Equiheal - Equine Consultant

21/11/2024

Hello my lovely followers. As I'm expanding my practice I've decided to start afresh with a new website and page. I'd love it if you could like and follow me here:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568785692449
(website: https://naturalvibrationshealing.com)

I'm now offering healing for people, pets and horses and have use of a peaceful therapy room in central Sevenoaks, Kent and plans for others too. I will be travelling to see horses and other animals in their own yards/homes as usual, in the Kent/Sussex/Surrey area and beyond, and am also offering remote sessions.

Thank you for all those who have followed Equiheal over the years, and thank you to my lovely clients.

Here's to new beginnings!

25/10/2024

Great advice:

SLOOOOOW DOWN!

SLOW your walking down to 1 step per second with and without your horse next to you.
SLOW your hand movements down as you touch or do things.
SLOW your talking down.
SLOW your breathing down.
SLOW your pulls and pushes down on the leadrope.

SLOW to FLOW!

Humans are WAAAAY to fast for horses and this is one of the leading causes of reactivity and opposition reflex in horses.

Speed = stress.

Let me teach you what speed does...

When the brain perceives a threat, it causes the body to release the stress response hormone cortisol. Cortisol levels and speed go hand in hand.
Cortisol provides the body with the fuel it needs to flee a scary situation or fight against it.

The thing with the mind-body relationship is that the brain feels an emotion such as fear, which create a physical response in the body, but the body can also move at a certain speed or in a particular way and create an emotion in the brain. It can be reverse engineered.

This is how special the intimate relationship is between the brain and body.

The other thing to remember is that, collectively as a social animal, when speed is noticed by another mammal (no matter the species), it alerts the unconscious brain to threat.

Speed is an alarm system in a social system (consciously and unconsciously).

If you walked down a road and everyone started running, you'd find it hard not to run even if you didn't know what the cause was. You are noticing that others are running and in a direction, so you mirror them to increase your chances of survival. You don't need the reasoning part of your brain for this. You just activated your primal (survival) part of the brain.

One other thing to remember: HORSES CAN SMELL CORTISOL. So not only does your speed act as a visual alarm system to your horse, it also acts as an olfactory one!

Would you want to interact with someone who caused you to feel constantly on alert?

These little things are the beginnings of what ripples into chronic stress in both humans and horses.
You spend enough time around someone who is fast in their movement, your nervous system will condition itself to being on high alert.
HELLO 👋 CHRONIC STRESS!!!

Slow your movement down = slow your thoughts down.
Slow your movement down = lower your cortisol.
Slow your movement down = feel connected with yourself, the world and others in it.
Slow your movement down = slow your alarm systems down and eventually they'll turn off.

Slow down so much that it is uncomfortable. It won't be uncomfortable for long, I promise 😉

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 🙂

12/10/2024

Something I feel very passionately about- imagine if we treated cats or dogs as commodities the way we do horses:

IS YOUR HORSE WITH YOU FOR LIFE?

Do you own a horse to use / ride / breed from / compete and then sell on when they don’t suit you any more, or will they stay with you for life?

Yesterday I was lucky to attend a webinar by Mark Kennedy, Senior Scientific Manager for Equines at the RSPCA (England & Wales), who presented a preview of his team’s research into the equine welfare crisis. Mark confirmed that most of the equines in England and Wales have welfare concerns – their basic needs are not met. I knew this would be the case, but it was still heartbreaking to hear confirmation of that.

One of the major contributing factors of the current equine welfare crisis is that humans see horses as commodities. Horses are bred to be used and then passed on, as their owners don’t take lifetime responsibility. There is little or no provision for a horse’s welfare over their lifetime – no planning or care as to how they will be managed from birth to death. This can lead to premature or delayed euthanasia, abandonment and neglect. This lack of foresight extends across the whole equine industry – with elite riders & owners in all equestrian disciplines, sport horse breeders, backyard breeders, riding schools, livery yards and grass roots horse owners all at fault.

