The Art and Science of Equine Shiatsu E-Book

Liz Eddy

• Herausgeber: J A Allen
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 263

Beschreibung

A comprehensive, practice guide to Equine Shiatsu, from nose to tail. Equine Shiatsu is a gentle but deeply effective therapy that works with the horse to promote both physical and mental relaxation, which in turn allows the body to heal itself. Based on the concepts of Traditional Oriental Medicine, this book outlines techniques that can be tailored to each individual horse, allowing you to work on your horse or better understand the work of a practitioner. This book includes a thorough explanation of the sophisticated theories behind Equine Shiatsu, Comprehensive guidance to a full body Shiatsu, including simple step-by-step instructions for each technique, How to deal with each horse as an individual, considering different horse behaviours and Examples of tricks of the trade and what to do when things do not go quite to plan.

Leseprobe

First published in 2023 byJ.A. Allen LtdRamsbury, MarlboroughWiltshire SN8 2HRJ.A. Allen is an imprint of The Crowood Press

[email protected]

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2023

© Elizabeth Eddy 2023

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7198 3506 3

Cover design by Sergey Tsvetkov

Contents

Preface

Part 1: The Theory: The Science of Equine Shiatsu

1 An Introduction to Equine Shiatsu

2 How Shiatsu Works – Art or Science?

3 The Building Blocks of Equine Shiatsu

4 Recognising Imbalance in the Horse

Part 2: The Practice: The Art of Equine Shiatsu

5 The Cornerstones of Oriental Diagnosis

6 The First Steps

7 Loosening the Hindquarters

8 Opening the Shoulders and Ribcage

9 Leg Rotations and Stretches

10 Relaxing the Neck, Head and Tail

11 The Final Touches

Bibliography

Index

Preface

Equine Shiatsu is a wonderful therapy, which unfortunately lacks the recognition it truly deserves. It is my hope that this book will help to change some of that. I fell into Equine Shiatsu by chance after being given Pamela Hannay’s book Touching Horses, and became one of the first group of Pamela’s students to graduate in the UK. It was never my intention to make a career out of Equine Shiatsu but to help other horses in the way I had managed to help my own. From there, people asked how they could learn and so began The Scottish School of Equine Shiatsu. It began as a simple introductory weekend, which is now the basis for this book, although much has changed and evolved over the last twenty years.

Having learned some of the basics, I was then asked for more and from that grew a course to professional level. This then spread from Scotland to France, Belgium, Italy and Finland and many of the Equine Shiatsu schools in those countries, are founded by former students. While teaching took up a great deal of my time, I have never stopped practicing. That is what really inspires me and even after twenty-six years since it all first began, it still amazes me and watching the change in the horses, seeing them develop a better relationship with their rider, can be quite magical. Many of the horses that I work with today, look better and move better than they did over ten years ago. Some of them, I have worked on as competition horses and now as elderly ones. On occasion, there may have been too great an interval between sessions and they feel like they have become completely stuck, but because they have received regular Shiatsu, their bodies know how they should be, and after a few minutes, they can be transformed.

This book shows you how to give a basic Shiatsu from nose to tail for relaxation. It is just the start of your Equine Shiatsu journey but even complete beginners can have amazing results using the techniques in this book. But because we are dealing with an animal with a brain, and an opinion, of its own, I have tried to include suggestions to help when things are not going according to plan. Please always remember that each horse is an individual and so if things are not going to plan, change the way you are working. The horse is always completely honest and so if it’s not working, you need to change. This can be on an emotional level or a physical one, and this book will explain how to do this too which can really improve your relationship with your horse.

However, the most important thing to remember is to smile, breathe and enjoy.

