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‘It’s far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has.’
Hippocrates of Kos (460-370 BC)
How often have we wondered if there is a natural way to treat illnesses affecting our beloved horses, or even prevent them? Today, with Sara, a naturopath and expert in Clinical Phytotherapy, we will try to answer this question by drawing on her knowledge: in fact, looking for alternatives to traditional veterinary medicine has always been a distinguishing feature of Unika. In this article, we will be exploring new frontiers in well-being for our beloved horses: Naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine. There is much talk about these practices nowadays, but since they are not yet widely adopted in the equestrian world, we would like to help you better understand what these two fascinating disciplines are all about and how they can help us promote our horses’ well-being.
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While the term Naturopathy was only recently introduced, it is believed that it first came into use when humans appeared on Earth. Naturopathy is a holistic science that sees humankind as a unity on all levels of existence: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Naturopathy encompasses all aspects of human Traditional Medicine, including ancient folk medicine practices for instance, and mainly applies the fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in order to interpret and understand phenomena. Naturopathy suggests that all living beings are the result of a continuous exchange of energies with their environment, so their health depends on the dynamic balance of such exchanges. The health and well-being of living beings no longer means only being free of disease; well-being is also about physical, emotional, mental and spiritual balance. Consequently, such awareness changes the concept of disease, which is no longer considered accidental or random, but rather a consequence of losing the balance of the three levels referred to above. Another very important aspect for Naturopathy is the healing power (vis medicatrix) that all living organisms possess. By supporting the body of living beings in a healthy environment, by boosting their self-healing abilities, and by supporting the ‘soil’ of the body, they will be endowed with a surprisingly responsive capacity to autonomously regulate their own well-being.
These concepts are the foundation of naturopathic medical practice.
Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM is a system based on theoretical and practical medical knowledge that originated in China thousands of years ago, which has been passed down to us over generations. Several techniques such as acupuncture, which are still used to this day, go back as far as 5,000 to 8,000 years. The Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, attributed to Emperor Huang Di., is considered the foundational text of TCM, but it is not known for certain if this information is correct. This book, a cornerstone of TCM, provides an insight into the medical and philosophical thought of TCM and discusses various topics, from anatomy to physiology, as well as hygiene, energy balance assessment and nutrition. This text explains one of the fundamental concepts of TCM, which is that a disease must be recognised in its early stages and that special attention must be paid to prevention. The text also stresses the importance of another concept, which is central to TCM: holism. All living beings are an inseparable unity in harmony with their surroundings, and there is a direct link between the inner microcosm and the outer macrocosm.
Now that we have provided a general definition of the concepts of Naturopathy and TCM, let’s take a look at how these two disciplines can improve our horses’ health and well-being.
As stated above, Naturopathy and TCM have various tools at their disposal. In this paragraph, we would like to inform you about all the tools that can be used to improve horse well-being:
| – Bach flower remedies – Tui na – Applied kinesiology – Aromatherapy – Micotherapy – Ayurvedic manual techniques | – Cupping – Reflexology – Acupressure – Iridology – Phytotherapy – Nutraceutics | – Moxibustion – Colour stimulation – Assessing energy balance and imbalances – Oligotherapy – Natural food – Shiatsu |
These tools have various effects, but one thing they have in common is a focus on preventing illnesses and maintaining the concept of well-being as a unity of the three levels. In addition, they:
As previously mentioned in this article, both Naturopathy and TCM mainly focus on prevention and health preservation. So it would be best to find a naturopath or TCM expert who can start monitoring the health of our horse before it starts showing signs of illness or suffering from a disease. While it may seem contradictory to bring a professional into the stable when our horse is in good health, it will certainly be worth it in the long run, not only for the horse’s health, but also financially! We are all too aware of just how expensive it is to treat an acute illness or condition and that handling a chronic condition can be even more costly. This is why Naturopathy and TCM for prevention can be our ‘ace up the sleeve’ that will allow our horse to enjoy excellent health, making sure that any ailments are detected and treated at their onset.
Having read this article, are you more curious now and would you like to find out more? Please feel free to contact us for more information. Our expert Sara will gladly answer all your questions!
Sara Maiani
Naturopath and expert in Clinical Phytotherapy
Here we are at our second meeting with our Unika Blog Naturopathy section. I am Sara Maiani, specialized in Natural Medicine, Clinical Phytotherapy and Naturopathy.
Born in 1995, Mirko began to practice the discipline of “combined driving” at only 6 years old, spurred by his family’s passion for the equestrian world, he began to approach national and international competitions at 17 years old
Dear readers we are pleased to celebrate the new year, on our blog, with a wonderful interview together with Nicolò Tallone, Unika Ambassador and Endurance rider, Piedmontese DOC, class of 1991 who in life has chosen to dedicate himself to a trade as ancient as fascinating, that of the blacksmith.
This year we feel a bit like “Willy Wonka” and so we decided to create our own Golden Ticket, The Golden Uniko!
Quante volte ci siamo chiesti se esiste un modo naturale per fronteggiare le malattie dei nostri amati cavalli, perché no, prevenirle?
One of the problems that most often lead owners to turn to Unika specialists is the thinness of their horses and the consequent need to increase their weight and improve their physical condition.
