Acupressure and Moxa Warm and Strengthen Your Horse

Happy New Year! I wish you and your families the very best during 2011. This newsletter shows you how to use the Chinese herb moxa and acupressure to warm your horse, strengthen his hindquarters and relax him (or her). I’m also sharing a short case history from one of my students and lots of farm news. My almost 32-year-old gelding Timothy is having a great winter. During turnout, Timothy acts like he's off to the races and flirts shamelessly with a new mare friend. Drop me an e-mail and let me know how you are doing. Best wishes always,
Diana

In this Issue:

Farm News:

Moxa Activates Qi, Dispels Cold, Relaxes Tight Muscles

Moxa is one of my favorite equine body work methods. It costs pennies per session, is easy to use and the horses love it. The results are often miraculous. Moxa is a mixture of Chinese herbs that’s formed into a cigar-like stick or other smaller shapes. The burning coal of the herb held over the body creates a deep heating effect. This increases the circulation of blood and other fluids. Moxa moves what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) calls stagnant qi and stagnant blood, which are considered to be the root cause of tight muscles, joint pain and other musculoskeletal problems. I use moxa on horses to:Moxa over GV4

Read Entire Moxa Article


Governing Vessel 4 Strengthens the Low Back, Dispels Cold
Find The Point and Start Using it Today !

Acupressure cupping on GV4The Chinese name of Governing Vessel 4 (GV 4) is the ming men or gate of life. This point is one of the 10 most important acupressure points to use on your horse. Chinese medicine practitioner Sean Fannin summarizes the use of Governing Vessel 4: "All in all, this is one of the most important points for strengthening the body in any weakness and any deficiency."

You can use either acupressure or moxa on Governing Vessel 4. The point is located on the horse’s back, directly on the topline of the body (the dorsal midline). With the information in this article you can find this point and start helping your horse today! Here are the point pages for Governing Vessel 4 from my book Acupressure Point Charts for Horses. The photos, charts and text show the point’s location and give you finding tips.
Read more about how to use Governing Vessel 4 and see more photos

2011 Schedule Includes:
February 26-28 Bach Flower Class in Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I will be in Calgary in late February to teach the class: Bach Flower Essence for Horses and Dogs. This class is called EQ 1700 in the Equinology class system. The three-day course is sponsored by Lyndsey Deutsch of Hoof and Paw Body Workers Ltd., home of Equinology and Caninology Canada. Lyndsey’s phone number is (403) 556-0716, e-mail is info@hoofnpaws.ca website: www.hoofnpaws.ca

I will be teaching students how to apply the Bach flower essences to horses and dogs to help them with behavioral and training problems. Acupressure points that address the Heart and spirit and emotional issues will be discussed and practiced.

Here is the Bach Flower Class outline.
Here is the 2011 Schedule of Classes.

I hope to be returning to Calgary in mid-March to teach the Acupressure Level One Course

Richard NewtonStudent Case History:
Twenty Minutes of Acupressure Helps Freckles Shift Emotionally and Physically

Richard Newton is a professional equine body worker from Atherton, California, who uses massage, Reiki, Tellington Touch (TTouch) to help horses and their riders. I met Richard when he attended my 3-day Bach flower class several years ago and we’ve stayed in touch. In August of 2010, Richard attended the first two days of the six-day Acupressure Level One course. Following the first weekend of class, Richard e-mailed me with this experience which illustrates the profound power of acupressure.
Read Entire Article

Speak Up! Tell the AVMA You Want the Freedom to Choose an Acupressure or Massage Practitioner for Your Animals

Horse owners have until February 14, 2011, to comment on proposed changes to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Model Veterinary Practice Act (MVPA). The official comment period is open to the public so you can make a difference. If you click on to the link: www.avma.org/issues/policy/mvpa.asp you can read the proposed language and make comments. The wording about complementary and alternative therapies is found in Section 2- 7 and Section 2-19, followed by wording under the heading Commentary to Section 2.  

One of the proposed changes includes the “use of complementary, alternative and integrative therapies” under the definition of the Practice of Veterinary Medicine. This language, if adopted by individual states as law, legally excludes non-veterinarians from applying massage and acupressure to horses, dogs and other animals. Animal owners would no longer have the freedom to choose a well-trained practitioner to apply massage or acupressure to their animal unless that person is a licensed veterinarian.

Considering the fact that there are very few veterinarians that have taken the time to educate themselves in these methods, I find this proposed change quite disturbing.
Read More From Diana About This Issue

EEAP: Equinology INC® Equine Acupressure Practitioner Certification

For those of you interested in professional level certification, I have partnered with Equinology INC® to be part of their equine body worker certification program. Equinology INC® is a world-wide provider of professional level equine and canine courses and professional certifications. You can learn more about the company at their website: www.equinology.com

Read a statement from Debranne Patillo, President and Founder of Equinology regarding the acupressure certification requirements.

Martin the Wild Cat Passes On

Martin and DianaI am sad to say that the black-and-white wild cat Martin who lived in the fields surrounding our farm died this past summer from a brief illness. When he first appeared in 2002, Martin was a starving young tom cat. Bob and I trapped him, had him neutered and turned him loose. I fed him every day, at first out in the fields and then, as he began to trust me, up in one of the barns near our house.

After six years of holding his distance, Martin finally decided to come closer and closer to me. One day he was brave enough to brush up against my leg. That started a new phase of our relationship and over time, he let me pet him and even hopped up into my lap for wonderful petting and snuggling. At dinner time, he would come bounding across the fields to get his food and petting. 

From time to time, Martin came down to the barn while I was teaching. He usually stayed a safe distance away from the activity but one day when I was talking with a student outside of the classroom, Martin came over and brushed up against my leg for some petting. The student remarked that she had never been emotionally close to a cat and didn’t seem to be able to connect with them. Martin stopped in his tracks, looked up at me and marched right over to her. He brushed up against her leg several times. It was a remarkable gift, the only time Martin ever approached another person and touched them. What a precious being he was. He had a heart-shaped black marking on his nose.
Go here to see photos of Martin.

 

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