PART ONE

The Theory: The Science of Equine Shiatsu

CHAPTER 1

An Introduction to Equine Shiatsu

A Brief History of Equine Shiatsu

The principal pioneer of establishing Shiatsu with horses was Pamela Hannay from the USA, although the majority of her students came from the UK. She first came to the UK to teach in the mid 1990s, up until her untimely death in 2001. Pamela was the principal teacher of Shiatsu at the Ohashi Institute in New York and transferred her knowledge and skills to develop a therapy based on the techniques used in her human teaching.

Shi-atsu literally means ‘finger pressure’ but palms, fingers and elbows can all be used along with massage techniques and stretching. However, it is the form of Shiatsu used that allows it to work so well with horses. To explain this, we must go back to the beginning of Shiatsu as a therapy. While the origins of Shiatsu are thousands of years old, being an amalgamation of several types of pressure-point therapy and massage brought together and called Anma, Shiatsu was only formally recognised by the Japanese government in the 1950s. This was primarily the result of work done by Tokujiro Namikoshi. Namikoshi Shiatsu does not use the energetic channels and is much more physical and dynamic, working on areas of pain and neuromuscular points. His method requires sound knowledge of the musculoskeletal system, the nervous system and the endocrine system and therefore is more Western than oriental in its approach.

The use of the more traditional oriental framework was introduced by Shizuto Masunaga, who pioneered a more subtle and integrated form of Shiatsu, known also as Zen Shiatsu, where the giver and receiver converse through touch. This more supportive and gentler form of Shiatsu is what Pamela Hannay practised and brought to the equine world, although Ohashiatsu, as taught at the Ohashi Institute, uses methods from both Masunaga and Namikoshi. As such, every horse is an individual and every session will be different, depending on what the horse is happy to accept. Equine Shiatsu is considered to be a conversation with the horse; in essence it is something that is done with the horse, not to the horse and that is what makes it special, and what makes it work.

Zen Shiatsu

The general fundamentals of Zen Shiatsu apply to both equine and human practice but there are also differences due to the fact that we are dealing with a large animal. There are also other essential qualities, which are common to many different forms of oriental bodywork, that we can consider first.

Intent

A desire to help and support that is genuine allows the giver to free their own mind and thus be open to what is happening with the horse. It is often said that horses are mirrors and so if you are not truly engaged in the process then the horse will not be either. Indeed, being sincere in your wish to help can go a long way to make up for any technical inconsistencies in the beginner.

Working with the horse to attain the best pace of work and amount of pressure.

Breathing

The ability to breathe correctly enables so many more of the things that lead to a successful Shiatsu to take place. It means that you can relax, stay centred and it calms the mind, allowing you to stay in the moment and therefore feel more. The breath needs to be deep and steady, not shallow and disjointed. This is particularly important to remember if the horse becomes worried or upset about what you are doing, or what he thinks you might be about to do, because often at these moments we unconsciously stop breathing. As a mirror, your horse picks up on this and becomes even more stressed. Breathing out well is just as important, if not more so, as being able to breathe down into the abdomen. The feeling of filling the abdomen (or Hara, as it is known) gives a feeling of being strong and grounded while breathing out allows a feeling of release and letting go, which in turn aids relaxation.

Being in Hara

In oriental culture, Hara is seen as more than just the abdomen but has a spiritual aspect and indeed is regarded as the source of wisdom. It not only gives increased stamina and energy but also the ability to feel and to transmit Ki (energy/life force). To develop your Hara, the simplest ways are to practise breathing exercises and meditation. Western society promotes and praises the ‘washboard’ look and so, to hide the not-so-flat belly, many people change their posture, which in turn restricts their breathing and creates an environment where the upper body does most of the work. Bringing consciousness to the lower abdomen, allowing it to relax so that you can breathe correctly, helps the body to become one, move more freely and allow that feeling of power to fill the whole body, so that you can truly move from Hara.

Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Yoga, as well as many martial arts, are all methods which use the principles of moving from Hara and will also help develop Hara. Being in Hara creates a relaxation and calmness, which not only allows you to be more receptive to what you feel, but also makes working with the horse less tiring, as it is less physical because movement is not through muscular strength, but by moving from Hara.

