Improving your horse's performance, NATURALLY!

I am a huge fan of creating options for horses and finding the many alternatives to helping us and our animals thrive! My senior capstone project at school focuses on how incorporating holistic methods and natural horsemanship can give animals better options in welfare. Training and achieving my Equine Kinesiology Tape Certification sparked my interest in holistic therapies and treatments to improve your horse's performance. Evolving alongside the traditional veterinary care methods, holistic practices were designed for the health of the whole body and promoting overall wellness for a patient (2). As early as 1600-110 BC, documents from the Shang Dynasty discussed the practice of acupuncture. The increased use of this holistic practice was found to be successful in relieving pain in horses. Limited quantities and a some people's dislike of traditional NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: ex. aspirin and ibuprofen) also fueled the growth of holistic practices,and fear of medications causing more harm than good led to increased veterinary research.

What other alternatives exist in veterinary care? The main fields of holistic veterinary medicine can be separated into three groups: physiotherapy, manual therapy, and phytotherapy. Physiotherapy is treatment to restore, maintain, and improve patient mobility, function and overall well being (1). Physiotherapy can help with rehabilitation, injury prevention, and general health. Most practices improve animal welfare using physiotherapy and commonly use other tools in association with a trained professional: massage, craniosacral, electrical, aquatic, light therapy, and Kinesiology Taping (KT).

One of my favorite forms of holistic physiotherapy treatments is KT. Whether finding a practitioner near you or wanting to learn yourself, the tape offers so many options to help improve a variety of issues. I have used KT on my horse's for just about everything: taping the poll to help relieve stress, reduce swelling, back support, etc. I highly recommend tape as a supplement to your horse's routine for recovery or performance improvements. Manual therapy includes acupuncture and chiropractic care, both great additions to treating pain or discomfort for larger performance improvements.

Improving your horse’s performance, continued…

Lastly, phytotherapy is the practice of using plants to create medicines and treatments. The first book about phytotherapy was published in 1922 by Henri Leclerc: “The Handbook of Phytotherapy '' and helped explain some of the basics of using plants to treat disease (3). One of the most accessible, and simple alternatives for your horse is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment using plants, that uses the olfactory sense (smell) and essential oils.

“Lavandula angustifolia, the oil promotes relaxation and is believed to treat anxiety” (4). Lavender has shown relaxation effects in many animals from larger livestock to smaller companion animals. With careful tactics to ensure you will not overstimulate your horse essential oils are a great natural way to relieve stress and relax yourself and your horse. Overall, the welfare community and scientific field have made incredible strides in creating options for animals and owners. Whether investing in chiropractic appointments or a bottle of essential oils, holistic therapies have proven that you do not always have to follow a traditional path to see results. I hope this inspires you to try something new and watch the results with your equines!