Volume 3 Issue 8
Healing Energies
By Catherine Bird, Tanya Nolte, Patti Duffy-Salmon,
Lyn Palmer, and Maggie Moyer
This article takes
some explanation. The five of us - Catherine Bird and Tanya Nolte
of Australia, Lyn Palmer of the UK, Patti Duffy-Salmon from Tennessee,
and I, Maggie Moyer, from Pennsylvania - all previous contributors
to Natural Horse - have written it together. We have a network where
we communicate via the Internet to discuss case studies from our
individual careers, and combining our efforts provides us with more
tools for our clients. The following is a case study we each took
a part in last winter.
The horse is a five-year-old WB mare named Ruby, 16.1 H chestnut.
Ruby is a client of Maggie's and boarded with Maggie last year.
This young mare has a history of rambunctious pasture behavior and
attention difficulties while being ridden. A consistent work schedule
works best with this mare, whose owner also started her with TTeam.
Maggie had been working with Ruby on a regular basis. She is a big-moving
mare who had some balance issues especially when going through a
growth spurt. The mare had been doing well, scored well in her first
dressage show, and was beginning to school the next level when her
canter became strung out, her departs labored, and while on the
lunge line had an intermittent four-beat canter. It was also noted
Ruby became grumpy during her work and reluctant to walk up small
slopes. The veterinarian was notified but could not come for a few
days. Maggie was asked to look at the mare.
Maggie's hands-on contributions:
Ruby had always been sensitive over the right hip and had previously
had a very small sacral iliac joint dislocation. However I found
the entire hindquarter and back extremely sensitive to touch. When
palpating the stifles she jumped away and if I persisted she kicked
out at me. I could also hear a popping sound from the stifles. On
the lunge line I could detect a funny hitch in the right hip and
the intermittent four-beat canter. In questioning the owner I found
Ruby was increasingly unpleasant while being mounted. She would
stand but as soon as the owner started to swing up Ruby would bolt.
The owner had not had an accident as she was fit enough to swing
up before falling, but she realized it was a matter of time. She
also suspected it was out of discomfort. It was revealed by the
farm that Ruby had reared and fallen in the pasture a few weeks
before, and the timing fell in with the time the symptoms appeared.
At this point the owner stopped riding Ruby and was resigned to
lunge her a few times a week.
I was present for the vet visit. At this point
the four-beat canter had resolved but there was still an intermittent
hitch in the right hip. When he palpated her stifles Ruby sank down
and had to be assisted back up. The vet felt she had injured the
sacral iliac joint again, which was causing her stifles to be uneven
and the hitch was because of the displacement. The vet prescribed
rest for one week, butazolidin, then hand walking progressing to
light riding. No schooling.
At this point, I presented this case to the group. I could not get
through a massage/TTouch session without the mare kicking or sinking
down. This was a change in the mare's behavior. I had gotten her
to the point where her first reaction was not to kick. Instead she
would either move away or sink down. Instead of antagonizing her
by persisting I would check just enough to determine if this was
still an issue. If she would permit it I would gently work on the
stifles. This has always been a mare with many opinions and has
never done well if "forced" to comply. She would only
become worse. Having some experience as an animal communicator I
found she had definite opinions as to whom she liked and whom she
did not. If she did not like someone she would tolerate them but
not be very gracious. She was also prone to hysterical temper tantrums,
which were short lived, but explosive. When questioned about these
her response was always an exasperated, 'I do not know'. She also
had a sense of who and what was around her. The mare seemed to know
she was insecure and sought control in her life. A well-timed TTeam
technique often diffused a situation.
TTeam ground work seemed to work perfectly for this mare. Either
the owner or I would take the mare out for "TTeam walks"
using the Elegant Elephant Position. This is the strongest position.
Later I would progress to Dingo and Cheetah but would return to
Elegant Elephant. The walks would be interspersed with wand stroking
and leg placement with the wand. Ruby was very receptive to this.
A few observations were made. When backing, the goal is to have
the horse back using diagonal pairs, i.e. left front and simultaneous
right hind movement. There was a delay of the right hind leg movement
when asked to back from the left front leg. This was assisted with
tapping of the right hind to bring more awareness to that leg.
