Flower Essences and Horses
Horses are known to be sensitive creatures. As prey animals, they rely on their senses for survival. They can hear, smell, see and feel things humans cannot. They can also decipher human emotions which makes them excellent companions and partners in healing. But being sensitive creatures, horses can feel intensely too. They may panic when they get separated from their herd. They may lose their appetite following the loss of a friend or become restless.
While we often discuss how horses help humans work through difficult emotions and experiences, at Equinimity, we recognize that we also have the responsibility of easing equine emotions and caring for them holistically. Flower Essence Therapy is one of the ways that we care for our herd.
Flower Essence Therapy is based on the idea that flowers have healing vibrational energy. Flower essences are created by submerging flowers in natural spring water and then exposing the water to the sun to extract the flowers’ energy. The water is filtered and preserved and the finished product is the flower essence.
The use of flower essences can be traced back to three thousand years ago with different cultures from around the world such as Australian Aborigines, Egyptians, Malays, and Africans using them to improve their wellbeing. Interestingly, in our recent Equinimity University class, we explored the spiritual power of arranged flowers as it relates to Johrei - a Japanese healing method. While the concept is different from Flower Essence Therapy, there is that shared belief that flowers possess an energy that positively affects humans.
In the 1930s, flower essences were introduced to a wider audience when a British physician, Dr. Edward Bach, searched for a naturalistic approach to healing and developed Bach Flower Remedies. Today, flower essences are used by both humans and animals and have been found effective in reducing anxiety and pain.
Besides providing flower essences to horses, Equinimity’s EASE Facilitator, Jeanie Shepherd, also offers flower essences to clients and sometimes, their family members, assessing each person’s individual needs to create a personalized essence to help with their own healing journey.
With horses, flower essences can help alleviate fear, low energy, excess energy, and behavioral issues. For example, Cherry Plum is excellent for horses that panic or tend to lose control in a stressful situation. Hornbeam is wonderful for horses who are tired or disinterested and need an energy boost and Impatiens can reduce irritability and nervousness. Flower essences can also be combined. The most popular Bach Flower Remedies combination is Rescue Remedy which consists of five essences – Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose, and Star of Bethlehem. This can be applied to a horse experiencing shock, panic, trauma, or stress.
When we think of a horse’s role in the lives of humans, we cannot help but marvel at how much they take care of us. In the past, they have helped humans travel great distances. And now, they are helping us find our way back to ourselves. Every day, we are so grateful to witness our herd support people in rediscovering their sense of safety and connection through our various community offerings.
Horses have taken care of us so well throughout the ages.
Now more than ever, with the knowledge and resources available, we are able to reciprocate and take better care of them - mind, body, and spirit.
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Would you like to Share in the Care of the Herd?
Donations for the Share in the Care of the Herd project go towards purchasing a much-needed shade structure and supplies for the horses.
