what does "wholistic"
really mean?

general approach

feeding
& nutritional therapy

exercise physiology
& sports medicine

internal medicine

physical therapy
& rehabilitation

"prehab"

manual & movement
therapies

osteopathic care
of the spine

homeopathy
& homotoxicology

medical intuitive evaluation

energy medicine

Anima Herbal Solutions

WHAT DOES "WHOLISTIC" REALLY MEAN?

(By the way, many "conventional" equine vets practice this way, although they may not label their approach as "wholistic." They just consider it good veterinary practice.)

Body, mind, and spirit.  An additional element for me is that the whole horse is an integration of body, mind, and spirit. Internal or external factors that influence one will inevitably influence the others, as they are all part of the whole.

For example, sick horses often appear depressed and disinterested in life; and on the other side of the coin, a psychologically stressed horse is more prone to illness and even injury. In other words, disorder in the body can affect the mind, and vice versa.

(The medical field of psychoneuroimmunology even has an explanation for this phenomenon: there is a constant, 3-way dialogue among the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system, using hormones, peptides, and other body chemicals as "messenger molecules.")

The body is the healer.  Another key element of the wholistic approach is the understanding that the horse's body is designed to be self-healing. Good health is the horse's natural state, and the horse has an abundance of in-built mechanisms by which health and vitality can be restored when illness or injury occurs.

So, we are not healing the horse through our various treatments and other interventions; the horse's body is doing the healing through its innate mechanisms. The best that we can do is simply to remove any impediments to healing that we are able to identify, and to provide the circumstances (environment, diet, etc.) in which healing is optimized.