‘Reiki in the Stable’ – how this ancient healing system can help you and your horse

By Tanya Leiper

A new contributor to The Equine Times is equine, animal and human Reiki Master, Tanya Leiper of Reiki Lungta, based in Aberdeen.

A Reiki Master since 2003, Tanya trained with her late mother, Helen Wilson, and in 2019 completed both her first and second degree equine Reiki qualifications with Sarah Berrisford, a Master and author of books on the holistic therapy.

Tanya then set up her own equine and animal Reiki practice and completed her equine and animal Reiki Master qualifications alongside undertaking further studies with Sarah Berrisford on the subject of ‘Riding with Reiki.’

‘Reiki is a lovely gentle energy therapy which was founded in Japan, with the

Japanese word ‘Rei’ meaning universal, and ‘Ki’ meaning energy’

REIKI practitioners are trained to channel this universal healing energy and Reiki healing works by restoring the physical, emotional and spiritual energy balance within the body. 

This holistic balancing of energy in turn aids the body’s own natural healing systems and this is equally the case for horses as it is for humans.   

Horses are very receptive to Reiki, and it has the effect of allowing the horse to completely relax while they are absorbing the healing energy.  The positive effects of this relaxation and the balancing of energies within the horse’s body can aid recovery from emotional trauma, illness or injury.

Reiki lifts the mood and helps horses to feel better while the balancing effect of the energy also helps in clearing out negative emotions which can be wonderful for assisting horses who are displaying anxiety or stress-related behaviours.

I love working with Reiki – it is a wonderful, versatile therapy and its healing energy can be shared without any physical contact having to take place.

This means that in addition to the traditional laying on of hands, I can share Reiki by placing my hands near to the horse’s body, or even by standing some distance back from the horse and directing Reiki energy towards their body.

This is great for horses, who do not always appreciate being handled or touched, especially by strangers. In fact, I do not even need to be in the same place as the equine client.

This works by me creating a distance healing connection which allows Reiki energy to be shared with the horse wherever they are.  I like to use a photograph of the horse to strengthen the healing connection during their distance Reiki session.

It is important that Reiki sessions take place during a time within the horse’s day when they would routinely be relaxing – so I find that quite a lot of my equine Reiki sessions tend to be evening distance Reiki appointments since they fit well into both the yard and the horse’s daily routine.  

Reiki works very well alongside veterinary or other therapy treatments and as a complementary therapy it is a wonderful addition to veterinary care and never instead of it.

Over the years I have had the privilege to work with so many wonderful people and their horses and Reiki has been able to offer a wide spectrum of equine support, such as:

• Bereavement

• Pre and post-surgery

• Pregnancy

• Loading issues

• Moving to a new home

• Stress and emotional support

• Chronic equine health conditions, such as Chronic Progressive Lymphoedema (CPL) and arthritis

• Competition

• General support for older horses

• 
  

I also very much enjoy running my monthly Reiki for Riders’ clinic at Hayfield Riding Centre, Aberdeen, where the one-to-one sessions are aimed at bringing balance and harmony to the rider’s mind, body and energy.

And just in case you wondered, ‘Lungta’ is the Tibetan wind horse, which is a symbol of wellbeing and good fortune – having the best job in the world, I certainly feel both.

More information about equine Reiki is available on my Facebook page and on my Reiki Lungta website at https://www.reikilungta.co.uk