Horses
My thinking about horses comes from Mark Rashid1: ‘When we listen to our horses, we get an education. When we don’t, we get experience.’ (My underlining). This follows naturally from the practice of craniosacral therapy, where listening is the key skill.
Consultations are normally conducted in the open, the horse in a halter and attended by its owner. Horses who live in ‘buddy pairs’ often like to be accompanied by their buddy, who may have some treatment first. Sessions may last from 20 minutes or so initially, and up to an hour or more once the horse is familiar with the treatment. For visits beyond a 5-
Owners commonly have their horses treated for behavioural or training problems, which tend to arise from conflict in the training process or some unknown or unacknowledged injury or latent health issue. For example, nutritional or dental problems may be below pathological levels, but show up in general behaviour or specific performance. A patchy dental history -
According to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, owners are responsible for notifying their vet if their horse is to receive any kind of complementary therapy.
Mike is a member of the International Society of Equitation Science and a Lifetime Friend of Hillside Animal Sanctuary (with a special interest in heavy horse breeds)
1RASHID M 2005, Horsemanship Through Life, Johnson Books 1st edition
photo © Jo Macarthur
photo © Jo Macarthur
photo © Alex Watson
photo © Alex Watson
photo © Mike Harrison