2009 – September

Dear <<Name>>,
Another month gone and we are now into spring! A lovely time as the trees start flowering and the animals start their amorous journey!

But for me, it is a busy time as I am finishing the preparation of the workshop! If you haven’t booked a place yet, please do so as there are only 3 places left at the time I am writing this newsletter! To access your voucher, click here. or book here.

Animal Communication:

Lily’s Diary

Last month, I taught Lily to kiss me. This month, I taught her to shake hands, one leg at a time! Isn’t she a clever horse?
Always using the carrot bits (yeah, yeah… I can hear some of you cringing!) as her rewards, it was in fact fairly easy.

• Stand a little bit on the side as if you were going to pick up the foot but don’t lean on the shoulder.
• With your hand (or a training stick), gently tap on the leg you want the horse to lift.
• Each time you tap, say the word “Shake”.
• As soon as the horse makes an attempt to lift the leg, praise and reward.
• Repeat.
• Once the horse understands he needs to lift his leg at the first tap and the word shake, ask him to lift it without taping. Reward and praise when he does.
• Do about 5 minutes everyday, no more.
• After a week, your horse will associate the word “shake” with lifting his leg and you won’t need to tap it any more.
• When this is well acquired, you can start on another leg 🙂

Now, the secrets: before starting the actual exercise, make sure no one is watching. They don’t like being scrutinised and can have a “stage fright”. Then, explain to your horse, as you were talking to another human being, what you are going to do, what you expect from him and what his reward is! Praise, praise, praise! Yes, they need it! They need to know how proud you are and how clever they are!
As you all know, I am no trainer and don’t claim to be one. But I am an animal communicator. I had tried these exercises in the past without much success until I realised that the little chat at the begriming makes a huge difference!! And this is not reserved to horses either. Try it on your pooch too (swap the carrot for meat though)!

Horsing around:

Equine Gastric Ulcer and Herbs

Equine Gastric Ulcer (EGUS) is very common in horses, including pleasure horses. Although there are some products on the market, it is possible to manage EGUS with herbs. This article is not about the causes of EGUS but how to manage it naturally.
Read more…

Aromatherapy

First Aid Kit – Part 2

Following on from last month newsletter, I would like to introduce you to a very important essential oil: Lavender

Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most valuable and versatile essential oil you can have in your first aid kit.

There are many types of lavender but the one you want is the Lavandula angustifolia as this is the best one to use for therapeutic applications. The officinalis version tends to have too much esther in it and may sting if not diluted; its uses are best for perfumes and soap. As usual, it must be pure and of good quality. Expect to pay more than $50 for 100ml. It is not the lavender oil you buy at the super-market.

Lavender essential oil is a great analgesic and will numb a wound, cut and burn within seconds. If pure, you can apply it neat (not diluted in carrier oil). If not pure, it will sting like alcohol! Along with Niaouli and Camomile, Lavender can be applied undiluted on the skin without risks.

Here are the properties of lavender:
abrasions, abscesses, acne, animal bites, antibacterial, antibiotic, antidepressant, anti fungal, anti inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, bleeding, blisters, boils, bruises, burns, catarrh, chapped skin, chilblains, colds, convalescence, coughs, cuts, dandruff, dermatitis, detoxifying, diaper rash, diarrhoea, disinfectant, ear infections, fainting, febrifuge, frostbite, gingivitis, hay fever, headaches, heartburns, hiccups, immunity stimulant, influenza, insect bites, insect repellent, insomnia, itching, laryngitis, muscular aches, nervine, neuralgia, normalizes skin, palpitations, rashes, scalds, scars, scrapes, sedative, shock, sinusitis, sties, sunburns, swelling, tendinitis, tonic, toothaches, ulcers, urticaria, vomiting, whitlows, windburns, wounds.

Lavender has a calming effect on the mind and is good for anxiety, aggression, stress, nervous tension, fatigue and exhaustion. In these cases, you can put a couple of drops on a cloth and present it to your animal to sniff it, or diluted in some carrier oil as a gentle massage oil, or in a spritz as a spray around him or in his home (stable, kennel etc), or in a diffuser.

You can put few drops of lavender and niaouli oils in cool boiled water and use this water as a cleanser for wounds, cuts and grazes. It won’t sting the animal.

Safety: it is very rare that one is allergic to this oil but it should not be used during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Although I have more than 100 essential oils in stock, the only 2 I have in my first aid kit are Lavender and Niaouli. These two oils cover pretty much all first aid incidents. They are gentle and I have not come across an animal (except felines) who would not tolerate any of them. They are a must!

For dilution rates, check this article.

Doggy Stuff

It is not always easy to feed your dog healthy food at a reasonable price. This article gives you some ideas of easy, natural recipes on the cheap. Although the a raw food diet might be the best for your dog, it is not always possible for various reasons. So one has to come up with a different diet, an affordable one and definitely a healthy one.
Read more…

Until next month, take all care! Please kiss your pets for me!
Cass
Horse Whispers
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