Moving from Hara

Being able to move from Hara is key to allowing yourself to feel what is happening under your hands and to direct the appropriate amount of pressure at each moment. It comes from whole body movement, with lack of tension in the body. A more detailed description of how to achieve this can be found in Chapter 6, in the practical section of this book.

Two-Handed Connection

In Zen Shiatsu, there are always two hands on the body. One is quiet and still, known as mother hand, as it has a supporting role. The other hand is the working hand, which asks the questions of the body. Each time that you move this hand, you are saying to the horse, ‘How do you feel about this?’ Sometimes you will get a reply in the form of ears back, tail swish or alternatively sighing, chewing, eyes closing but the body itself will also respond to you. Do you sink in? Are you pushed way? Is it hot or cold? Learning to put these two together will take you a long way to developing the conversation with the horse that is Equine Shiatsu.

Both hands need to be somewhere energetically significant, in this case on the same channel.

Simple Breathing Exercise

This can be done sitting or standing but the most important things are to be comfortable and be able to breathe. Place your hands lightly over your abdomen, just below your navel, and breathe normally. Do not try to change or force the breath but just allow it to happen. As you breathe in, bring your consciousness to your abdomen so that you can feel it expand as the air fills your lungs, and then feel it deflate as you breathe out. This is sometimes known as belly breathing. In reality, your lungs, when full, move against your diaphragm, causing the expansion of the abdomen. Do this for a few moments until it feels comfortable. Next imagine that you have a little ball of light, or a flame, in the middle of your abdomen and that every time you breathe inwards the light gets brighter and hotter so that the breath that you expel, which we can also call Ki, is brighter and more powerful.

Perpendicular and Stationary Pressure

To be effective in your work, the pressure must be at 90 degrees to the body. This allows you to sink directly into the energy channel, which makes for a deeper connection with Ki. Horses are very energetically aware and will often shift a little to get you in the correct place. Alternatively, they may become restless and move if you have deviated from where you should be.

Working with both hands, showing the correct angle of pressure.

Care needs to be taken when considering the angle of pressure, as different stances, and different shapes of horse, can alter the angle at which you need to be. Consider the difference between a horse with a flat tabletop back to one with high withers and a prominent spine.

Shiatsu is one of the few therapies where the pressure is completely stationary. This can sometimes make it look as if nothing is happening but those long moments where you just wait and hold are often the most powerful. Be guided by your horse – he knows something is happening! If an area lacks enough Ki then you might find yourself sinking into a big hole; alternatively it may feel as if everything is stuck and you can’t get in, and this might be where you need to use more ‘moving’ techniques such as massaging, percussion, rotations and stretches, such as are shown in the second half of this book.

Working the Whole Channel

In Zen Shiatsu, the whole channel is worked to re-establish balance along its length. In human Shiatsu, it is common to work a channel two or three times but given the greater size of a horse, generally channels are worked only once by palm and once by fingers or thumb. However, there is no reason why you cannot work a portion of a channel more than once to ensure that there is balance. It is often talked about there being empty channels and full ones but the reality in Equine Shiatsu is that most channels that are out of balance have full areas and empty ones within their length.

Masunaga also developed an extended pathway of the channels so that those found in the arm (front leg) had a portion found in the leg (hind leg) and vice versa. However, working the primary channels in a horse usually takes as much time as the horse is willing to tolerate, and so knowledge of Masunaga’s extensions on the horse are useful as a diagnostic tool, but are not so commonly worked.

A Horse Is Not a Human

When receiving Shiatsu, people will often become very relaxed and happy for the session to go on and on, but this is not the case with horses. If you go on too long, they get bored and it is possible to undo the good you may have done. It is preferable to do less and leave them wanting more than to do too much. A session should last about forty-five minutes give or take but more than an hour is usually too much.

