Behavioural problems:
Essential Oil Therapy for Animals:
Topical Applications

The use of essential oils for behavioural problems in animals.
I had been working with 'problem' horses for some years when a mutual friend introduced me to the work of Caroline Ingraham who has done much to develop the use of aromatherapy for animals in Britain.

I was greatly impressed by the results I had with the oils and the horsesÕ obvious enjoyment of them. Now they are one of my most useful tools in the process of rehabilitating and reschooling animals.

Most horses that come to me have been abused in some way, generally through misunderstanding rather than wilful cruelty but the result is the same - an animal that has lost confidence in humans and itself. My first priority is building trust. Each animal is different and finding the key to unlock them can be a long process of small steps, each one based on a judgment call that might be wrong and put you back to where you started. Using the oils and kinesiology I can find out where the problem is rooted before I even meet the horse, and the process of offering and applying the oils is an easy and effective way of building trust.

The other major cause of problems in horses is pain. They are such stoic animals it is often difficult for us to know how much they are hurting and they will try their best for us even when they are in constant pain. Just like humans, if an animal is in constant pain they will turn off or disconnect from that part of their body, often exhibiting bad temper when we remind them it is there e.g. by brushing them, picking up a leg, or giving an aid. It is also possible for animals to store trauma, physical or emotional, in their body thus creating an energy block which will eventually manifest as pain. Because the oils work on both the physical and emotional level they release these blocks and allow healing to take place.

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Using Essential Oil Therapy for Animals
( This article was first published in The Natural Horse you can visit them at: www.naturalhorse.com)

Essential oils are an effective and gentle answer to many of todayÕs common animal problems, often bringing relief where allopathic medicines hold no answer. Chronic skin conditions, allergies, arthritis, sarcoids, CushingÕs Syndrome and behavioural problems are just a few of the conditions that have responded well to treatment with oils. When the use of essential oils is combined with Kinesiology as a diagnostic tool we have a truly holistic way to get to the root of any problem.

Essential oils are the potent extracts of aromatic plants and have been used as an aid to health for centuries. They have enjoyed a renaissance this century since a French chemist accidentally discovered the healing properties of lavender oil after burning himself in a lab explosion. The actions and properties of many essential oils have been catalogued since then and indeed many of them are the basis of todayÕs synthetic medicines. Kinesiology is a system that combines manual muscle testing with the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other healing modalities. By isolating certain muscle groups and applying gentle pressure it is possible to gauge the quality of energy within the related acupuncture meridian. Using this system we can tell exactly where the imbalance is that is causing the presenting problem. For example it is possible that what is seen as a behavioural problem comes from pain in the back, or a skin problem comes from a weakness in the liver meridian.

In Britain the use of kinesiology and essential oils for animals has been developed over the last ten years by aromatherapist Caroline Ingra ham and her students and is regulated by the Guild of Essential Oil Therapists for Animals (GEOTA). Through a blend of knowledge and experience and by allowing the animals to teach us, we have created a method that is safe and effective and receives a growing respect from the veterinary community.

So how does it work?
If horses were roaming free they would have access to a variety of healing herbs which they would eat as needed using their sense of smell to differentiate between plants. This instinctive ability is one of the most important elements of the GEOTA method. A trained therapist first takes a detailed case history in order to understand all the emotional and physical factors that might have contributed to the animals present condition. Then a Kinesiology test is done to find any weaknesses in the horse's system and the appropriate oils are chosen.
The oils are not blended but diluted in a base of infused herbal oil and offered individually to the horse. The maximum number of oils offered at one time is five, after that horses seem to lose their powers of discrimination.
Horses respond to the oils by either inhaling, licking or turning away. Often times if they want it applied topically they will even indicate with their heads exactly where to put it. The oils are then offered to the horse once or twice a day - depending on the degree of interest shown - until the horse shows no further interest, usually within three to ten days. Sometimes a horse will show great interest for one session then show no further interest, or alternatively be rather blase the first time with interest increasing as the treatment progresses. If the horse shows no interest in the oil then it is offered again after a day or two, if there is still no interest it is not applied. The only time there has been any adverse effects using the oils is when they are applied without offering them to the horse first. Once the horse has lost interest in the oils the therapist will re-test it to make sure all his organs are now strong or if some underlying problem has surfaced and more oils are needed. This rarely happens except where the problem is very long running or there has been much abuse. Usually one course of treatment is enough to bring a complete and lasting change. One great benefit of this gentle system is how it increases the bond of trust between handler and horse, this is particularly useful where there has been past abuse or trauma. By allowing the horse to participate freely in its own healing process we return a measure of autonomy to creatures that are used to having everything done to them rather than with them.... And in their inimitable fashion horses repay us for this small kindness with their hearts.