Ruby looked forward to these sessions. Since this mare also has
a very active mind, challenges were added on the walks. Slopes,
walking over poles, through mazes, etc. were all a part of the TTeam
walks. When the weather turned icy the walks continued outside,
as the indoor was often crowded. At one point I slipped on the ice
only to have Ruby steadfastly maintain her position so I could regain
her balance. Rather then reacting the mare was becoming a team player.
Patti's herbal contributions:
Ruby was already on Meadowsweet Acre Herbs' Mare Regulator Blend.
The owner wanted to avoid the problems encountered with show mares,
e.g. irregular cycles, tight backs, and difficult behavior, but
did not wish to use pharmaceuticals. Instead she tried the Mare
Regulator Blend and felt satisfied with the results.
In discussing the case with Maggie when Ruby was four, we decided
to first try the Chamomile/Passionflower Blend (no valerian). Ruby
was a show horse and the owner did not want to rely on valerian
to calm her mare's nerves. However she did recognize that Ruby might
need something to calm her busy mind, as she tended to become easily
overwhelmed. While in work Ruby learned to remain focused but her
rambunctious behavior in the paddock was a concern.
During her younger years, her heat cycles were more transitional and I remember I didn't want to put her on anything strong. We started out with the mildest blend, the Chamomile/Passionflower Blend. As she matured, we worked our way up to the stronger blend, the Mare Regulator Blend, which would actually balance her hormones and help with any cramping and pain. The Mare Regulator has the chaste tree berry and dong quai in it. Both regulate the hormones and will not prevent the mare from cycling but will limit the prolonged effects such as tight back, irritable behavior etc.
During the time Ruby was out of work and only
hand walked, I added extra chamomile to her blend. It was still
early enough in the winter that she was not ready to switch to the
Raspberry/Chamomile Blend, but once Ruby could be ridden regularly
we switched her from the Mare Regulator to the Raspberry/Chamomile
Blend from January to February. The raspberry leaf strengthens and
tones the uterus and therefore decreases the cramping and discomfort.
We also put Ruby on the Joint Blend. This contains glucosamine and
other herbs to aid in the discomfort Ruby may experience during
her work sessions. The goal was to not let the pattern of discomfort
and hormonal swings become a part of Ruby's work pattern.
Why the concern for this mare's cycles during
the winter? The problem is not usually when they are in season,
but rather how they come out of season. If this mare, through the
stress of this injury and a change in schedule, did not go out of
a season this could have set her up for unbalanced hormones, which
could result in a tight back, mare-ish behavior, and an uncooperative
attitude. As it turned out, when the mare cycled the symptoms only
lasted 3-4 days and she showed only mild symptoms.
Lyn Palmer's aromatherapy contributions:
When Maggie explained to us the problems she was experiencing with
Ruby, I knew that the mare was well used to essential oils, with
Maggie choosing those she felt appropriate at each session, and
checking with the horse before adding as a blend for final application.
Ruby, like many horses where essential oils are part of their care
routines, had a few oils that she would return to time and again
- this often will give an aromatherapist a thumbnail sketch of the
horse's personality, current state of mind and attitude toward work,
when balanced against the daily care and work load the horse receives.
Ruby had, in the past, narrowed her choice of oils down to a variation
on lavender, chamomile, patchouli, basil and vetiver. This gave
me the picture of a horse who enjoyed her work and who was happy
in her life in general, but who just needed a little help and support
from the oils as she always seemed to ask questions with her attitude
and body language - often finding it hard to keep her feet on the
ground in all senses of the word! She always gave the impression
of being full of life and energy with a little flightiness in mind
causing a lack of prudence in how she used her body.
