Spring! Everything's full of energy and vigour and new life, bounding around enthusiastically like a foal. It's time to shake off the sluggishness of winter and get ready for summer fun. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring belongs to the element Wood, which also rules the Liver and Gallbladder meridians, so this is the best time [...]
I live in Portugal, which is an aromatherapist's delight. In my back yard (30 hectares/75 acres) aromatic plants grow wild. They include two types of lavender, helichrysum, cistus, rosemary, mint, thyme and chamomile. My horses and dogs are free to interact with theses plants whenever they like. What I have observed is that they hardly ever [...]
It’s that time of year, Spring has sprung, the bird is on the wing, and so are all the flying pests! Those of you with itchy horses are getting ready to protect your precious friends from suffering, and I am here to give you some ideas how to succeed in your mission. Essential oils relieve [...]
Aromatic protection Aromatic essential oils and hydrosols are your best ally in the fight against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Not only do they actively repel bugs, but unlike chemical treatments they will improve your dog's overall well-being at the same time. Bug protection starts inside Healthy dogs, fed fresh whole food, are more able to [...]
It's spring time. I guess it's natural that things 'hormonal' should become an issue. First of all Dharma Dog's mammary glands expanded, and she was gaining weight. I kept running her recent heat through my memory, checking if whether there had been ANY opportunity for her to have slipped away. Despite being 99.9% sure she couldnt [...]
Gipsy is an old dog now. As we walk meditatively around the block it is hard to remember the days when she would chase balls endlessly and run three miles for every one I rode. However, I still have a lot to learn from her, the end-of-life lessons can be powerful. Recently I had a lesson in simplicity and seeing what is in front of my nose without undue emotion. An oft repeated lesson I have to admit.
It's May and I'm in England. The sun is shining brightly, the oak trees are out before the ash, which is hopeful (Oak before ash we're in for a splash, Ash before oak we're in for a soak), and the green fields here on my friend Pauhla's organic farm are full of healthy lambs. I am walking down the lane with Doug the Collie, who at 18 months old needs time out from his brother and sister and a little special attention to keep him on the track to being a good citizen.
I often mull over the fact that with our animals we play God, creating them in our own likeness: 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, even the super-happy person with super-happy pet!…. For me one of the most important things animal owners can understand is how they affect their animals and how their own world view will affect what they see in their animals.