The Difference between Acupuncture, Acupressure and Shiatsu

Around the same time as Pamela Hannay was developing her Equine Shiatsu, Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis of the Tallgrass Institute were working on acupressure for horses. Acupressure and acupuncture both use traditional oriental theory at their base, but the aim and intention are different from Shiatsu. It also needs to be noted that there are different forms of acupuncture – Western and Eastern – but both can only be carried out on horses by a vet. The laws on this may be different in different countries but generally this is the case. The principles for acupuncture and acupressure are similar. Acupressure is useful for working on horses that are needle shy and also it does not need to be performed by a vet.

As one might expect, Eastern acupuncture uses the same oriental framework as Shiatsu but Western acupuncture does not. Rather, Western acupuncture makes a Western diagnosis and places the needles at or near that point. They may talk about the channels, often called meridians, but they have no real knowledge or understanding of them. It is possible to find vets that are qualified in the Eastern form but there are fewer of them. It is worth noting that many countries in the Far East have their own forms of acupuncture but here we will consider Chinese acupuncture as it is the most well known.

Table 1.1 Some differences between acupuncture/acupressure and Shiatsu.

Allowing the Body to Heal Itself

Behind many forms of complementary therapies is the idea that the giver is not doing the healing but allowing the receiver to heal themselves. In some forms of healing, the actual receiver is referred to as the healer because they are being helped to heal themselves. The question is, how does the body know how it should be?

There are two concepts to consider when looking at this. First, from the more simple and traditional side, the power of touch to comfort and restore is an instinctive thing to do, whether to hold a painful area or to give it a rub. If giving someone a hug when they feel low makes them feel better, then this shows how physical contact has the power to restore mental well-being as well as physical. Shiatsu is deeply relaxing although in the equine world some horses will fight showing this until they are alone as they do not want to show what might be construed as weakness. This usually occurs with mentally strong or dominant horses who have held pain for a long time. They have found their own way of dealing with it and to let go is hard. It is sad to say, but for some horses pain is normal. However, it is also said that only a relaxed body can heal itself. Using physical pressure and specific stretches to release tension and allow the body to let go both physically and mentally encourages the flow of Ki. When Ki flows well, the body is healthy and so aiding the free flow of Ki allows the body to be restored or simply maintained.

This simple version of things is how things have been explained for years but more is now understood about how the body works and what this really means in medical terminology. This will be covered in more detail in Chapter 2, but the second concept we should consider is that we can also say that Shiatsu turns on the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system is the fight or flight mechanism that controls the body’s response to stress or danger. Hormones are released rapidly to increase heart rate, quicken the breathing and send extra blood to the muscles. It is involuntary and should be the body’s quick energy boost to deal with stress. When the stress is gone, then the parasympathetic system should kick in and allow the heart and breathing rates to return to normal and the muscles to relax. It is sometimes known as the ‘breed and feed’ mechanism. However, sometimes through physical pain or discomfort, and sometimes through mental stress, people and horses find this difficult to do. Horses often have no choice about their job of work, their amount of rest or their diet, and if these are not correct, then there will be a build-up of stress. On top of this, owners may be aware when their horse has been injured or ill, but over time many animals, not just horses, suffer from repeated minor traumas. None of these things on their own are cause for concern, but added together they make things difficult and the end result is a stressed horse. Equine Shiatsu is particularly good at unwrapping the layers to allow a calm and comfortable horse to feel good about themselves.

Each Horses is an Individual

The Importance of ‘It Depends’

While two horses may present with the same symptoms, that is no guarantee that the channels chosen, or indeed even the techniques used, will be the same. There may be some common ground because of the symptoms but the underlying cause will almost certainly be different; even if it is not then how each particular horse deals with their problem can vary. This is why the techniques used will vary from horse to horse. This is where Equine Shiatsu is an art for healing. Whether you are reading the horse’s body language, feeling the Ki move under your hands or simply using your intuition to guide you, there are no rules or recipes in this part of the process.