Lavender was probably chosen by Ruby for its cooling and calming
effect on general aches and pains experienced due to high jinks
in the field and as her training moved forward, and for a lowering
of the nervous tension she created in her mind by always asking
questions. Lavender is also very balancing and since Ruby is very
much a 'mare-ish' mare with quite intense seasons it would also
have helped with hormonal balancing especially when linked with
her second favorite of patchouli. Patchouli is very much a mare's
oil in my experience; also its earthy tones can be grounding and
helpful with an overactive mind, creating focus. Fennel was another
occasional favorite but Maggie discovered that the mare only chose
this when she was in season so it was the estrogenic effect that
was needed by the body at that time rather than the emotional clearing
and stimulating effect. Chamomile has an anti-inflammatory effect
on both overactive minds and muscles whilst I have found basil to
be the classic oil of concentration for horses who are being asked
for a little more in their training sessions. The vetiver has a
very grounding effect.
We discussed Ruby's training and once the period of rest was over
considered how the muscle weakness found in the right hindquarters
could be improved. In collaboration with Ruby's trainer it was found
that work in self carriage with an encouragement of slight engagement
of the hindquarters by using spirals on both reins would be effective
in strengthening the gluteal and hamstring muscle groups by encouraging
the hind legs to step across and under, this in turn would stabilize
the stifle click that was heard occasionally.
However after the first two days of work on the lunge, once off
the butazolidin, we became concerned that Ruby was very sore and
raised in her lower back and right hindquarter, and despite Maggie
offering all her usual favorite oils, the mare refused them all
and Maggie emailed me for some alternatives.
Ginger is an excellent oil for lower back problems, as it is warming
and energizing. From the point of view of her emotional state it
would also be helpful in encouraging Ruby to concentrate on the
problems in her body and to become proactive in achieving improvement
as often pain will cause the horse to disassociate the mind from
the body. Lemongrass acts on deep muscle spasms, so when I am considering
applying a massage blend where my hands feel there are problems
but the horse doesn't respond to lavender, then that would be my
next choice. Marjoram is also a useful sedative/antispasmodic for
aches and pains and jasmine calms the nerves and would be a slightly
deeper-acting oil than patchouli in the emotional sense, used where
perhaps the horse is also a little fearful. Frankincense is another
oil useful for a fearful horse where it finds itself in a situation
that it doesn't quite understand; it helps clear mental agitation
and calms the mind, making rational behavior easier to achieve.
During Maggie's next treatment of Ruby, ginger and lemongrass were
chosen by the horse and applied after the massage. Jasmine and Frankincense
were also chosen and offered twice a day thereafter for several
days until she no longer showed an interest in the aromas. No interest
whatsoever was shown in the marjoram.
Catherine Bird's energetic contributions:
When we work as a group, I tend to focus on what energetic blocks
are in the horse's energy field slowing down the healing or clouding
the issue and making a solution difficult to find. Ruby had recently
been moved from a boarding facility after it closed its doors to
boarders. The move was uneventful, until a few months later when
the new facility owner faced family and health problems resulting
in the need to sell the farm. There were many secrets and power
struggles among boarders and various trainers wishing to acquire
the farm. The resulting power struggle had its effects on Ruby and
her owner. Being a very sensitive mare Ruby was quick to pick up
on negative feelings. I also discovered, aside from the farm sale
issues, that there were some jealous feelings directed toward Ruby
and her owner from fellow boarders at the boarding facility. Ruby
herself was feeling this energetic tug-of-war and her owner's fears.
I used kinesiology to get a tone of the energy and a key statement that came up was, "I put myself in a position to be rejected." Ruby's owner was consistently in a mediating position over the lease issue, and although on the surface she seemed to be able to throw off the negative feelings she actually held them deep inside. Being a perceptive mare, Ruby absorbed her owner's negative energy. The unstable environment was a block to finding the key to helping Ruby discover a balance in her body and behavior, so I then chose spiritual rays and sacred geometry and used these to defuse the negative charge this was having on Ruby's behavior. I also set a new energy around Ruby so that her owner would have clarity with Ruby and "know" what next to do in her situation to avoid having her emotions whirling around Ruby and confusing the issue.
This helped Ruby's owner to utilize all the tools we had provided as a group and then to explore further the underlying cause of the issue. Due to the constant tug of war and behind the scenes activity surrounding the sale of the farm, Ruby's owner made the decision to remove herself and Ruby from the situation by moving again. I had cleared the way for Ruby's owner to make a decision without being affected by any ties. The move itself took place several months later.
