Equine Touch/VHT

[Deleted]

Having just had a session with ET/VHT practitioner, Carly Jarretts, I thought I'd start a thread to post my experiences and for others to post theirs too.

For those not familiar with ET, here's the link to the main site that gives you more information:

www.theequinetouchuk.com/

It's always hard to know exactly what our horses are feeling - we can only read the signs they give us and take our understanding from that. Flossie seemed - much to my surprise - to really enjoy it! Carly didn't go into her really sensitive areas on this first session. Floss still has huge issues with having her hind legs touched so we left them alone this time. I have to say I'd expected her not to be able to do much other than withers/shoulders, but after some initial caution on Flossie's part, Carly was able to go right down her back muscles, up her neck and even around her poll. As Carly worked, Flossie relaxed and the most noticeable thing during the session itself was that her stance changed from really leaning away from Carly to actually leaning in towards her. For anyone who knows Floss, this was quite remarkable for a stranger to gain this level of acceptance.

The other thing that really surprised me was when I turned her out. Normal Flossie is a big "pah!" head shake, a backward glance to make sure you're looking, and another real flounce, following by anywhere between a trot and a full on gallop of to the far end of the field. Today, she gave a little toss, walked 3 paces, and dropped her head. She didn't even graze for a minute, just dropped her head.

So, to me, Flossie found it pleasurable and relaxing, and that is what I wanted. Excellent.

Then, it was my turn. VHT is the human version of Equine Touch, and I'd been looking forwards to this for days. Every muscle from the top of my neck to my knees has been screaming at me, I've had daily tension headaches and by lunchtime I've been so tired it's been hard to carry on. This is partly probably work and partly also the lupus. Any old excuse for a bit of muscular inflammation with lupus!

The treatment itself was not unpleasant, but I have to say some of my muscles did let me know they were there. The overall feeling during the session, though, was soothing and relaxing. I can see why Flossie wanted to lean into it. It was slightly disappointing when Carly stopped.

We were talking afterwards and Carly asked how I felt before and after the treatment. If I had to pick one word for each, before was "cr ap" and after was "clear". I've got through to 3pm without wanting to go for a sleep, for goodness' sakes! I'll monitor how I feel over the next couple of weeks, and of course see if Flossie shows and changes, and then Carly's booked to come back on 22nd for another go.

If anyone else has used Equine Touch, or VHT, how does this compare. Post your thoughts below!

[apachepony]

I'm very interested in this thread, I am doing the level one next week!

[gingerloon]

ooh sounds very interesting Liz, sounds like a very positive effect

[Furiey]

I've done my level 1 and 2 and am booked to do level 3 in June. I've not done the VHT courses but you learn some people moves on the ET courses. To be honest, I did my level 1 because I couldn't get on the 5 day foundation course that year. I wanted something to do that would be nice for Bailey and thought well it can't hurt! I'm from a hard science background so am sceptical about the "energy and healing" side of things, although recognise that we do not know everything so I don't discount it completely. Equine Touch has a very physical move and effect so you can believe in the "energy" side of things or not, it doesn't matter.

We practiced the moves on each other on the course, so that was my first experience of what it felt like. I have problems with my ankles which get so stiff in the morning my feet lock. On the third morning of the course when I got up I had a go at them with the ET moves I had been learning, to my amazement it really released the stiffness and got them moving again, and I now use ET if they give me any trouble, but that doesn't happen as much as it used to.

I've also done ET on my Mum and my sister. Mum loves it, she has Rhuematoid Arthritus in her neck, back, arms and legs and finds it very difficult to cope with people touching her to anything with her body, but she gets very stiff as she tries to compensate for which bit is hurting most today. ET is the only thing she can deal with to ease those aches, and far from just cope with, she relaxes so much she doesn't want me to stop. My sister let me have a go on her when she pulled her shoulder. It niggled until she felt sick so she let me have a go. I just did some moves around the shoulders and a the time she didn't think much of it other than it was quite nice, until she realised a little later that the shoulder had stopped hurting. She let me have a go at her horse after that.

My sister's horse loves it. She gets really relaxed almost snoring at times. She positions herself so that I can do the move more easily and gives some lovely reactions when I reach areas that my sister knows she has concerns with. She'll let me do moves in places that only my sister is allowed to touch, but she goes to sleep for the ET there. Afterwards she's very relaxed and will often just stand and doze.

Bailey is another matter. He gets bored easily and I feel he is saying to me to just get on with it until I get to a spot that is bothering him. One shoulder was very warm on one occasion (I presume he'd been bombing about as usual). As soon as I got to the wither/shoulder moves on that side his head dropped and his eyes closed as he made big sighing noises. I gave him a few of minutes at that point and carried on when he was ready again, after that he was back to normal again, but that reaction was worth it.