Since this book covers basic techniques rather than specific channel work (apart from the Bladder channel), we can look at an example of two horses with neck pain. In both cases this shows up as an inability to stretch forward and bend correctly to both sides.

The first horse, Jack, has an old injury to his off-hind and so now does not use himself correctly. He is sound but in an effort to relieve the original pain he learned to subtly save the sore leg. He is now sound but nothing has told him that and this movement has become his default position. This creates a slight twist in the body, from one hind leg to the opposite front and up the neck, so the body zigzags in an effort to go straight until it gets to the head and it cannot go any further. As the neck issues are the final problem, rather than the initial one, it is necessary to balance the hindquarters, and release the shoulders, which will allow the back to stretch and aid the relaxation of the neck. Often in these situations a chiropractor or osteopath will work on atlas/axis or other cervical vertebrae but if the original area is not addressed the problem will return. In fact, Shiatsu works well with both these therapies as it can relax the muscles, tendons and ligaments, allowing any misalignments to be sorted out easily. However, it can also be the case that with good soft-tissue work and gentle stretches, the bony structures will realign themselves.

It is thought that the other horse, Daisy, had fallen over backwards and her behaviour became dangerous through pain. Her neck is very sensitive but so is her back and her pelvis on one side. She is also very suspicious and reactive, as she expects everything to hurt. In the first session, she needed lots of gentle holding and jiggling to try to establish trust and to help her let go. She was particularly worried about stretching anything. Small passive movement helps to unwind and also is not painful until Daisy is ready to let go. In the second session, Daisy has worked out that this Shiatsu is good, and is leaning in where she needs more pressure, stretching through her whole length. The greatest tension was initially held in the right-hand side of her pelvis and the right-hand-side upper cervical vertebrae but this time she knew what she wanted and needed. So sometimes when you believe that change will take a great deal of time, it does not. Every horse is an individual and behaves differently and therefore so must you. The ability to adapt to the needs of each horse, and to each part of the horse, is the art of good Equine Shiatsu.

Take Two Horses with Stomach Ulcers

Case Study 1

Milo is totally stressed, and permanently stabled, as he cannot cope with being outside. He has access to hay throughout day and night, is very sweet-natured to handle in the stable but his behaviour while ridden is getting to the point of dangerous sometimes and his owner is afraid. When he gets upset he then colics and this happens on a regular basis. The vet diagnosed stomach ulcers and he was treated appropriately. Everything would be fine for a while and then his behaviour would deteriorate once more.

With Shiatsu, the channels found to be most out of balance were Bladder, Stomach and Small Intestine. This certainly sounds very much digestive-system oriented but it was also found that Milo used one front leg differently from the other. One was quite loose to rotate and the other was locked solid. The Small Intestine channel runs over the neck, shoulder and down the front leg. Milo was also tight through this side of his back and was reluctant to use his abdominal muscles. It is true that a horse with ulcers will be reluctant to use his abdominals and stretch the back but so will a horse who does not move easily through all four legs.

It transpired that several years before, Milo had been involved in an accident that hurt his shoulder and this was not completely resolved. When his work level got to a certain point, he could therefore not physically cope and his behaviour became violent, and then he colicked. In Shiatsu terms, we can explain that if he had been seen with Shiatsu after his accident then he would probably have presented with the same channels, but because things had been left for a long time, the imbalances in these channels had become so intense that the organs with which they were associated showed problems. If the original issue could be resolved, however, then so would the newer ones.

Case Study 2

Patch is a companion pony who has lived in the same herd for three years without incident. She is not ridden, is out at grass every day and is in a big communal barn with access to forage all night. She can occasionally be quite defensive with her near hind leg and can often be seen resting it. Out of the blue, she suffered four colics, with the time in between becoming shorter and her response to veterinary intervention becoming slower to resolve the situation. After the last colic, the owner suggested ulcers but the vets could not see that she would be a candidate for them. However, scoping showed pyloric ulcers and she was treated appropriately.

