Silver Daisy Chain

This series of three articles was written by Amy of Silver Daisies, www.silverdaisychain.co.uk, for my free e-newsletter ‘Brain or Pain’.  Please note that neither Sue Palmer nor Holistic Horse Help endorses this person or their work.

“I work as an holistic therapist working with people and animals alike.  When working with animals, the Reiki healing I use is always the most important and effective tool we work with which complements veterinary care.  Although Reiki is a natural healing energy which is intangible, what IS tangible is the very real benefit that we see following a treatment.

In this three-part series for Holistic Horse Help I am going to be looking at some other natural healing therapies which can complement veterinary care and help assist the body and mind in its highest levels of healing.

Aromatherapy

Horses and all animals respond extremely well to Aromatherapy. This delicate and fragrant healing art taps directly into the refined and fine tuned energy of the animal.  When an animal is unwell, suffering from a physical or emotional disorder, it will in its natural habitat, seek out the correct plant or herb to help restore its health.  Essential oils offer a life force energy that works like a catalyst, allowing the oil to discriminate which areas need balancing, stimulating, sedating or healing.

For example, Rose oil can help bring mares into season yet can also calm mares that are overly “mare-ish” thus acting as a natural, balancing agent.

Behavioural issue	Useful oils
Spooking	Jasmine, Clary Sage, Roman Chamomile
Fear	Rose, Frankincense, Jasmine
Cribbing	Carrot seed, Jasmine

*Essential oils can be volatile if used incorrectly so you should always consult an Aromatherapist and thoroughly read up on the effects of the oils prior to use.

Bach flower remedies for healing

Dr Edward Bach was a Harley Street Doctor in the 1920s and 30s. He spent many years researching and developing his theory that all plants had specific healing qualities in their “vibration” or energy.  Over time he developed 28 remedies, each one effective for treating a specific negative emotion.  These negative emotional states where divided into 7 categories:

Fear

Uncertainty

Lack of interest in present circumstances

Loneliness

Oversensitivity

Despondency and Despair

Over anxiety for the welfare of others

Bach also developed Rescue Remedy, a combination of 5 remedies: Rock Rose, Clematis, Cherry Plum, Star of Bethlehem and Impatiens. Rescue Remedy is very effective in an emergency or crisis as a first aid measure.  It works to combat shock, terror, fear and anxiety. It can be used for example after birth for the mother and foal, to combat the shock and trauma of change.

Flower remedies are subtle tools for combating negative emotions.  The system is easy to use: when you begin to think about helping yourself or your animal, you first need to identify which of the 38 remedies will be most appropriate.  Aspen, for example is suitable for nervous horses that excessively spook but are confident when they know their handler, and Vine is great for very assertive or dominant horses and also for bullies with a tendency towards aggression with biting and kicking.

Herbs for healing

In the past, animals were free to roam and commonly sought out the wild herbs and other native medicinal plants that they needed to stay properly conditioned.

Modern animals rely on their owners to supply herbs and medicines they need to keep them strong and healthy.  Herbs are slower acting than most drugs and are not intended as a replacement for veterinary care.  Herbs work by treating the body as a whole, as opposed to treating the symptoms in isolation.  Dry or fresh cut herbal preparations are the easiest and least complicated way of feeding herbs, particularly those in leaf or flower form.  A horse’s gut for example, is designed to break down cellulose and fibre and horses respond well to herbs fed this way.  The herbs, be they fresh or dried, can either be fed on their own or mixed into feed, chopped up.  They can also be prepared as infusions, teas and brews and compresses or poultices can be made to be applied.  As with essential oils, covered in part one, you must always read up thoroughly on a chosen herb before use to check for possible toxins, dangers of overuse etc.”

Herb	Condition
Valerian	Anxiety, pain relief
Passionflower	Mood elevator, fear, depression
Flaxseed	Rich source of omega-3 essential fatty acids
Aloe Vera	Externally for burns,  wounds
Calendula	Dermatitis, burns
Arnica	External treatment of closed-tissue injuries only
Raspberry Leaf	Strengthens the uterary muscles in pregnant mares