Conditions which AZ has helped About Bitless Equestrian Centre Science of Applied Just a few examples... “Pioneering a kinder way with horses”

Bitless Equestrian Centre is, to our knowledge, the only Equestrian Behavioural - timidity, fear, anxiety, aggression Zoopharmacognosy Centre in Wales, & probably the whole of the UK, where horse- Emotional - past abuse / trauma, separation or manship is truly natural - with horses kept as naturally as possible; loss (changing yard, field-mate, owner, death of uncompromised by the wholly unnatural concepts of stables, rugs, processed cereal feeds, bits & metal shoes and kept healthy without Q. How do wild companion or owner), male aggression... use of harsh chemical wormers or antibiotics. Instead they are stay healthy without Physical - numerous conditions: turned out 24/7/365 with ad lib access to forage, minerals, benefi- pain, lameness issues cial herbs etc and handled / trained with respect & kindness. human intervention? skin problems - rain scald, sweet itch, mud fever, parasites A. They use nature to help Natural Horsemanship Groundwork poor hooves, laminitis, thrush, navicular them... digestive upsets, wounds, breathing Backing - Schooling - Retraining problems, growths, sarcoids There’s something wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it... Horses with Issues & Nervous Riders especially www.animalselfheal.co.uk welcome NB: Allowing an to self-medicate with Private & Group Lessons with Qualified Staff extracts available ‘over the counter’ does not contravene the Veterinary Surgeons’ Act 1966 Indoor & Outdoor facilities

Ironfree Hacking

Use our horses or bring your own

Courses & Demos Consultations are predominantly animal-led, the human is an observer Natural Livery incorporating & facilitator - offering plant compounds not Paddock Paradise track, herbal grazing & access www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/shop available in domesticity to ‘herb bar’ - so animals can use their inborn abilities to restore & maintain health Tel: 01570 471541 or 07799 784350 Applied Zoopharmacognosy - facilitating self-medication in domesticity

About AZ 3. may eat more than required of one substance Sheila Lee Thompson BBAC, BBI trying to get what he/she needs of another in Research has shown that animals in the wild have an the mixture or vice versa Proprietor Bitless Equestrian Centre innate ability to forage for & their essential As an addition (& complementary) to the very oils, algae, and other natural remedies - you may have seen photos of & macaws It usually works out cheaper to offer the herbs sepa- successful wholistic horse training (led by Rose- clay in Peru - the clay helps to neutralise some of the rately - although an animal may consume a large mary Carrington-Rogers) & natural therapies al- amount of one or two herbs initially, once their body toxins in plants they have eaten. To find out more, ready offered at or by the Centre (including Reiki, search the internet for “parrots clay lick” or similar. is back in balance they may not select those again or take small quantities occasionally to maintain health. Homeopathy, Rolfing, Myofascial Release for As one client pointed out - when we put electric horses, Body Mirror System of Healing, Bach fences around our fields, we can prevent our animals Allowing an animal to maintain his body in balance Flower remedies, Equine Natural Medicine etc) I from the field edges & hedgerows where (ie healthy) by selecting herbs, oils etc is likely to re- am studying for a Diploma in Applied Zoophar- many beneficial plants can be found. sult in fewer vet visits & lower bills. macognosy with the Institute of Applied Zoophar- macognosy (www.ingraham.co.uk) A Few Facts As a student I am able to offer consultations free “My dog / horse is greedy and eats everything!” of charge, although I may charge for travel ex- penses and/or materials used (herbs, floral wa- “Won’t my pony / dog just keep eating some- ters, essential oils, macerated oils etc). thing because he likes the taste?” What to Expect In the animal kingdom there are 2 types of plants - food and medicine. Medicine plants Before the session begins, you will be asked are unattractive to a healthy animal, but when some questions to build up as complete a back- the animal is sick its tastes change so the ground picture as possible for the animal con- plant(s) that it needs, smell & taste attractive. cerned. This will help to guide the initial choices As soon as enough has been eaten, the animal’s tastes revert to normal - so the animal knows of compounds offered, but the animal always has the dosage too! the option to say “no” and the choices the animal makes will help to further guide the practitioner. Nature is truly amazing! The owner will be shown how to offer & to read responses and will be encouraged to take part in “I already use herbs for my horse - I mix them in his food” the session as much as possible. How Many Sessions? There are some very good reasons why it’s not a good idea to mix herbs with food. The animal Sometimes an animal will find all the benefit it needs from just one session. Sometimes gels, 1. is unable to select the particular herb(s) balms or oils may be made up for the animal and required & cannot control the dosage left with the owner.

2. may be forced to eat things which can be A few cases may need several sessions - this can harmful when not required (eg garlic) be discussed after the first session.