Natural Horsemanship, a beginning.

What could be the place of Natural Horsemanship in Equine Ayurveda? I don't have the answer yet but what I know is that I've been introduced to the Parelli program and I felt in love with it. It's obvious for me that there is no equine health without a healthy relationship with the horse. Horses are sensitive creature and how we are with them or around them impact how they feel.

So I decided to go further on the path of Natural Horsemanship and become a Parelli student along with my horse that for now looks more like the Parelli instructor. I will share my experience through this blog as a part of "The Path". Hope you won't see it as a digression. And who knows maybe I will come to an Ayurvedic Horsemanship method some day :) Ayurveda is a way of life, we should never forget.

Brahmi Oil - Part 1: Presentation

Brahmi oil is an ayurvedic therapeutic herbal oil. It is a blend of Brahmi herbs in a base of sesame oil (can also be coconut oil). It is a Pitta soothing oil. It calms and clears the mind. It enhances a peaceful feeling.

Indication:
Brahmi oil is used to treat conditions as mental imbalances and problems, emotional disturbance, nervous exacerbation, insomnia but it is also beneficial  for treating skin and hair.

Benefits:
The oil has for effect to:

• relieve from tension and anxiety
• soothe the brain providing a calm state of mind
• promote alertness and awareness
• help to relax physically and mentally
• promote healthy hair (nourish, strengthen and condition)
• heal damaged skin tissue and soothe irritated skin
• promote cellular regeneration.

Application and direction:

• Massaging the pole of the horse with a few drops of oil will calm a horse and show effects on the mind.
• Massaging the navel area, using circular motion around it for about 5 minutes (nabhi marma point) with Brahmi oil will be good for Pitta caused heat and stress in belly.
• Applying oil on scar and closed wound (bites and fly bites, fresh scars, scratches, saddle sores, ...) will help the skin to heal and hair to grow back.

Update and News #1

I think the time has come to do an update on my work and project as Ayurveda and Equine Health Care is reaching a new level. I've been offered a position of ranch manager this summer at Ohana Ranch of Maui. I now have thirty two horses of all ages and sizes under my care.

The owner and I are sharing the same vision of a holistic ranch which represents a great opportunity to bring Ayurveda at every level of horse management and care. This includes not only the bodywork but nutrition, lifestyle (work, training, routines), exercises, body care, to name a few. Ayurveda has so much to offer!

I've started to introduce some of my herbs formula and oils at the ranch but there is two domains of study and application I would like to focus on. They are:

• the hormonal cycles in mares
• the appropriate nutrition and feeding routines.

Very exciting!

So as I deepen my work in Ayurveda for horses, I decided to create a Facebook page that goes with this blog where I will share anything around the subject. Follow the link to check and like!!!! https://www.facebook.com/EquineAyurveda

I also decided to turn this blog into a website (at least the address for now). The official address is now: www.equineayurveda.com.

Please visit the FB page and like it!

Colic and Marma Therapy

Colic is a term used to describe abdominal pain. Although it can relate to any of the organ in the abdomen, the most common forms of colic are gastrointestinal in nature. Equine Colic represents a medical emergency and it requires the immediate attention of a veterinarian.

Now that being said, complementary therapies can be perform:

• while waiting for the veterinarian to make the horse as comfortable as possible
• after the veterinarian's visit to support the recovery
• as a preventive treatment.

Marma therapy is a specialty of Ayurveda. Marma points are special point of energy throughout the entire body. They are much like acupuncture points of Traditional Chinese medicine. Marma Therapy consists of treating the marma point with massage, direct pressure, touch, essential oils or herbal paste. It addresses the prana or life force in the body.

Marma Therapy is a great complementary treatment when it comes to colic. Working the marma points relative to digestion will:

• help with abdominal discomfort
• relieve pain
• relax the muscle system
• promote bowel movement by assisting the elimination process
• support the digestive organs
• strengthen the mind
• help increase circulation
• build immune system
• assist digestion.

If a horse has a tendency to colic or if it presents a risk of colic, a marma treatment may be perform as a preventive therapy.

** This post was written after I saw a horse who just had an episode of colic in the morning. The vet had already come but I've been asked by the owner to see the horse to support the recovery. I used the marma point to help digestion and belly movement. After a few point (solar plexus, top of head, navel, SI joints, legs) the mare started to release gases and soon enough I could hear bowel noise. One hour and a half later she had bowel movement and her manure looked good. **

Equine Sport Massage Therapy and Ayurveda

Sport Massage is defined as a specialty within the discipline of massage therapy. It may be known in the western practice of massage, but it is interesting to notice that it is also true in Ayurveda.

As a reminder, sport massage was developed for the sport athletes. It emphasizes prevention and healing of injuries to the muscle and tendons. It includes three types of routine: pre-event, post-event and maintenance therapy.

The benefits are several - and it will be subject of a more detailed post - but it mostly increases the performance of the horse, it helps in the elimination of the toxins, it speeds up the recovery time and it prevents from injuries. At a mental level sport massages improve the focus of the horse and help with the event related stress.

Now, although both systems share the same approach and benefits of the practice of sport massage there is a difference in the procedure. Traditional Sport Massage Therapy focuses on the muscles pertinent to particular physical activities. On the other side Ayurvedic Sport Massage Therapy emphasizes the joints and spends longer period on the joints.

In the context of equine massage I have to agree that an extra attention on the joints is not to be neglected as they are under a lot of pressure. Having a practice that addresses both the muscles and the joints is ideal. It has the advantage of approaching the musculoskeletal system in its totality.

Mahanarayan Oil

Mahanarayan oil is an ayurvedic therapeutic herbal oil. The one I am using is a blend of thirty three herbs (all safe for horses) in a base of sesame oil.
It has the qualities of nourishing, strengthening and rejuvenating. Even if the smell of the oil carries also those qualities it is not an aroma oil.

Mahanarayan oil is used to treat conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, cervical or lumbar spondylitis, frozen joints, backache, strains and sprains, musculoskeletal inflammation disorders.

The oil has for effect to:

• strengthen nerves, muscles and ligaments
• soothe sore muscle and aching joints
• relieve muscle and joints stiffness
• reduce inflammation
• enhance blood circulation
• balance the Vata dosha.

In case of arthritis it will act directly on the joint pain and stiffness, the restricted movement and the distortion. The oil will slowly help to restore a normal joint function.

Use of herbal oil with horses

Ayurvedic massages are known to use lots of oil. Unfortunately it is difficult to apply it with horses as it means a very large amount of oil to cover the full body. But it doesn't mean we cannot use some!

I've started to use therapeutic herbal oil in my practice of equine massage. Whenever I feel there is a need because of an injury, a trauma, a condition or just by intuition I will use oil on specific area. Some cases where I used it are:

• sacroiliac joint recovery from injury
• flexor avulsion fracture
• arthritic leg joints (hock and fetlock)
• neck muscle stiffness and pain
• hip trauma (muscle and joint)

I use organic ayurvedic oil, a blend of herbs in a base oil and every time the horses just loved it. I always have them smell it and explain what I will do and ask for permission. As for now they always showed a lot of interest in it; actively smelling the aroma with ears upright, eyes bright. Sometimes they even came to the bottle that I carry in my tool belt, showing it to me.

Whenever I can I warm up the oil and apply it warm on the area to treat. I then use circular stroke alternated with friction to help the absorption process. The oil mixture is absorbed into the bloodstream and takes effect from there.

As I said they are therapeutic oil with healing properties. One that use the most is the Mahanarayan oil but I will write a full post about it (there).