bach flower remedies for animals … Practitioner: Andrea Williams MAR BFRP INTERESTED IN HORSE WHISPERING?
Home Dogs Horses Cats Rabbits Other		REMEDIES FOR HORSES I became interested in horses at the beginning of 2004. Up until that time my focus had been mainly on dogs although I had attended a workshop which entailed practising Reiki with horses. I had always loved to look at horses and admired their immense beauty and stature but I had never plucked up enough courage to feed a horse from my hand – much as I had always wanted to! I often wondered how a horse’s mouth would feel against my hand. I was about to find out! I can’t imagine now what I was so afraid of! Above - Durum who lives in Kent I discovered the Natural Animal Centre in Carmarthenshire, West Wales which was running courses in animal behaviour and complementary therapies for animals. Having been a Bach Practitioner for humans for several years I decided it was time to complete the Animal Practitioner Course. I worked at the NAC for a number of weekends between January and October 2004. There I experienced closer contact with a variety of animals including horses. I saw the horses living as a herd, the way nature intended. There were 10 horses altogether at that time and they were managed as naturally as possible (a method known as the barn system) as opposed to being stabled as many horses are.
The Bach Animal Practitioner course covers many different species of animal including birds but the main focus is on dogs, horses, cats and rabbits. It entails 9 days of attendance at the NAC, formal assessments, working on case studies and many hours of reading books on animal behaviour and associated subjects. The more I read about horses, the more interested I became. It became apparent to me during the course of my studies that most behavioural problems in horses occur when they are kept in confinement. It was then that I decided that I needed to gain some experience of horses in a more “conventional” environment.
I began some voluntary work with the Riders Disabled Association. Now, instead of seeing horses running free I was faced with stabled, tacked up and schooled horses. This was a totally different experience. To be honest, it was not easy for me to see horses this way having seen them in their natural state. Back to top During my hours spent reading I had learned about so called “stable vices” such as weaving, crib biting and box walking. I discovered that these “vices” only tend to occur as a result of confinement and that the correct term for this behaviour is “stereotypies”. Typical examples of this kind of behaviour would be observed in animals who are kept in cages in zoos or other similar environments. Horses are naturally claustrophobic and so these stereotypies are the way horses have learned to cope with the huge amount of stress they experience due to confinement. They are therefore incorrectly labelled “vices”. It also became glaringly apparent from my reading that horses, being prey animals, derive a tremendous feeling of security in being part of herd or group. Therefore fear is an emotion that deeply affects many horses who find themselves isolated and living in a way that goes against all their natural instincts. Horses who are left to their own devices will naturally form pair bonds for life. These pair bonds tend to be between horses of the same sex and age but in the absence of a suitable pair bond, horses have been known to pair bond with other animals such as donkeys or even sheep. photograph by Ian David Because horses are often bought and sold many times during their lives they either never have this opportunity or they find themselves parted from animals to whom they have formed a strong bond or attachment. This creates an enormous amount of instability and insecurity for them and often results in behavioural problems which are grossly misconstrued by humans. Horses are labelled “stubborn” or “dominant” when, in fact, they are often riddled with fear, grief and uncertainty. The above is merely a sample of the difficulties many kept horses face today. There is so much more to learn but, even now, it is clear that many so called “behavioural problems” can be helped enormously by gaining a deeper insight into what a horses basic needs are and then endeavouring to meet those needs. The Bach Flower Remedies can help horses through all kinds of negative experiences and circumstances. Obviously it makes sense to use the remedies alongside changes in management and/or the implementation of behavioural therapy using methods of positive reinforcement. However, even where the latter are not possible, the remedies can, and do have a positive effect on horses’ emotional states and, by helping them cope with their environment, changes in behaviour can result. Recommended Reading Emotional Healing for Horses and Ponies – Stefan Ball, Judy Howard and Heather Simpson Teach Yourself Horse: Natural Horse Management – Heather Simpson Why Does My Horse...? – Paul McGreevey Back to top Please Note: All animal treatment will require your Veterinary Surgeon’s approval.
Wholly Horses – If you love horses, you’ll love this! Our very own horse whisperer right here in South Wales. Visit www.wholly.co.uk for further information
Coming up in 2006 ‘PETAL’ POWER 2006 – MY YEAR OF THE HORSE “THE YEAR I CREATED MY OWN REALITY”
If you intend to manifest ‘empowerment, freedom and movement’ for yourself in 2006, then connect with their symbol … THE HORSE A series of powerful, one-day workshops dedicated to helping you achieve your hearts desire Special price: £150 per person (normally £250) Places: strictly limited to only 5 per workshop Dates: choose one of the following:
Wednesday 1st February Friday 3rd February Sunday 5th February Tuesday 7th February Bookings & availability by telephone only please on 02920 734081 ‘My Year of the Horse’ will not be repeated or extended so early booking is recommended HELEN ALYSIA WINGSTEDT WHOLLY HORSES www.wholly.co.uk Back to top