Su Burnett

Intuition & Animal Communication

Bananas!

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I was very surprised, when a friend of mine at the barn, told me about her horse’s delight in eating bananas as a treat after her riding lessons. She also mentioned that bananas and salt, were an excellent electrolyte for horses. Curious, I consulted my friend Pam MacKenzie, who is a Purina Certified Equine Feed Consultant for Atlantic Canada. Pam’s experience and knowledge on nutrition and improving the well being of horses is vast, she is my go to person for all related queries. I am grateful to her for answering my questions! These were her answers.

Are bananas and salt an electrolyte?

Yes. Bananas rolled in salt (salt is an electrolyte when wet) create sodium chloride and potassium. Potassium, is often included in commercial electrolyte products, because, like sodium chloride, it is a component of sweat.

How much salt would I put on the banana?

The salt level: it depends on the day, the weather, what feed, hay etc., and the amount of sweat loss the horse is experiencing. Hydration, can change every 4 hours. Watch the horse and see if it is drinking after working, shipping, etc. Check hydration with the tent test.

Tent test: pick up a good pinch of horse’s skin at the neck and let go. If the skin snaps back immediately, the horse is properly hydrated.If the skin takes a little time to go back down, or, it stays up in a ‘tent’ shape, the horse needs more fluids.

This would be a beneficial time to give the horse a banana rolled in salt. Most horses like them and it is a nice way to get salt into them, to encourage and keep them drinking water. Plenty of clean, fresh water must be accessible for the horse to drink after eating the bananas and salt, or the horse will become more dehydrated. As horses are unable to drink on the road while in transit or in the show pen, it is best to only feed them this treat after trailering and after a competition when plenty of water is available.

Also, if the manure is loose the horse may have eaten too many bananas.

Most horses enjoy this natural way of restoring, replenishing and hydrating their systems. I was delighted while watching some of my horse friends gobble them up. So try it out, of course if the horse sniffs the banana and turns away, respect their choice and refrain from force feeding them!

 

Relax, There Is a Solution

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Well, here I am, writing my first blog, in my new house! It is a very delightful experience indeed. I have been in transitional moving chaos for a month now, have been filmed for CBC news and had the amazingly inspiring opportunity to speak twice at the Atlantic Horse Fair to very appreciative crowds. Throughout, the horses have been reminding me to take deep breaths, exhale aaaahs and keep my mind as quiet as possible by focusing on the peace and beauty of my surroundings.

My new home is charming, tiny, cheerful and full of light. I loved it the moment we met. It is full of possibilities and I am appreciative of it’s inspiring effect. The only thing that has been missing in it’s loveliness was a connection to the internet. For three weeks, I have been ferrying my laptop to several locations with wifi and answering business emails, uploading CBC links and fretting about this blog. Sitting in your car seat, in a hotel parking lot is not condusive to a calm demeanour in professionalism and prompt replies to business enquiries! By last Friday, my tranquility and ability to remain focused and organized was fraying into anxiety, doubt and exasperation. As the rural wireless surveyor stood and informed me, that my location was not going to pass inspection for their wireless service, that I must wait three weeks, and then enquire whether internet was even feasible, I sat and cried. After he left, frazzled and having a panic attack that this location may indeed be unsuitable to do business in, a move may be in order, perhaps this had all been a mistake, on and on my mind raced in a frenzy of doubt, mistrust, judgement and criticism of my choices and decisions. Luckily, in the midst of this cloud of despair, I heard my friend Scully say…’Relax, there is a solution.’

So, I tried to relax. Everytime, my mind would speed up with the how’s, what’s and how come’s, Scully would say ‘Reee-LAX!, stretch and exhale’. Interesting indeed. Relaxing is a practise. During my move, I had been noticing, that I kept putting off relaxing into sometime in the future, by saying, ‘When I get this box moved, I’ll be able to relax.‘ Then as soon as the box was moved, I would say, something like this…’Now, after I sweep the floor, clean off the table and get the bathroom painted, I can relax.’ The horses kept reminding me, that it was necessary to relax WHILE I was doing the activity, instead of putting it off. That the act of doing must be relaxing. So, I did do my best to relax and let the internet solution occur, but after a few hours of hemming and hawing, I went to visit Scully in person. I told her, I was ready to blow something up, I was so frustrated. That I was tired and my mood gloomy and could only see the difficulty in the situation. When she pointed out that it was all a bit amusing and that there was a point to it, my reaction was rather curt, serious and impatient.Whatever could be amusing and what possibly could be the point of having to move again and not be able to easily keep up with my business?

‘Well,’ She said.’ Awhile ago, you asked us how you could improve your abilities in focusing and communicating with us more clearly, with less emotional entanglements…remember we suggested you unplug the TV and spend a lot less time on Facebook and surfing the internet? Well, without the internet the last few weeks, you have been forced to do this! It’s been really beneficial for you, the film shoot for CBC and the success of your talks in proof! So it is kind of amusing how it all has come about!’ 

Then, she turned around, and pushed her bum up to the stall door, stated she was sore from so much jumping in her first clinic of the season and recommended that I continue to relax by giving her some Reiki. After, an hour of standing and receiving some energizing, calming energy myself, my friend Wendy happened by, hearing about the internet frustrations, she made some helpful suggestions. The possibility of a solution occurred. Then, upon my return home another suggestion was on my answering machine! And guess what? That suggestion was the solution! And miracles of miracles, thank you internet guides, here I am writing this blog! So if you are frazzled by a problem, be aware of the action of relaxing, as Scully says, you have to relax and keep relaxing to let the solution occur, but be assured there is one!

Orange Lifts the Spirit!

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Did you know some horses love oranges?