Not so long ago, the FEI’s Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission conducted a large scale survey and found clear evidence that 75% of equestrians and 65% of the general public have concerns about the welfare of horses in sport. However, welfare is compromised in all areas of the equine industry.

Changing our attitudes towards horses is vital. When we take on a horse they are our responsibility. Everyone should be planning their horse’s lifetime care. Of course some horse owners may have a change in their own circumstances that may mean they can’t keep them, but there should be plans in place in case that happens.

And please remember, ‘free to a good home’ rarely ends well. If you have an elderly or unhealthy horse please, please don't give them away without careful consideration of what that will entail. Even if the person that takes them on has good intentions they could end up being in a position where they can't keep the horse either. This could mean they will pass the horse on to someone unsuitable or unscrupulous.

Your horse’s life is in your hands. Do you have plans in place for them if anything happens to you?

04/10/2024

Today is the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment. It is also World Animal Day, a day that, "unites the animal welfare movement, mobilising it into a global force to make the world a better place for all animals." The theme for this year is 'The world is their home too!'.
You can see more information, stories and event listings for the next few weeks here:
https://www.worldanimalday.org.uk
"Each one of us can make a difference – together we make change! Be part of something special."

RAISING THE STATUS OF ANIMALS TO IMPROVE WELFARE STANDARDS AROUND THE GLOBE. World Animal Day unites the animal welfare movement, mobilising it into a global force to make the world a better place for all animals. Each one of us can make a difference – together we make change! Be p...

30/09/2024

E Q U I N E R E I K I &
R E I K I F O R P E T S

Reiki can help with many issues, physical, emotional and behavioural, or it can just be a comforting and health-boosting treat. I am a fully qualified and insured Reiki Master healer and have a background in equine massage and behaviour. Please do have a look at my website and get in touch if you think your horse or other animal could benefit from a clearing and rebalancing energy healing treatment.

Gift vouchers are also available - they make a great Christmas present for someone who has a horse or pet, plus horse/pet and owner combined treatments are also available. Please contact me for further information.

Kate provides deeply therapeutic Reiki healing sessions for horses and pets. In person and remote sessions are available.

30/09/2024

This is a lovely thoughtful piece with some useful links too.

Saying our final goodbye to our horse is definitely one of the hardest things we will have to do. ❤️

This last couple of weeks seems to have taken more of our equine friends from our lives to a better place, now free from pain.
I have been present for a few of my friends/clients horses to support both human and horse holding space both physically and emotionally at this sensitive and special farewell.

I know it was for me coming up to the 2 year anniversary of letting Dollar go in a respectful and peaceful way on a beautiful sunny morning, I still feel really emotional and miss our friendship deeply.

Horses are a massive part of our lives, its a way of life and not just a hobby, its all consuming, Emotional highs and lows, Time spent, Money Spent, Relationship with our horse feelings of connection, fun, laughter, getting it right, getting it wrong, trying again and again.
What is the best hay, feed, dentist, hooves, saddles, bridles, rugs, training and so on.
Constantly looking at the weather apps (which say different things !) Will it rain tonight or is it going to be cold !

We can never really plan what might happen, however having some sort of idea or plan will definitely help when we are caught up in the emotion of the experience and doing the right thing for our horses is the most important gift we can give to them. 🐴

Here are a couple of links for information about when is the right time, and also about grief and guilt.
https://www.horsehealthprogramme.co.uk/saying-goodbye/

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/sites/default/files/d8/2022-05/2176975019%20-%20PBSS%20Coping%20for%20loss%20with%20horses%20info%20sheet.pdf

15/09/2024

I love this - we should practice this more with all of our animals.

Walk with me; don’t just walk me. Slow down and see the world as I do. I know you’ve got things to do, places to be. But out here, with the ground beneath our feet and the sky above us, there’s a whole world worth noticing.

