Understanding Alternative Therapy for Horses

The Concept of Alternative Therapy

I am often asked what equine alternative therapy is. The definition of alternative therapy is- any of various systems of healing or treating disease (such as chiropractic, homeopathy, essential oil, faith healing, etc) not included in the traditional medical system. Although I don’t see this definition as inaccurate, it is not how I like to view or explain it.

Here at Equine Essential Wellness, we view alternative therapy as taking responsibility for the current state of health or disease and taking the necessary choices and actions to improve and maintain health from that point. For horse health, it is, of course, the owner taking responsibility for the current state of health of the horse.

Owning Our Responsibility and Role in Horse Health

There are many cases where a horse’s state of disease, illness, or injury is a direct result of the environment and situations that we place the horses in. As horse owners, we need to provide the proper care, nutrition, exercise, and environment to support the health and wellness of the horse.

Some might think I am not open to “traditional medicine” but I believe there is a definite place and purpose for both alternative therapy and traditional medicine. In times that traditional medicine is necessary, I prefer combining the natural therapies supporting alongside. It can be difficult at times as the traditional veterinarians are not always open or in support of alternative therapies, and this is when owner education is key.

In his book The Battle for Health Is Over pH: Life and Death Hangs in the Balance, Gary Tunsky uses an analogy that is helpful. He describes someone taking their car into a mechanic because the engine light has come on. The mechanic tells the customer not to worry and can take care of the issue. He then proceeds to cut the wire to the check engine light and sends the customer on his way.

Now none of us would be happy with this situation and yet many times when we call our veterinarian for our horse’s health something similar can happen. We are given a pill, paste, or pharmaceutical that will “shut off the engine light”, but will not deal with the original cause of the signal. Promoting the horse’s health through nutrition, natural remedies, and proper emotional processing can help bring balance and restore wellness.

An Alternate View of Symptoms-

Instead of viewing the symptom as something to suppress, it needs to be viewed as a form of communication from the body. Just like a check engine light in your vehicle. What is the body trying to communicate with you? Is the current symptom from a previous concern that was also suppressed? Is the horse’s lifestyle out of balance with nature and the 8 Laws of Health?

Find more on the topic of natural horse care from the following links:

Our Mission of Horse Owner Education and Equine Wellness Information

To be successful in improving your horse’s health it is crucial to put your focus on establishing a solid foundation of health. You can get started on supporting your horse to vibrant health right now, by grabbing your FREE copy of the Healthy as a Horse book.

In my content, I share the story of supporting my mare through health concerns, naturally, after traditional methods had failed and euthanasia became the only recommendation veterinarians had for her. Part of our mission has to do with the success I had in helping her and wanting that for your horse… That’s why I put the steps I took and the principles I used in my book, Healthy as a Horse. Click Here to grab your copy today and start boosting equine digestive health and MORE.

I hope you found value in this post. Please share via your favorite social media page to help us on our mission to promote horse health and wellness. You will find share buttons at the bottom of the post.

Life is better when you’re horsin’ around!