The other reaction worth mentioning is the effect it has on me when I'm doing the ET. The breathing and rhythmn of the moves I find really relax me too - great for de-stressing!

[Garry]

Following my level 1 course. I did a couple of basic body balance on a pony at the rescue centre I visit, as practice for me as much as anything else!! What surprised me was the change in this pony's behaviour. Yes, he was relaxed after the sessions, which I expected, but he also became much easier to catch and appeared more relaxed in human company. I am pleased to say that some weeks on, this is still the case. He still needs general trust/confidence building work, but the ET stuff has certainly led to him being easier to catch, thus making his ongoing training that much easier for all concerned

[Furiey]

Mar 8, 2009 11:43:27 GMT 1 Garry said:

...What surprised me was the change in this pony's behaviour. Yes, he was relaxed after the sessions, which I expected, but he also became much easier to catch and appeared more relaxed in human company....

I saw this effect at the ET conference last summer. At lunch time Jock did some ET on a horse that was there for a riding demo. The horse was very unsure of letting Jock touch him and was generally anxious, but as Jock worked even though he got some strong reactions at some of the moves the horse relaxed and when Jock finished it was almost as though he had Joined Up with Jock, the anxiety had gone and he was wanting to stand close as Jock talked then following as he went to move away.

[Deleted]

I thought I'd wait till this evening to see how Flossie was before posting. I've been intrigued by the idea of improved catching post ET and was hoping I might see a difference. Well, the moral of the story is don't expect to see any improvement of anything when it's been howling a gale all afternoon! Floss was, for Floss, pretty good but today really wasn't the best day to form an objective judgement.

It's great, though, to hear such positive experiences. Has anyone done a psychology project on the affects of ET? If not, it'd be a great one to do.

[Furiey]

I agree about the wind - I think Bailey had his feet in the air today more than on the ground - absolutely no point trying to do anything when they're like that!

I had been wondering about it for a psychology project, but wasn't sure if it wasn't really studying ET rather than horse psychology as such. I know some studies are being done using heart rate monitors which it will be interesting to see the results of.

[Deleted]

But is you were studying the affects of ET on psychological issues, such as fear, anxiety, then I would have thought it would be a great project.

I'd be really interested in seeing any heart rate data during treatments as well. I know when we were watching Floss during her treatment, there were times here breathing shot up, but then stabilised again quite quickly.

[gingerloon]

liz, seren tried to bog off down the road tonight after spotting a shopping trolley about 100 yards away, defintely not the best day to test a theory

[bertiemidge]

Interesting - I have never tried VHT but have had Alexander Technique used on me - it certainly made a huge difference in the way I walked, sat and held my body - I always went into sessions thinking it couldn't get much better, but it always did! On one occasion the practitioner was working on my feet and afterwards it felt like I was walking on air!

I wonder if the two approaches are similar?

I do massage and stretch my girl including some Alexander Technique manipulation and I can always tell when she relaxes because she unloads her rear end!!!

[teresa]

I have been on the Level 1 and 2 ET courses, I am booked to do my Level 3 in June at Snetterton World Horse Welfare (WHW). But I am not sure yet if I will be able to attend, my place of work won't confirm my application for leave yet!

I have used ET on my own horse and two more at the yard one an oldie of 31 years he just melts and goes to sleep, so much so that one day he started to wobble on his legs he was snooring I stopped the ET he groaned and layed down, did not get up for 55 minutes just lay there fast asleep.

When we turned him out he ran round the field like a two year old, bucking throwing his head about, silly old thing.

[Furiey]

I'm on the June course as well teresa, hope to see you there.

I don't know what Alexander Technique manipulation is like, but I would not describe the ET move as manipulation.

[Deleted]

Mar 12, 2009 21:01:24 GMT 1 Furiey said:

I don't know what Alexander Technique manipulation is like, but I would not describe the ET move as manipulation.

The Alexander Technique, if I've understood correctly, is about relearning how to use our bodies to correctly to address and avoid pain which is very different to ET. No, I wouldn't describe ET as manipulation.

By the way, nearly a week down the line and the leg pain that's plagued my nights for months has not got past a twinge... Very, impressed so far. If this is the difference ET can make to our horses, then it's not surprising they love it!

[bertiemidge]

Over years of bad posture and injury (minor or major) our bodies adapt to minimise pain and often the muscles carry more of the weight which the bones are supposed to carry.

The Alexander Technique involves gentle stretching of the facia of the muscles, releasing knots and tension and restoring full movement to the muscles and allowing the body and bones to be properly "stacked" against the force of gravity.

The result is not only better posture but less energy wasted in the muscles and a greater body awareness.

I am sure that our horses also suffer from poor posture and would benefit from this sort of treatment .

I am intrigued by the VHT - how does that work?