The autumn chill is in the air today, crisp and full of new smells. It’s different from yesterday, and different from the day before. Every day is new. The leaves crunch under my paws, and I stop to breathe in the rich, earthy scent of them. To you, it might just be a pile of leaves, but to me, it’s a story—one I can’t help but dive into, nose first.

There’s a squirrel somewhere nearby, I can sense it, darting up a tree, its tiny heart beating fast. And the wind carries whispers of things far away: a family cooking dinner, the trace of a cat that passed by early this morning, and the faint perfume of flowers holding on to their last bit of summer. It’s all here, swirling around us if you just take the time to notice.

You tug on the leash, eager to move on, and I can tell you’re thinking about something far away from here. But when we walk, truly walk, you and I can be in this moment together. Feel the cool air brush against your skin, let it wake you up. Notice how the sun filters through the branches, casting shadows that dance on the pavement. Hear the crunch of the leaves beneath our steps, like a secret rhythm just for us.

To you, it might be just another walk, a daily routine to tick off the list. But for me, every step is an adventure. Each scent is a clue, each sound a piece of a puzzle. When you walk with me, really walk with me, you’ll see it too. The world is bigger than what we’re rushing toward. It’s right here, in the small moments, in the quiet spaces between your thoughts.

So, slow down. Breathe. Let the chill fill your lungs and the colours fill your eyes. Walk with me, don’t just walk me. See the world as I do, if only for a little while. It’s all waiting for you, just beneath the surface.
Natalie P
2024
Picture created with AI

31/08/2024

You can just see the lightness and harmony in this photo of Dr Reiner Klimke and his horse, I love the text below too. So glad he wrote about his methods so that we can carry on learning from him. It would be wonderful if the modern dressage world embraced this healthy, light, balanced way of riding - so much better for the horse, and the rider too.

The great Dr Reiner Klimke told us:
“The rider who is sitting a little bit forward, who doesn’t make himself heavy, is what I like. When I ride, I always try to not make myself heavy and bring the horse down, but to go with the movement and keep light, this is not one of our inventions.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2021/07/wisdom-from-reiner-klimke/

22/08/2024

Interesting article, and very glad to see that it has a section on the facial nerves and bridle fit.

Many horses accept bitless bridles and can be more comfortable in them. Read our guide to some of the most popular designs

12/08/2024

Team hopes findings will help improve equine welfare after showing cognitive abilities include being ‘goal-directed’

15/07/2024

While the equestrian industry often makes horses even compete at just two years old...imagine when the training started... And still we want to speak about horses used like this being "loved athletes living like Kings"??

Modified picture source: Listening to the horse by Elaine Heney

01/07/2024

What a great topic for a webinar - no matter how hard we try, and how hard the livery yard tries, there's always a compromise and a tricky balance to maintain... thoroughly recommend "Livery Yard Survival Guide" webinar, and the "Bad Girls? Understand Mare Behaviour Problems", which is tomorrow's webinar and a subject close to my heart - mares' communication and behaviour are so often misunderstood.

Understand Horses presents a webinar with social scientist Tamzin Furtado on the human challenges and coping strategies of keeping your horse on an imperfect livery yard (boarding barn/stables).

25/04/2024

This is going to come across as an angry post and for that I must apologise but for the love of god please STOP pinning your baby horse’s head down. It is not taking a contact. Nor is it acceptance of the contact. It is force!

I’m sick to the back teeth of seeing horses with sore polls, stretching of the ligaments between C2-C3 and tension around their TMJ. I’m tired of seeing horses with their mouths strapped shut because discomfort, caused by an ignorant riders hands, is making the horse open his mouth which is then being misconstrued as rudeness. And I’m so,so sad to see young horses having tendon injuries, ligament injuries, sacroiliac injuries and back problems because they haven’t been given time to establish. Time to grow. Time to develop muscle. Time to develop strength.

