Equine Acupuncture and Craniosacral Therapy

Horses have a perception of the world around them that is vast, and all encompassing. They are present, embodied, and connected to their natural surroundings, partly out of necessity as a pray animal, and partly because of the peace found there. They respond to subtlety. Their nervous system is alive, and yet quite sensitive, and It is this sensitivity that is a doorway to their healing.

“Gwen weaves together the skills of acupuncture and craniosacral in such a way that my horse seems to deeply relax and heal. I truly appreciate her sensitivity and how she relies on the horses pulse to guide her.”

— D. Bahr

how it works

Acupuncture is a very gentle, thorough, and effective therapy that horses can benefit tremendously from.

This ancient healing art reduces inflammation while it strengthens the immune system; it improves overall general circulation while it flushes out accumulated and potentially harmful toxins; Acupuncture supports ligaments and tendons to help the horse heal from acute and/or old, chronic injuries; it soothes and calms the nervous system so as to help the horse return to a state where he can open and trust his surroundings again; it effectively rids pain; supports the internal organs of the animal so that disease processes can be corrected and possibly eliminated.

In my view, Equine Craniosacral therapy is one of the most comforting and nourishing therapies we can do for our horses

It is hands on work, involving a very light and gentle touch while holding bones in the cranium, in the sacrum, and other various places along the spine. The therapy aims to enhance the body’s natural healing processes by applying the lightest of pressure to the bones, tissues and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Craniosacral work is miraculously effective at relaxing the nervous system of the horse, yet also has a powerful influence on posture, the reduction of pain and inflammation, the releasing of past physical, mental and emotional traumas especially to the head, neck, teeth and jaw, disease recovery and organ health. It vitalizes the entire circulation of the horse by removing obstacles and creating space. Equine craniosacral work allows the horse a chance to come home to itself, a reset, a brightening, and a peace.

Sessions usually are about 40 minutes to an hour. Follow up recommendations are bimonthly unless there is an acute condition in which case weekly or even several times in one week, may be the most therapeutic.

May our kinship and service with horses always only bring strength, comfort, an increased wellbeing, and most importantly the recovery of their innate ability to connect and be at one with their surroundings.

SERVICES

Acupuncture and Equine Craniosacral work are both energetic healing modalities. The horse’s body has an innate ability to heal, and these systems support that wisdom. They rely on the nourishment and proper flow of subtle energies in the body, known in Chinese medicine as ‘Qi and Blood’. Without this strength and inner force of balance, disease of the mental, emotional and/or physical body will eventually occur.

Gwen has been practicing acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine on humans for over 30 years, and in 2024 began to extend her work with acupuncture and Chinese medical understanding to horses. She was very fortunate to be able to mentor with an equine acupuncturist veterinarian and she found the work instantly meaningful and supremely beneficial. Gwen has trained extensively to become an equine craniosacral therapist as well, and finds this to be a wonderful healing tool for the nervous system of all horses, supporting their ability to heal from a wide range of diseases.

Equine Acupuncture session: $130
Equine Craniosacral session: $100
Combination of Acupuncture with Craniosacral: $165

More from Gwen

Grasping an understanding of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine requires a shift in perspective.

As western thinkers, we tend to put a lot of emphasis on control, yet in the east, the focus is balance. Supporting an organism’s vital force, also known as “Chi”, supports the body as a whole!

As an acupuncturist, my focus is to gather data so as to best ascertain where an imbalance within an animal exists. I check the pulse and the tongue for clear objective information and gather this with the information from the animal’s owner to assist in an accurate diagnosis. The treatment uses precise acupuncture points that support the horse as a whole, allowing the system to return to a place where it can most efficiently heal any disease or disorder. The point selection includes points that are specific to a particular issue or concern, as wall as points to support the system globally.

The needles are retained for 45 minutes, and frequency of treatments will vary depending on the specific issue. The average time between visits, however, is estimated to be every 2-4 weeks until symptoms lesson, and then monthly until symptoms are fully resolved.

Acupuncture has been used on horses for nearly 3,000 years. Considered a precious commodity for military and farming purposes, horses were recipients of acupuncture centuries ago, to benefit wellness, fight disease states, cure lameness, injury and trauma recovery, support with behavior issues, and many more maladies…

Although no longer used for these demanding and dangerous functions, horses continue to face considerable stress in our present day. They are overworked, stressed, diseased, exhausted, injured, in pain, affected with an over sensitive nervous system that can create vulnerability to organ disorders, including colic, etc.

Their need for gentle yet effective healing support seems of dire importance, now more than ever.

Without question, the most rewarding part of this work for me is watch a horse recover it’s ability to thrive. And to watch it be a result of gentle, yet very attentive therapies.

It is a similar phenomenon I see with my human patients and yet because of the horses’s deep sense of embodiment, they can drop into a relaxed calm state much quicker than they’re mentally overactive human friends.

Since relaxation is the precursor to deep healing, in a short time they are well on their way.

about gwen

Gwen LoVetere has been healing people through the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbs for over 3 decades in her private practice. Gwen is also a senior instructor in Contemporary Chinese pulse diagnosis, also known as the “Shen/Hammer Pulse System”, which informs her of the natural rhythm of energy and blood flow in the patients she works with. She has been a student of Dr. Leon Hammer M.D. since 2004. Gwen graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in 1994, and was a faculty member and clinical supervisor at OCOM from 2006 to 2010. She is currently both a clinical supervisor and faculty member at the National University of Naturopathic Medicine. In 2010, Gwen completed a 3 year Chinese herbal mentorship with Heiner Fruehoff, Ph.D. and as a result, most of her patients use Chinese herbal formulas to help support their healing and overall feeling of well being. Gwen is also an employee of Providence Hospice, where she uses acupuncture as a method of treatment to manage end of life care. She has been working in Hospice care since 1994.