Text Box: Reiki: - Hands-on healing for body and mind.       The word Reiki means “Universal life force energy”. It refers to an ancient hands-on healing art that was rediscovered towards the end of the nineteenth century by Dr Mikao Usui in Japan. The word Reiki itself is made up of two parts. The syllable “rei” (pronounced Rey) describes the universal aspect of this energy and “ki” (pronounced Kee) refers to the life force energy that flows through all living things.     Many ancient cultures have handed down knowledge of hands-on healing methods throughout history and have referred to the transference of universal life energy to promote well-being. This universal life force energy is said to pass through our systems via channels which Orientals call the meridians of the body. In Chinese medicine, the aim of acupuncture is to stimulate the flow of energy through those pathways.     In optimum conditions, it is believed that the vital energy flow within the body is unimpeded and we are able to experience good health and inner harmony. Should the flow of energy be restricted or blocked, well being is affected.     Reiki is said to dissolve such energy blocks by dissipating immobilized or slow-moving energy. The energy becomes drawn to the areas where the flow is slowed down or restricted and gently starts to break down the blockage. Gradually this life force energy in encouraged to flow freely again and help restore inner balance once more. Energy blocks and congestion can occur for a number of reasons. Emotional trauma, illness, injury and stress are just some of the causes. Left untreated they leave some areas seriously depleted in energy and other areas over worked. Each can be detrimental to long-term health.     Generally, animals appear to enjoy receiving Reiki just as much as humans do and quickly become calm and soothed. They instinctively know how much they need and often become restless once they have drawn an adequate measure of energy. Of course, we cannot know what animals are experiencing, though usually they become quieter whilst receiving the energy and become deeply relaxed just as humans do. The positive response of animals to Reiki is some proof of the astonishing effectiveness of this healing art as they are unable to respond to belief systems or psychology.     Horses respond well to Reiki and horse breeders have been heard to have been using it extensively. It has particularly been effective with accelerating relief from colic.     General principles of treatment would be to place your hands where pain is likely to be experienced by the animal and to allow your hands to remain there for a few moments. Then gauge the response and if the animal is still relaxed, treat a few other body positions systematically.     As far as energy blocks and sub-clinical illness is concerned, most of the time we deal with them very well. The body is brilliant at compensating for weakness and adapting to subtle changes. Problems only manifest themselves when we come under pressure. In the case of horses, much of this is external (e.g. diet, exposure to infection, environmental changes and training; or most likely a combination of them all. Where Reiki really holds its own is in dealing with psychological/ behavioural problems because it does not simply train the horse not to exhibit unacceptable behaviour patterns it resolves the energy block causing the behaviour pattern in the first place. A large proportion of the communication from the horse to handler is on a non-verbal level. We are very good at picking up a lot of what they tell us, but very often it is misconstrued as stubbornness, laziness or excitability.     Reiki is not a faith healing. In fact it is better just to have an open mind. Fortunately, horses are not burdened with a belief system and therefore do not block treatment with an ego. They make ideal subjects and very readily tune into the intent of the practitioner.     As with all complimentary therapies, Reiki is not intended to replace veterinary assistance/treatment. If you are in anyway unsure, consult your veterinary surgeon before undergoing the treatment.   Jenny Sutton BSc (Hons), Cert. E.C.B.S.    

Text Box: 1.      1. The first ancestor of today’s, horse was the size of a dog. 2.      2. The average body temperature of a horse is 37.5c 3.      3. It takes up to 12months for a horse to grow a hoof. 4.      4. A horse cannot vomit. 5.       5. Horses teeth erupt continuously throughout their life 6.       6. Horses eat, on average, 3% of their bodyweight per day. 7.       7. There are approximately 750 million horses in the world. 8.       8. The oldest recorded horse was a barge horse in the south of England who lived until 62 years of age. 9.      9. There are roughly 300 different    breeds of horse/pony world wide,               whilst there are approximately only 33 breeds of cat in the world. 10. Most foals are born at night, which in a natural environment, is when               a herd is unlikely to be on the move.  

Text Box: EQUINE FACTS