Essential Oils for Horses: A Source Book for Owners and Practitioners
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By: Carole Faith
Format: Hardcover
From: J.A.Allen & Co Ltd
Pub. Date: July 2002
Product Details:
Catalog: Book
Release Date: 2002-08-30
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Pages: 192
Ean: 9780851318462
Isbn: 0851318460
ABOUT THE BOOK
This comprehensive guide is designed to help those who wish to know how to use essential oils on their horses and covers everything from profiles of the oils themselves, what utensils to use and the conditions that can be treated. Essential oils are used to treat sweet itch and other skin problems, mud fever, strained muscles and tendons, respiratory ailments, digestive and emotional problems, to ward off flies and much, much more. The guide also shows massage sequences that are easy to understand and can be undertaken by the most novice horse owner, as well as providing essential oil chemistry profiling and giving details of where you can purchase everything you would need. In an age when the world at large is looking for less invasive, gentler routes to health and well-being for their animals, especially horses, this guide is an illuminating, thought-provoking work that should be part of every stable yard and equine home.
"This book is excellent. Not only does it cover a good 30 essential oils in detail (how the oil is produced, what it can be used to treat, how much to buy etc), but it also gives a very good history of essential oils. Chapters cover everything from safety issues when using oils, to blends that can be used for many different ailments. If you want to learn more about using aromatherapy on horses, this book should be your first purchase. Its not just for beginners though, I've been using oils for over 5 years and find this book invaluable. This is the holy grail of books for this subject."
~ Written on 2003-03-04
"The horse world seems currently awash with complementary therapies, to the extent that the open-minded horse-owner, far from being enlightened, may end up completely confused by all the different methods and therapies available. One might be forgiven for wondering what the difference is between essential oil therapy and aromatherapy. To her credit, Carole Faith explains that it is really a personal matter: she feels that the term aromatherapy conjures up images that have nothing to do with horses. That explained, Carole studied aromatherapy with one of Britain's foremost practitioners, and this book is evidence of her depth of study and her commitment to the principles of essential oil therapy.
Some people might feel that all this is yet another 'New Age' fad, but this is far from being the case. Essential oils have been used form ancient times, and as well as explaining just what an essential oil is, Carole Faith gives us a fascinating potted history of their uses. Essential oils can be used either on their own, or alongside many other complementary therapies such as sports massage, shiatsu, pressure point therapy, acupuncture etc. The author stresses, however, that they are not miracle cures and do not suit every horse -a refreshing change from some authors who seem to regard their particular type of therapy as a panacea for all ills.
Having used essential oils with my own horses, I can testify to their value in helping horses to deal with stressful situations. Lavender (clinically proven to have sedative, calming effects) in particular has proved extremely useful in this respect, and as an asthma-sufferer I also have personal experience of its efficacy in helping to alleviate some of the symptoms - although it should of course be used to complement, not replace, conventional asthma relievers. It has also helped one of my horses who suffers from recurring (acute, not chronic) respiratory problems.
As well as discussing the emotive effect of smells, and the therapeutic uses of 30 essential oils, Carole Faith describes what each oil is, how to store it and how to use it and - extremely importantly - gives comprehensive safety guidelines for handling and using oils. Used correctly they can be perfectly safe, but some of them, if handled and administered incorrectly, can have harmful side effects. Carole Faith also advises when not to use certain oils - a vital piece of information too often lacking in books and magazine articles. She also devotes a chapter to the organic chemistry of oils; don't be tempted to skip this part, as it really is interesting and informative!
A chapter that will be of particular use to practitioners and horse-owners alike describes the uses of essential oils with different types of horse - again, a refreshing change form those writers who seem to assume that all horses will react in the same ways. Further chapters discuss the blending of essential oils, equipment and its uses, and different types of massage that can be combined with essential oil therapy.
This is a fascinating and very readable book, which is interesting in its own right, as well as providing horse owners with a valuable guide to a therapy which is not only effective but extremely pleasurable for horse and human alike.
- Lesley Skipper"
~ Written on 2002-12-19