NEWS & ARTICLES : Alternative Therapy Options

Alternative Therapy Options

There are benefits to Alternative Therapies, so don't rule them out, just check them out.

There are so many choices out there in this day and age, it's a wonder we know what to select at all when it comes to caring for our animals. However muddy the water may seem, there is a time and a place for everything. In alternative therapy for animals, the array is astounding! From chiropractic to massage, aromatherapy to color therapy, some seem more practical than others, yet the possibilities are fairly interesting.

I interviewed a couple of "alternative therapy practitioners" to get a feel for what this deal is all about.

Susan Derr Drake, of Southern California, has a program called "Equimagik". She uses muscle testing, color therapy, pendulums and aromatherapy, and believes wholeheartedly in chiropractic and massage as well as accupressure. She has always loved horses, and is a dressage trainer. She considers herself to be "a sensitive", as she puts it, one who relies on senses and intuition. She tries to balance "sensitive" with "intellect", but one will dominate.

Q: How do you explain what you do, and validate it to others?

A: Susan says, "I'm not in the convincing business. What I know to be true, others may not be ready to see." There is a readiness of the observer to see what is happening and believe in the benefits with these therapies. Muscle testing usually involves a person being the "resonator" of the item being tested, so that person must be unbiased. Color therapy uses colors sprayed onto the horses, but again usually requires a human counterpart to "read" what the horse needs, although the horse may choose. Pendulums swing in certain ways according to how the user "programs" it and asks questions, waiting to see what the answer is by the way the pendulum swings. Aromatherapy is similar to the color therapy, and the horses usually choose what they need.

Q: Why should someone give your therapy a try?

A: Usually they are referred by someone they trust. Often everything else has failed to help the horse so far. They have already tried traditional veterinary medicine or other fixes. They want something better for their horse.

Q: What types of horses have you worked on?

A: All breeds, a little bit with wild horses. Some wild horses seem more willing to communicate than the domestic horses. Domestic horses are often shut down, but all horses are individuals.

Q: How do you integrate what you do with traditional veterinary medicine?

A: Susan says in her care of horses, "Whether science or an intangible unknown, I observe and adjust." That's how she makes a determination about what the horse may need. She gets a sense of it. She also looks carefully at things like nutrition, saddle fit, shoeing and so forth. There are times for each type of care, whether traditional or alternative. She uses both types of medicine, always asking for the highest good and using her experience and good judgement.

Q: Have you ever had a negative response to what you do?

A: Susan says, "Only that humans are frightened by it. I must convey confidence as well as integrity (in what I do)."

I also interviewed a closer subject: my husband Mark. I asked him the same array of questions. He performs what he calls structural balancing, or EquiJustments, on horses and dogs.

Q: How do you explain what you do, and validate it to others?

A: Through general observation, touch and palpation, I locate areas of discomfort, stress and limited mobility, then use various modalities, such as stress point release, massage, accupressure, Ttouch, myofacial release, and stretching combined with the use of magnets, aromatherapy and occasionally light therapy. Magnets are a proven modality for improved circulation and release of tension, subsequently improving range of motion and general well-being. I use aromatherapy when a horse seems highly agitated at the beginning of a session to help calm him during my introduction. I use light therapy usually after veterinary care, upon approval by the vet. Light therapy is an FDA approved treatment in humans for pain and arthritis stiffness, and works equally well on horses.

I explain this to people, and tell them what I've seen in the horses I've worked on, and give references of folks whose horses I've worked on over the years.

Q: Why should someone give your therapy a try?

A: There are years of positive results, such as improved behavior, improved performance, and generally improved well-being. Horses have increased activity, like romping, rolling and playing. There are reduced stress-related behaviors, a softer eye, and fewer facial wrinkles. All of these things are our clues to our horses' well-being.

Q: What types of horses have you worked on?

A: Large, small, young, old, performers and pets – many, many breeds. I haven't found any that haven't improved in some way.

Q: How do you integrate what you do with traditional veterinary medicine?

A: In what I do, vets usually get first shot at a problem. I always refer or suggest that a vet be involved prior to my working a horse to insure there are no underlying issues outside my scope. I am not a chiropractor or veterinarian, and I want my customers to know that what I do should never, ever take the place of that. My work is much more like physical therapy or soft tissue therapy, rather than medicinal. I do not diagnose or treat medical issues. If during my evaluation I suspect something outside my scope, I immediately recommend veterinary intervention. But often we do have to deal with other issues. Environment (housing conditions), usage, tack, shoeing, handling procedures and so forth are all taken into consideration when determining possible causes and areas of discomfort that need to be addressed. For example, if you fix the sore muscle, but you don't fix the cause, then it's an endless cycle. My concern is the horse's well-being. If educating the owner is all that's necessary, then I'll have done my job.

Q: Have you ever had a negative response to what you do?

A: No.

So, the choice is always yours when it comes to the care of your animal. You must decide the validity of the venture. Sometimes it may be worth it to explore some of these, and ask your horse about the outcome! How will he tell you? You'll notice a relaxed, sleepy look in his eyes, a lowered head and relaxed posture, deep sighs and regular deep breathing, among other things. There may be fewer behavioral issues or improved performance. If it's not working, those things won't happen! In some of the things that folks will try, for example a pendulum swinging or animal communication, there is probably a certain amount of belief required. But as in many things, what you believe in you will do. So ask questions, seek references, and most of all pay attention to your horse and the outcome of the alternatives you choose.

-Rebekka Rhodes

The author thanks the interviewees, Susan Derr Drake and Mark Rhodes, for their honest, helpful answers, and encourages readers to ask questions of anyone they are considering hiring to help out their horses, be it a veterinarian or an alternative therapy provider.

©2006 by CentaurGenics®. All rights reserved.