With Shiatsu, the channels found to be most out of balance were Bladder, Stomach and Liver. She also showed an imbalance in the Lung channel. Patch is now back with the herd and her routine is exactly as it was before the colics started and no supplements, or anything to aid digestion, are needed.

This then is a more difficult situation to understand. We can offer up several hypotheses based on what we know and what was worked, but at the end of the day, they are just suggestions. However, if everything is resolved then that is all that matters. A possible explanation might be as follows: given her behaviour with her near hind, it might be reasonable to assume that there is some weakness and possible pain or discomfort in it. Among other things, the Liver channel is associated with tendons and ligaments. Patch has never shown any sign of lameness, or even being slightly unlevel, and is quite happy to gallop across the field to come in at night. However, there is a difference between one hind leg and the other. Since the Lung channel is associated with letting things go, it might be that there were some issues happening within the herd and, if she was feeling a weakness in the leg, these caused enough stress to cause colic and, subsequently, ulcers. It is something that we will probably never know, but it is said in Chinese medicine that the state of mind affects the state of body, and vice versa.

CHAPTER 2

How Shiatsu Works – Art or Science?

We have already mentioned how the intuitive and creative side is at the heart of good Shiatsu and the importance of the quality of touch in the giver. Various tools to help you improve this side of things will be discussed in later chapters.

But Shiatsu has a logical side that describes why what is happening is occurring, which helps to explain what is going on, why the horse behaves in a certain way and what might be the cause. In Chapter 3 we look at the Traditional Oriental Medicine side of this but as our understanding of how the body works increases, so much of this can be ‘translated’ into modern application.

The Art of Equine Shiatsu

The art of Equine Shiatsu is not unlike the art of riding. It concerns not only a technical ability to do what needs to be done but also a sensitivity to know when to insist a little more and when to back off. Is it that the horse will not do something or cannot do it? If it is the latter then more work must be done to enable the horse to do what is being asked of it. However, if it is the former then we need to ask, why does he not want to do it. Does he simply not understand? Is he worried that it might hurt? Does he have confidence in your ability to support him? The bottom line is that we must always question ourselves first and not the horse. Equine Shiatsu will inspire trust between horse and human that will follow through into all areas of the horse’s life.

Quality of touch is key to Equine Shiatsu and being humble enough to accept that your horse knows his own body is a big part of making this work. Learning to let him take part in the conversation that is Shiatsu will benefit both giver and receiver. It can be the simplest of things that makes the difference. For instance, if you are working and the horse moves away, do not say ‘stand still’ but rather ask yourself, why is he moving away? If he is worried or concerned about an area where you are working, your touch may be too strong or too fast, so just slow down or even stop until he stops moving and start again. It is preferable, if possible, to keep at least one hand on the horse to maintain contact, but sometimes this is not achievable.

From Fear to Zen

Deedee is a very sweet horse who had been abused and is the victim of some kind of bad accident, the truth of which is not really known. She now has a loving home but her owner was concerned that there were some issues that were still unresolved on a physical level, as well as having a general fear of everyone, except her owner.

During her first session she was very suspicious and jumped almost every time a hand was moved. She did enjoy the head work and relaxed nicely into that, but her stretches were not particularly enthusiastic and she was worried about standing on three legs. It also felt as if she was holding her breath all the time. Fast-forward to the second session a month later and she was a completely transformed horse in terms of attitude. She engaged directly, leaned in where she needed more pressure, gave good stretches and completely let go. This meant that it was possible to identify the areas of greatest concern and also to address these much more specifically.

Of course, not all horses respond quite so dramatically so quickly but at the same time it is not unusual, and that is the magic of this therapy.

The Science of Equine Shiatsu

From Traditional Oriental Medicine to the Modern Day