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Helping me, helping you!

The other day a woman called me wanting oils for her dog. In the course of the initial conversation she said to me,

     "Really I think it is me that needs the oils as much as her."

     I find this is often the way. I told her that I could do a kinesiology test for both of them and send the oils they needed. I felt this would be particularly beneficial as one of the issues was the fact that the owner wanted to create a deeper connection with her dog. The owner had just had to make the awful decision to have her other dog (her 'soulmate') put down and both the remaining dog and owner were  sad - the owner more than the dog, who was described as an affectionate "dizzy blonde". However the 'dizzy blonde' had recently been diagnosed with cancerous mammary tumours. The owner wanted oils to help ease the dog through the transitional period that was coming. The owner's issues were about her grief at the loss of her other doggy companion and feeling that her boundaries (energetic/emotional/spiritual) were being disrespected in the home.

     The Dog:

     The main weaknesses as shown by the kinesiology test were in the kidneys, the spleen/immune system and small intestine. The oils chosen were:

 Bergamot (citrus aurantium ssp.bergamia): uplifting, cleansing,  anti-tumour and disperser of stagnant qi energy. Emotionally this oil encourages the release of pent-up emotion and helps us relax and 'let-go'.

Sweet fennel (foeniculum vulagare var.dulce): this oil combines well with Bergamot to release stagnant qi in the stomach and intestines, it also  has an affinity with the mammary glands and regulates hormonal levels. On an emtoional level it encourages us to express ourselves and our creativity without fear and combats overthinking and worry.

     Now this is where it gets interesting! The owner's weaknesses were in the immune system and the heart and the issues she was dealing with were superficially unlike her dog's, yet the oils that strengthened her were the same. When I look closely at the oils it is as if the dog needs the oils on the physical level and the owner on the emotional level..... the sort of  symbiotic relationship that happens alot between animals and carer. This can be a problematic relationship if it is unconscious but once we recognize it we can influence it in a positive manner.

     One of the most important things for animal owners to understand is how they affect their animals and how their own world view will affect what they see in their animals. We often create animals in our own likeness, or project onto them our own feelings: the nervous rider whose horse jumps at everything; the over-anxious dog owner whose dog is aggressive to strangers, the owner who is unhappy with their life so keeps finding non-existent problems in their horse.

     In China if a parent brings a child to an acupuncturist the parent will be treated for the ills of the child. In much the same way we can help our animals by working on ourselves. By increasing our self-awareness and understanding what makes us tick we might discover that what we thought was the animal's problem was actually ours. At the very least by knowing what is going on inside ourselves we will be able to see our loved ones more clearly without misinterpreting what they are saying, and therefore help them better.

     There is no act so huge as that of  taking on the responsibility for the welfare of another being, whether  a child or an animal. For many of us that act has led us down paths we never expected to explore and brought us to where we are today.... reading this newsletter.

      One of the easiest windows into ourselves is essential oils, they offer us a straight forward key to understanding what we need physically and emotionally, and they will help to put us back into balance. Animals teach us how to help them with essential oils,  they also teach us how to help ourselves... and by helping ourselves we are helping them.