Tanya Nolte's homoeopathy contributions:
After Maggie presented our group with Ruby's case, I asked her a
few more questions to assist from a homoeopathic perspective. It
was established that Ruby was affectionate except when her stifles
were touched which initially resulted in her attempting to kick.
While under saddle the mare was demonstrating a grumpy disposition.
I queried whether the vet had made any mention of gonitis (inflammation of the stifle), any suspicion of slight dislocation, or perhaps a dry joint. The vet had not discussed any of these conditions but did suggest the mare go on a joint supplement and have some acupuncture once she was back in work.
Ruby would move off normally for a brief period
but after about 5 minutes of trot and canter on the lunge she would
suddenly get worse and display a 4-beat canter. Maggie described
it as a funny upward hitch in her hip, and then the right hind was
slow to come through which produced the 4-beat canter. If Ruby was
pushed on it would disappear.
Being somewhat of an anticipator Ruby made it difficult to know
just precisely where she was uncomfortable to touch around the hindquarters
and stifle, touch was uncomfortable to her in any part of the area.
There was a degree of neuralgic pain suspected. Tension was found
towards her groin.
There were no apparent indications of weather preferences or aversions.
However, it was noted that a similar problem had happened at the
same time the previous year. The weather at the current time was
cold and damp with some cold winds.
No obvious changes had been observed in Ruby's eating or drinking
habits; bowel and urinary seemed in order, skin was clear, and there
were no other health issues to consider at the time.
After some butazolidin treatment and a week off Ruby seemed much
improved, however, she was still sore in the stifles with mild discomfort
of the right gluteus and hip. The homoeopathic remedies Hypericum
and Ruta grav were commenced.
The Ruta grav's chief purpose was to help rebuild cartilage and
damaged tissues, strengthen the capacity for the stifle, hip and
sacroiliac joints to maintain a correct position during and after
Maggie's therapy, and assist with Ruby's general attitude and healing
process. The Hypericum was directed specifically at nerve-related
pain for the lower back and joints.
The leading symptoms for the selection of Ruta grav were: injuries
to joints and tendons; sprained joints; joints as if dislocated;
lameness of hip/stifle; sore, bruised pain; neck stiffness; worse
touch; worse cold, damp weather, cold winds; worse ascending hills;
worse motion but better continued motion, gentle motion or walking;
restlessness and anxiety, anxiety with sudden stitching spinal pain
(when rider attempting to mount); and irascibility.
This totality fitted with that of the energetic pattern of Ruta
grav. It was also interesting to tie in the image of the Ruta grav
individual who when feeling insecure, deceived, or even guilty as
if they had done something wrong, can develop an inflexibility of
mind and body. This leads to a lack of agility and a tendency to
tearing or wrenching injuries. They can become defiant and defensive
when they don't understand what is going on. Catherine's findings
helped confirm this choice for me.
A week later it was reported that Ruby was having her good and bad
days. However the bad days were not nearly as bad as they had been
previously. Ruby enjoyed her walking in hand on the hills with less
difficulty and was beginning to manage her TTeam maneuvers better.
The impression was that she was better after her dosing of Hypericum.
I was consulted as to whether she could continue on the Hypericum
a little longer. As a response was being observed that healing was
in place, there was no need to give further doses at this time.
However, I did instruct that the Ruta-grav was to be continued as
I felt its energetic influence was being burnt up at weekly intervals.
What followed was that Ruby improved significantly. She was no longer
camped out and was traveling with her poll raised and not flat going
to the right anymore. At last she could be collected on the lunge
and do the spiraling exercises. It was felt that Ruby was ready
to take on more work of this nature under saddle.
Where is Ruby now?
The first real ride on Ruby in about 6 weeks met with a co-operative,
quiet horse with no head tossing as in the past. Some cantering
was attempted with good result. A little difficulty was encountered
on asking for shoulder in to the right so instead work was continued
with just leg yielding which was much better.
