Equine
Alternatives
Aromatherapy
 Some
people find it a bit strange when I say that I use aromatherapy
on animals. Essential oils are used in so many products these days
and a lot of the time we don’t even realise it. Most balms,
creams and insect repellents use essential oils.
Aromatherapy uses the sense of smell (aromas) with the sense of
touch (massage) to heal the body, mind and spirit.
Aromatic extracts have been used for thousands of years throughout
history.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, volatile extracts taken
from plants, flowers, barks, fruits and woods.
Each essential oil has different chemical constituents, which is
how they have different therapeutic properties. There are oils to
stimulate and oils that help relax, oils for pain relief and that
work on a physical level, and oils that help with emotional problems.
 Aromatherapy
can help with behavioural or emotional problems such as spooking
and fear, past traumas or separation. It can be used to help physical
symptoms such as skin problems like mud fever, irritations and bites,
and also promote the healing of cuts and wounds. It also helps with
muscular aches and pains, spasms and stiffness.
The way I use essential oils with horses is to choose a few oils
for whatever problem they may have – eg. if they have muscular
aches and pains then I would choose essential oils for muscular
problems. I then let the horse choose what oils they like the smell
of. Of course you get some horses that love all of the oils and
some that may only like one or two of them. I believe by letting
them choose you aren't covering them in something they don’t
like and should get a more positive response.
I then dilute the oils in a carrier or base oil and use it on the
areas that need it. There are some oils that don’t agree with
horses so you do have to be a bit careful with which ones you choose.
I have been using essential oils for over 15 years now and have
seen a few negative reactions from using the wrong oils for the
wrong thing or else putting them on undiluted. They are concentrated
so do have to be used with care. Skin conditions require a bit of
caution as well as using the wrong oil can make the condition worse
and cause irritation. I also never let the horses take them internally
or put them on their skin undiluted.
Some essential oils contain chemical constituents that can be swabbable.
I recommend not using your aromatherapy blend on your horse 2 weeks
before a competition where it is possible you may be swabbed - just
to be on the safe side.
I certainly couldn’t imagine a life without smell and the
results from using aromatherapy on some horses have been amazing.
Back to Top
|
