This is due to previously stored toxins and tensions being released and eliminated as the body adjusts to the new energy. 

Senior / ill horses

One area in which healing is especially helpful is when an animal is getting older, or has become terminally ill.  Healing can support you and your animal through this time, helping you to share a special closeness and to make the most of the time you have together; through this challenging period, and beyond.  Please feel free to download my brochure on bereavement and loss.

Frosty - a case study
Frosty is a 12 year old Exmoor cross mare.  She looks like a typical Exmoor pony: brown coat and darker points with a pale muzzle.  When I first met her she was living at HorseWorld in Bristol, a centre for Rescue, Rehabilitation and Rehoming of equines. Prior to this she had been living semi-wild and unfortunately the herd had been through some traumatic experiences which left Frosty very wary and nervous around people.  

 
Straight away I could see that I would need to take things very slowly and gently with her, respecting her needs and allowing her to set the pace.  On my first couple of visits she would be brought in to the stall for me to offer her healing and I would stand a couple of feet from her and just send healing from a distance, keeping my energy low and allowing her the space and time to process.  Each time she showed signs of accepting and responding to the healing - licking and chewing and her eyes becoming softer and sleepy. 

After my first visit I received an email saying that there had been a visible difference in Frosty.  She had seemed less anxious and had initiated contact when out in the field, something that she would not previously have done. 

On my fourth visit Frosty came to greet me at the stable door, something she had not done previously.  This time, when I went in, she was loose in the stall and she didn't move away or show any signs of being nervous.  As I started to offer healing she sniffed at my hands.  She still reacted a little anxiously to noises outside of the stable and I sensed that it was still difficult for her to relax completely, however the healing energy fascinated and enthralled her, pulling her in with its quiet, loving reassurance.  I felt that she wanted to release to it but that she still wasn't ready to do this 100%. 

She began to mouth and chew and then she let out 2 massive yawns which was the first time I had seen her release in this way. 

As I continued standing quietly, offering healing she took a step closer to me and began to snuffle at me - my hands, my clothes and my ears - and then stood quietly with her head in front of my chest.  She appeared to be much more comfortable with me and to be enjoying the healing energy. 

On one of my last visits to see Frosty, she allowed me, for the first time, to move down one side of her body and to give healing there.  This felt like a big step with her.  She was not comfortable with me working on her off side, however, and apparently she is generally more sensitive there. 

I recently heard that Frosty has moved to a new home and is settling in well.

Sometimes animals, like us, require time to process and let go of the past and their fears but it has been wonderful to watch this little pony as she slowly becomes less anxious and more settled.

Another area of my work is that I offer workshops entitled "If horses could talk..." looking at providing a more natural environment for the equines in our care in order to support their wellbeing.  It covers topics such as diet, lifestyle, body language and interaction with the guardian / rider.  If you would like to find out more about how this course could help you to develop a deeper understanding of your horse's needs, helping him to be happy and healthy and strengthening the bond between you, then give me a call.

For further information or to contact me with any questions, please see my website: equenergy.com. 

Healing is a very good complementary therapy and is beneficial in any situation, however you should always seek veterinary advice if your animal is unwell in any way.