For about a month now, my friend Agent Scully, has been asking me to bring her peeled oranges. She has  been gobbling them up and enjoying them immensely. Curious to see if the other horses in the barn liked them too, I began to share them out. Out of 15 horses,12 devoured them. When I asked Scully for her feedback, she reported that everyone had enjoyed them immensely, the flavour, fragrance and juiciness of the oranges were delicious and woke up their tastebuds, lifted their spirits and reminded them of a warmer season. Scully has also asked for grapefruit, lemons, limes and bananas.  Scully always insists that I eat some along with her, so that I too benefit from what she describes as a treat of sunshine. So, if by chance you are heading to the barn today, take some fruit with you and share some with your friends! They may just surprise you by liking it!

A Recipe for Calm

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Spring is here and the earth is thawing! Even though the weather is delightful, a few of my friends are still in their stalls looking outside with longing, due to very muddy conditions. They have been requesting that I bring Chamomile to them to help them remain calm and patient. I’ve been feeding them handfuls and they are highly recommending it! Chamomile is also very soothing for dogs. Click here for an excellent article on the uses of chamomile for dogs.

Chamomile for Horses

Actions: Sedative, caminative, anti-inflammatory, relaxant,bitters, vasodilatory, analgesic,                                                                                   antispasmodic

High in calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and manganese. An anti-inflammatory aids DIGESTION especially of nervous hyperactive horses. Chamomile s a well known and effective CALMATIVE without making the horse dozy. Eases cases of tension, anxiety and stress. Use for aches and pains.

 

Relaxing de-Spook Acupoints

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Some horses are just naturally spooky, reacting to their environment with anxiety and jumpiness. Others, due to past experiences, have developed a wariness and fearful reaction when they encounter a trigger which switches the brain from the frontal lobe to the back which is flight or fight.

These helpful acupoints are very effective in soothing, calming and relaxing our horse friends.

 

 

Equine Acupressure for Grief & Depression

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Horses do experience grief. When one of their herd members die, they mourn for them. They understand that death is a natural reality of living, and often celebrate their fellow horse’s passing. At the same time, physically and mentally they do miss the lost member, experiencing emotions of sadness and loss, which can make them stiff, moody, lethargic, solitary, unaffectionate, and sometimes, depressed. The horses themselves suggested these acupressure points to help them to  relax naturally and recover from the loss of a loved one. Acupressure has been around for over 3,000 years. It is a natural and easy tool to use with horses.  All you have to do, is apply some pressure, using your thumb, 3rd finger, knuckles or palms on a point which is mapped out below. Press on these points letting the horse guide you, if the horse leans in, continue as long as you like. If you feel like  briskly rubbing in the area surrounding the point, do so. This will improve circulation and cheers the horse up.  If the horse moves away, continue on to another point. Do a few when you are spending time with your horse. Humming and singing, while you do the points, also has a cheering affect. The horses would appreciate this  immensely and  thank you, now,  in advance!

acupressure points for grief and depression

Acupressure for Colic

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Today, the horses are requesting that I post this article from www.animalacupressure.com on preventing and treating colic. It is an excellent article and the site itself is full of beneficial information on acupressure and articles on specific uses. I highly recommend it!

So here is the link to the article
Acupressure helps you take action against colic

Acupressure for Nausea in dogs

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A lot of my lovely canine friends who travel in vehicles have requested that I post this link. It is an excellent article on preventing nausea. In my practise, I have used these points on dogs in cars who are experiencing motion sickness, on pregnant dogs who are queasy and in the airport on a dog who had just flown for 22 hours. This site, www.animalacupressure. is also super helpful in all things to do with acupressure! The dogs and horses highly recommend it! They love acupressure as it is preventative, which in the case of vomiting is highly beneficial. What I love most about acupressure is that anyone can do it, anywhere, at anytime! It gives us an immediate tool to assist our animal friends. Acupressure also considers the whole, incorporating mental, emotional, physical and spiritual into the equation of healing. It has been around for over 3,000 years, therefore it works!
Here is the link…

Acupressure article for motion sickness in dogs

Peace of MInd Exercises and Acupoints for Humans

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These exercises and acupoints are designed to calm the spirit, quiet the mind and relax our bodies. Do them anytime you are experiencing stress, panic, fear or anxiety.

Exercise One- Do the flower picking breath. Imagine a field of flowers in front of you. Gently pluck a flower with one hand, put it up to your nose, innnnn-hale the smell deeply and exxxx-hale the sound aaaaaaah. Do it again…we always do a minimum of three…Pluck the flower…put it up to your nose…Innnn-hale deeply and exxxxx-hale aaaaaaah. Now one more time….Innn-hale and exxxxx-hale aaaaaaaah. Remember to do this throughout the day. It relaxes our whole body, calms our spirit and clears the mind.

Exercise Two- Repeat this little mantra to yourself as often as possible. It tranquilizes the mind and relieves mental distress.  “I now allow all outer and inner sounds to focus my attention and awareness on my job, and my job is to relax, breath and enjoy myself.”

The peace of mind acupressure points.

Acupressure is an ancient healing art developed in Asia over 3,000 years ago, using the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension, and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force energy (Qi or chi) to promote health and healing. Using the same points as Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupressure applies a comfortable range of pressure from gentle to firm. Acupressure is safe, non-toxic and definitely habit forming… And the horses highly recommend it!

To perform acupressure,  place the ball of your thumb or middle finger on the acupressure point. Gently apply direct pressure to the point while exhaling. Use prolonged pressure directly on the point; gradual, steady, penetrating pressure for approximately three minutes is ideal. Slowly release the point while inhaling and move on to the next point. Take some quiet time afterwards to restore, relax and resurface. If you’re on the move, massage a few points-even a quick application of pressure on whichever points you feel drawn to do, will have some benefit. Trust yourself, relax, breath deeply,  go with the flow of energy and enjoy!