Last night I had the opportunity to attend a fun "Equine Evening" gathering at a local feed store (Trellis in St.Charles IL) and we had an amazing turn-out. It really is so great to see how many people really are interested in learning how to take great care of their horses. I remember when I started my own journey and how overwhelming it can be. There is so much information out - it could makes your head spin! 

I was asked to be a presenter and speak on Equine Massage and Bodywork as well as essential oil therapy. The attendees would split into groups for each of the four presenters and after about thirty minutes would rotate to the next presentations. 

Packing so much information into a half hour seemed really daunting, I must admit. I love to speak on equine bodywork. Not only because it's my chosen profession, but because I truly am passionate about sharing with my community on how to keep our horses healthy, happy and content. And bodywork can be an amazing modality in doing just that.

Thirty minutes really only allows me to share the most basic info because these are very big and important topics with a lot of nuances. I had planned to talk more on equine bodywork. But as people sat down and chatted among each other, I overheard so many of them wanting to hear about essential oils. Thankfully I had come prepared (being a good horsewoman, you got to have options!). And I quickly adjusted my presentation to give more time to this topic.

After a brief introduction I dove right into the topic of fascia and the body's amazing system of inter-connectedness. This is a particular interesting subject for me and I am seeing amazing results with myofascial release work, especially regarding stored trauma and restriction and the effect on the nervous system. There is more and more research being done on Fascia and its unique function in the body. As I personally explore it in more depth, my obsession deepens!

Next up was an introduction to essential oils with an emphasis on combining their use with the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This approach has enabled me to have a deeper understanding of balance in the body as it pertains to the flow of energy and re-establishing balance and harmony in the body as well as the mind and the emotions. It is also a great way to once again see and understand the inter-connectedness of everything that happens in our body and in our life.

I had been exposed to this concept by Nayana Morag. I briefly explained the Five Elements of Wood/Fire/Earth/Metal/Water and described how it may show up in someone's horse and his personality and outlook on life. And I also gave some examples of some oils that were particularly useful for the element primary to your horse. While each of us and our horses have all five elements present at all times, we typically have one (or two) primary ones that seem to stand out. In the future, I will expand a bit on this but there simply isn't enough time today to dig into it.

I have found that by determining a horse's primary element, I can then fine-tune and tailor my selection of essential oils and be much more focused in my approach. By connecting a horse's primary element to the issue we are trying to address, we gain a deeper understanding of their underlying patterns, behaviors, needs, wants, weaknesses and strengths. 

I also spoke about safety and the need for caution when using essential oils. I stressed how important it is to always dilute them. No matter what any company tells you about the purity and quality of their oils, dilution is a must because these substances are incredibly concentrated and can greatly harm your horse, pet family and yourself. Dilution is not about the brand of the essential oil but rather about the chemical constituents of the oil itself. There is much harmful and dangerous information out there. Essential oils do not mix with water. You should use one teaspoon of carrier oil to 1 drop of essential oil - at the minimum! Any company that tells you otherwise, find a different one. Education on this is very dear to my heart because we all want what's best for our animals and even one of them getting hurt is one too many. 

And topical application is not the most efficient way to begin with unless you have specific conditions (e.g. fungal conditions). So if you are worried about putting oil on your horse and it getting messy, inhalation is the easiest, safest and most effective way to use them. Always see if your horse actually wants to inhale the essential oil by offering for them to sniff it. They will be quite clear on their choice. I am not a big fan of prolonged use of these substances in an enclosed area (such as hanging objects in a stall and putting the oils on the object) because animals can't get away if they had enough and can no longer stand it. Just imagine if you had to be in a small room with a person wearing too much perfume and you couldn't leave!

I know many of you have diffusers at home and like to use them. And I am by no means telling you to stop. Just make sure your pets have a way out and don't have it going 24/7.

I do not utilize essential oils with every horse. I typically gravitate towards them to enhance my other modalities, if I encounter specific behavioral issues or am dealing with chronic conditions where I deem it appropriate and helpful. There is no one modality that has all the answers.

If you are interested in how this theory works in a bit more detail, here is a short video. While I could not possibly go into such detail during my presentation, it is a fascinating concept on health and vitality.

A good example would be a wood-type horse who is acting out. Anger is the emotion most associated with the Wood element. I typically see this in horses with an imbalance in the liver. Now this can be due to a toxic load, lack of movement, lack of freedom, not having their need for expression met. Too much food and not enough exercise and ability to perform can seriously tax the Wood element type horse.

Or it could also stem from the element of Water being weak in the system. If the Water element and the associated organ of kidney is weakened, the liver can easily overheat.  By utilizing essential oils to strengthen the water element, we can address the imbalance of energy flow and restore harmony within the body/mind/spirit for the horse.

As you can see, there are many aspects to the use of essential oils. And it may seem quite complicated. My main goal is for you to have fun with them but use them in a safe manner. 

And if you are wondering what element YOU are, just google it and you can take a test. My pre-dominant element is Wood with the second being Water. My gelding is Wood with his second being Fire. And my late mare was Water through and through. My husband is Wood/Earth and my cat is a Water element as well. Knowing these things may not influence every decision I make in life, but I can say that it does help in choosing a course of action when it comes to our health, food choices, supplements and life style. It also allowed me to form a much closer bond with my horses because I understood their needs much better.

Have a great rest of the weekend. Until next week!

Daniela