And what’s scary is this is becoming the norm. Breaking our horses in is literally breaking them. And no one is taking responsibility for this. Horses are being totally written off because we’ve got an awful throw away culture where no one is accountable for their actions. People are so thirsty for the end result that they are forgetting the process.

Please, I beg you, with your shiny new 3 year old that has his whole life ahead of him, invest your time in the saddle and on the ground wisely. Look at his balance, look at his rhythm, look at his relaxation and most of all look at his happiness. I guarantee to you that once you’ve addressed all of these, his back will function properly and you’ll receive the gift of a true contact and therefore a true outline.

You reap what you sew. In every single sense.

31/03/2024

The way horses respond to trauma and the lasting impact of a bad experience in early life have been highlighted by experts

21/03/2024

We aren’t entitled to riding.

Horses don’t owe us anything.

Riding is a gift, it is a privilege.

It’s not something we should be taking for granted. It’s something to be grateful and appreciative of your horse for.

Since we aren’t entitled to riding, we should reframe our thinking when it comes to what equipment we used on horses and how far we are willing to go in training when it comes to physical punishment.

Having the perspective that it’s fair to deliberately cause a horse high discomfort or pain on a repeated basis just so a human can pilot them around a jump course at a show or have their riding lesson is one of clear entitlement.

It’s a mindset where the person feels so entitled to riding their horse that they’re willing to achieve this at any cost, even if it’s at the expense of wellbeing and comfort on the part of the horse.

So, where do we draw the line?

Ask yourself whether or not you truly want your horse to enjoy the work you do with them.

Odds are the answer is yes.

It’s hard for a flight animal to enjoy their “work” when it’s a promise of pain, stress and fear.

Even if they “like” the task at hand, having a harsh bit in their mouth or getting smacked when they make a mistake will feel like a blister, a painful stimulus that takes their mind off of something they may otherwise enjoy and becomes all consuming the more it’s rubbed and irritated.

And if this is the pattern of what riding and training predicts for them — what reason do they have to enjoy it?

There’s nothing in it for them other than pain and stress, if we choose to go about things in a forceful manner and if we choose to select harsh equipment to suppress behavioural issues instead of dealing with the cause of said issues.

We aren’t entitled to riding.

So, it’s probably time to put an end to the culture that feels entitled to using increasingly harsh equipment when the human can’t make their horse do what that want them to.

Because that wreaks of entitlement.

01/03/2024

Lovely post from - a Canadian-based trainer who I highly recommend following if you don’t already.

They say you reap what you sow.

So, I stopped for a moment and took a look around.

In my training of horses, I was sowing seeds of stress, ones that would blossom into entire thickets of chronic anxiety.

And in that moment, I was stunned by the emotions my actions were harvesting in horses.

My goal was to have relaxed and well behaved horses who enjoyed their jobs and I was failing at doing so by pushing them to “work through it.”

When they tried to communicate their stress, I would make them work harder until they stopped that communication entirely.

Tired, sweaty, panting and foaming with sweat, their training session would then end.

How was I to expect that they would enjoy such a thing?

It all seems so silly now.

But, in a way, it was a gift that despite the way I tried to silence and extinguish communication when the communication was what I didn’t want to hear, my horses kept trying to communicate.

They hadn’t given up on the hope of me finally listening to them.

And while the persistence of these unwanted behaviours were upsetting my goals as a trainer, it was a sign my horses still believed in my ability to finally hear them.

They hadn’t shut down yet.

So now, I thank them for their perseverance.

For getting louder and refusing to let me drown out their voices.

Because, eventually something did click and I realized that I wasn’t heading to the destination along the route I wanted to.

It was no enjoyable journey of only one half of us was having a good time, while the other was so miserable.

To be honest, I question whether I was even having a good time most of the time.

Frustration, anger and anxiety that were common emotions for me during and after training are no longer ever present.

In helping to heal the damage I had done to my relationship with horses, I was healing myself in the process.