Help PTSD Horses
Donation protected
We all seem to take for granted the fact that horses time and time again have been there for their owners; moving from stable to barn, taking them away from their newly acquired stablemates, even changing owners from time to time. Has anyone taken the time to consider what effect that could have on the horse itself?
Horses seem to go on and accept anything that we put them through, but the truth here is that the horse is greatly affected by all this change; much more than many people realize, and it is called stress. First and foremost, horses don’t do change very easily. Life for them is based upon consistency as well as their total dependency upon the human being for its existence and they don’t understand why there has to be so much change all of the time. It was through watching various horses and how they reacted to all of the above-mentioned situations that made me wonder how a horse could handle the stress that is the foundation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Without an understanding of what equine PTSD is or how it operates we tend to overlook any of the symptoms of PTSD that may be coming from the horse. So what are some of these signs? It can be very simple and subtle things as simple as cribbing, locking up (or freezing), swaying (also known as weaving), sudden reaction to what appears to us as nothing, mouth displacement, or even the grinding of teeth. There can also be more serious symptoms, such as; constant bucking, bolting, or even charging. Anyone of these indicators can be an indication that there is a serious problem that is embedded deep inside the horse.
PTSD comes either being in or witnessing a stressful situation that can then activate two hormones (Adrenaline and Cortisol) to the point of being in excess and so out of balance that it forces the horse to be in a constant unbalanced condition that then forces the horse to be in a constant state of hyper-vigilant, distrustful, and to many, unreachable. This then goes from being in a stressful situation to a traumatic situation.
Unprocessed trauma, no matter what caused it or when it happened, has a great possibility of leaving emotional scars; even when they cannot be seen and in the process cause havoc in both yours and your horse’s life.
Emotional scars can be treated in horses and that is what we do; we release traumatized muscles to improve muscle tone which can encourage recovery from injury or muscle atrophy which reduces the pain spiral and assists in detoxification and lymphatic drainage by increasing circulation.
Our sessions also involve working with the horse in a manner that releases the “feel good” hormones (Serotonin and Dopamine) to start the process bringing back the horse to a much more balanced state by counteracting the effect created by the traumatic situation and the elevated levels of Adrenaline and Cortisol.
Through the use of our proprietary Essential Oil Blends, Low Level Light Therapy, and Touch and Release Therapy at precise points of the horse’s body; be they acupuncture points, trigger points, or even sites of injuries. The horse’s awareness is changed and encouraged to rebalance not only physically, but emotionally allowing for deep relaxation that then permits the horse to be able to tap into its own innate healing ability progressing to its maximum potential by “Inviting Change Rather Than Forcing It”.
This brings us to our main needs and they are ones that involve expanding the inventory of our proprietary essential oil blends, low level light therapy devices, and being able to get the word out. All of these are costly and how our program will benefit the horse community as a whole is to be able to widen our net to include print ads, internet ads, educational seminars for the horse owners, and seminars to educate other practitioners about our program so that many more horses can be helped.
Horses seem to go on and accept anything that we put them through, but the truth here is that the horse is greatly affected by all this change; much more than many people realize, and it is called stress. First and foremost, horses don’t do change very easily. Life for them is based upon consistency as well as their total dependency upon the human being for its existence and they don’t understand why there has to be so much change all of the time. It was through watching various horses and how they reacted to all of the above-mentioned situations that made me wonder how a horse could handle the stress that is the foundation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Without an understanding of what equine PTSD is or how it operates we tend to overlook any of the symptoms of PTSD that may be coming from the horse. So what are some of these signs? It can be very simple and subtle things as simple as cribbing, locking up (or freezing), swaying (also known as weaving), sudden reaction to what appears to us as nothing, mouth displacement, or even the grinding of teeth. There can also be more serious symptoms, such as; constant bucking, bolting, or even charging. Anyone of these indicators can be an indication that there is a serious problem that is embedded deep inside the horse.
PTSD comes either being in or witnessing a stressful situation that can then activate two hormones (Adrenaline and Cortisol) to the point of being in excess and so out of balance that it forces the horse to be in a constant unbalanced condition that then forces the horse to be in a constant state of hyper-vigilant, distrustful, and to many, unreachable. This then goes from being in a stressful situation to a traumatic situation.
Unprocessed trauma, no matter what caused it or when it happened, has a great possibility of leaving emotional scars; even when they cannot be seen and in the process cause havoc in both yours and your horse’s life.
Emotional scars can be treated in horses and that is what we do; we release traumatized muscles to improve muscle tone which can encourage recovery from injury or muscle atrophy which reduces the pain spiral and assists in detoxification and lymphatic drainage by increasing circulation.
Our sessions also involve working with the horse in a manner that releases the “feel good” hormones (Serotonin and Dopamine) to start the process bringing back the horse to a much more balanced state by counteracting the effect created by the traumatic situation and the elevated levels of Adrenaline and Cortisol.
Through the use of our proprietary Essential Oil Blends, Low Level Light Therapy, and Touch and Release Therapy at precise points of the horse’s body; be they acupuncture points, trigger points, or even sites of injuries. The horse’s awareness is changed and encouraged to rebalance not only physically, but emotionally allowing for deep relaxation that then permits the horse to be able to tap into its own innate healing ability progressing to its maximum potential by “Inviting Change Rather Than Forcing It”.
This brings us to our main needs and they are ones that involve expanding the inventory of our proprietary essential oil blends, low level light therapy devices, and being able to get the word out. All of these are costly and how our program will benefit the horse community as a whole is to be able to widen our net to include print ads, internet ads, educational seminars for the horse owners, and seminars to educate other practitioners about our program so that many more horses can be helped.
Organizer
Bob Burdekin
Organizer
Yuba City, CA
