“Float like a butterfly, sting
like a bee.” – Muhammad Ali
Big,
beautiful Sadie…5 years old and growing, in every possible way. Her owner and
trainer Katie deserves a gold star for patience, bravery, honesty, and grit.
Who knew that being a public school teacher (and mother of young children)
would lend itself so well to equestrian life?! HA!
I’ll
say this right from the start: Sadie is adorable and talented, but she’s not
easy. She’s huge, athletic, and opinionated…traits that in combination can
either mystify or exhaust a person…or both! She is learning the ropes in the
dressage arena, where she scores very well in-hand and commands attention due
to her natural beauty and movement. Her personality is inquisitive and dynamic and
sometimes downright hilarious. There are times when she seeks what most
5-year-old horses do: proximity, play, recognition, and reassurance.
And
then...then here are times when she becomes a velociraptor. We’ve all known horses
like this, and we’ve all known people like this, too! We love them despite
their unpredictability. Even if we can’t temper their behavior, we can manage
the way we respond to it. And let’s face it…we’ve all been *that* person more
than a few times in our own lives, too! The only path through these
overwhelming situations is lit by an empathetic heart.
That’s
just what Katie has, and Sadie is a lucky gal for that. Instead of merely
trying to “train it out”, Katie has systematically enlisted the help of several
professionals, to try to uncover reasons for Sadie’s intermittent difficulties.
One
thing we can say for Sadie is that she is a great communicator! It was clear in
her bodywork sessions that she had discomfort at the lower back, loin, and
flank area, particularly on the left side of her body. There are many
structures in this part of the body that can cause the type of reactivity she
demonstrated. Teasing them apart can require intuitive reasoning and, often,
collaboration.
As
it turned out, Sadie’s left ovary was ultrasounded and found to be
significantly larger than the right, with multiple follicles. Most of us ladies
know first-hand what ovarian pain feels like (girl’s got CRAMPS!). Now imagine feeling
that way while wearing tack and carrying a rider (translation: skinny jeans on
Thanksgiving and a backpack full of shotputs). Butterflies and rainbows?
Probably not.
For
information on ovaries in mares, click here.
And,
for information on how the ovaries and hormones can affect behavior, click
here.
There
are many ways to address estrous idiosyncrasies, pain at and around the
reproductive organs, and resulting emotional disturbances. From a bodywork
perspective, here are two things to try:
1. Simply
rest your hands gently at the loin area (orange circle below), on both sides of your horse’s body.
Allow plenty of time here, and wait for signs of release: lowering of the head,
blinking, licking/chewing, yawning/sighing, changes in temperature, etc.
Aside from the physical proximity
to the internal reproductive organs (ovaries in mares), this is the location of
the 2nd, or “sacral” chakra, which energetically governs sexuality
and emotionality.
2. Find
the Liver 3 acupressure point on your horse’s hind leg (see below). Be careful as you touch
here, as mares in-season and geldings post-castration can be very sensitive in
this spot! Either rest your hands here, gently massage, or apply gentle, direct
pressure to the point. As above, wait for signs of release.
Liver
3 is associated with urogenital issues, moodiness, fertility, and estrous
regulation.
Some
other considerations:
-“Mare
Magic”, (or alternatively, generic dried raspberry leaf) can help with physical
and emotional discomfort related to the reproductive organs of both mares and
geldings.
-Chasteberry
(or Chaste tree berry) extract can help regulate estrus and therefore decrease
likelihood of follicles and excessive ovarian swelling by acting on the
pituitary gland.
-Regumate
(altronegest) is a prescription, progesterone-like compound that in high enough
doses suppresses estrus in mares and can prevent unwanted symptoms.
For
now, Sadie is finding some relief and working hard on the things she *can*
control. We are all patiently awaiting (and willing!) her evolution into an
even more perfect version of her already perfect self. So much ahead for this
beautiful girl and her Katie!