Approximately 4 months later Ruby started to relapse with some muscle
tightness through her right hindquarter again. Massage was not working
it all out well enough. Maggie tried lavender and ginger essential
oils in her massage work. Lyn reminded Maggie that a strong oil
as ginger could negate the homeopathic remedies. It was decided
lavender was acceptable. It was believed that the tightness was
coming from the old injury and doing more work but certainly not
as bad is it had been over winter. I suggested a short repeat of
the Hypericum and Ruta grav, which worked well for her.
Causiticum and Colocynthis homeopathic remedies
were a consideration. Causticum for contracted muscles and spasms
and Colocynthis for contraction of muscle with pain of the hips
as if dislocated, amongst other indicated symptoms, matched Ruby's
symptoms. The problem seemed to resolve with the above treatments,
however, so these were not necessary.
It took the entire winter to get through much of the physical and
emotional memory surrounding the injury. This case shows it is not
just one modality that can turn the table when dealing with a problem.
All were needed. The vet made his initial observation/diagnosis
and prescribed butazolidin and rest then a gradual work program.
Maggie and the owner recognized Ruby needed more support but did
not want to continue with the butazolidin past the initial stage.
Catherine cleared many energy blocks that would have prevented healing,
Patti provided a base of support with the herbal blends for the
hormonal and joint support, Lyn with her aromatherapy provided a
safe use even with the homeopathics, which provided a healing state
for Ruby. The TTeam work helped Ruby to learn a new and more efficient
way of moving to prevent further injury and the repetition of poor
body mechanics. The massage in conjunction with the aromatherapy
eased the tension and helped soothe any distress between Ruby and
her owner. Ruby still has her setbacks but overall the mare has
been working well, had a successful show season and has advanced
with her training. 
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace veterinary care.
About the authors:
Maggie Moyer, TTeam Practitioner, ESMT from
PA, has many years experience as a Critical Care Nurse and is also
an active rider and competitor. To find out more about Brass Ring
Horse Massage TTeam/TTouch visit www.brassringhorsemassage.com or
e-mail Maggie at tmsaki@nfdc.net.
Patti Duffy-Salmon of Shelbyville TN is Owner/President of Meadowsweet
Acre Herbs for Horses Inc. and is a well-known equine herbalist.
Meadowsweet Acres is dedicated to meeting the needs of today's horses
with custom blended herbs at reasonable prices. You can visit Meadowsweet
Acre Herbs at www.meadowherbs.com. This website also has the LARGEST
collection of EPM information anywhere on the Internet today. Email
psalmon@cafes.net or phone during normal business hours (9-6) 931-684-8838.
Catherine Bird is an Aromatherapist, Medical Herbalist and Massage
Therapist specializing in working with horses. She incorporates
the use of spiritual kinesiology to help understand the whole picture
when working with her clients. Catherine is based in Sydney, Australia
and consults in person and via the Internet worldwide. Her second
book, "A Healthy Horse the Natural Way", demonstrates
how she combines these therapies and will be available March 2002.
For more information on Catherine's books, courses and consultations
visit www.happyhorses.com.au
Tanya Nolte, VN, DipHom, is a professional classical homoeopath
and veterinary nurse who specializes in the treatment of horses.
She has been a successful competitor, breeder and trainer of horses
for over 30 years and is well acquainted with many of the outcomes
that befall our equine friends as a result of competition, breeding
complications, environmental stresses, accidents etc. Tan conducts
homeopathic consultations for both humans and animals at a homeopathic
clinic in Australia, at her home office, for animals over the Internet,
and at the veterinary clinic where she nurses. Please direct any
enquiries to "Whispering Horse Therapies", http://whisperinghorsetherapies.50megs.com,
Phone 0266 897296, tanyahorse@bigfoot.com.
Lyn Palmer is based near Glastonbury, England where she owns a dressage
schooling and livery yard with her daughter, Vikki. She works with
both horses and humans using aromatherapy, massage and Bowen Technique,
arranges aromatherapy clinics for horse owners and is the Equine
Touch coordinator for England. Lyn can be contacted at homewayfarm@aol.com
for equine aromatherapy email consultations.
