Querida is suffering a bit with laminitis this spring, so on 6th June, while she was resting in the shelter I did a little bit of aromatherapy with her. I felt that she may want some Arnica to relieve inflammation pain, and also compensatory pain from lifting her feet to relieve them. I thought I would also offer some Neroli to help let go of emotions that may still be associated with the laminitis. As you are probably aware I am exploring releasing anxieties and emotions associated with, or causing, physical pain, and oils can help this if offered at rest, in the present moment.
I started with the Arnica and you can see straight away that she wanted this desperately. She licked some first and then asked me to put some on her legs. (When they lick an oil they need they often do it with the back of the tongue). After that she released a lot through yawning. I then just stood with the bottle open so she could inhale what she wanted for a while. You can see her come back for a stronger inhalation now and again. You see her eye is relaxed and her jaw. Sometimes her nostrils will flare to take in the aroma.
Once I sensed she had had enough I closed that bottle and opened the Neroli. You can see straight away the difference in her eye. It is like she goes off far away for a while. Her eye widens and her head and jaw tense up. It is only for a few seconds but it bought something up. She comes back and fidgets a bit, putting her nose to the ground a few times, and after a while she starts licking and chewing which is releasing whatever emotion is there, and then she relaxes.
Oils for symptoms are a lot easier to deal with, and animals are extremely intelligent and know that is what they are for. They will tell you where they want them applied, if you listen and follow your instincts (which is the horses energy communicating with your subconscious).
Emotional oils can bring up interesting results. Querida embraced the oil and the release of the emotion, whatever that may be (I don’t need to know). Sometimes it is too much and the horse will walk away. This could be because they are not ready to address that emotion, or they only need a tiny bit to bring that emotion to the surface. It doesn’t matter. If the horses walks away, he has made his selection. In this case I would suggest just being present with the horse a few times first (starting on a new day, not immediately after he walks away). Focus on being still and then after about 30 seconds or so (once your horse is also present and still) regard him or her and have a picture in your thoughts of them walking away from the oil. Add a question mark to the image, and see what comes to you. No answer is wrong, even nothing is not wrong. Sometimes nothing is all there is at the moment.
Also, of course, your horse may just not need what you are offering. It takes practice to work with oils and I am always learning and being surprised by what happens. I only have three rules:
- Make sure me and my horse are calm, connected, and focussed.
- Don’t stuff the oil bottle up the horses nose (and I don’t suggest doing this work in a stable unless you are fully attuned to how your horse says ‘No’). Flooding the horse is not helpful.
- The horse can walk away at any time.
Recommended reading : “How Animals Heal Themselves” by Caroline Ingraham