What Are Flower Essences?
Flower remedies are vibrational substances pioneered by Dr. Edward Bach in the 1800s and are very beneficial in helping both people and animals during emotional or spiritual experiences. They are prepared from the blossoms of different flowers that have unique properties and vital energies expressed in the flowering plant.
Flower essences are an alchemical or vibrational essence captured from the blossoms of the plant at the time of flowering. These essences embody the specific energetic patterns of each flower. And their effects promote balance and well-being by resonating with particular qualities within the horse’s soul. Flower essence therapy can be considered as a dialogue between the soul of nature and the soul of the horse.
Flower essences are non-fragrant and are preserved with a very small amount of brandy. They are safe, highly effective, and easy to administer. And they can be used for many different emotional and spiritual conditions and situations.
How to Choose a Flower Essence
To recommend flower essences we put the emphasis on identifying the underlying issues or any life changes as expressed through emotions and feelings. We then correlate that “portrait” with an
essence which embodies the same qualities and processes.
For example, a horse that has been abandoned or sold by a family or person that they loved would do well on a flower essence that could help heal their pain of feeling unwanted. Evening Primrose flower essence is a good choice for them because it addresses feelings of rejection.
With animals, emotional or soul imbalances are frequently expressed through behaviour. Horses may become depressed, increasingly anxious, nervous, or spooky; aggressive, biting, jealous of other horses or people, unwilling or unable to train or work, or become physically ill.
The domestic horse is also strongly influenced by their owner’s or caretaker’s personal health and life situations. Not only can their people cause direct stress, but many horses will sponge or mirror the problems that their people are having, even if those issues seem unexpressed. This is why we see so many horses with the same health or emotional problems as their owners. For these cases, it is actually very beneficial for both the horse and their person to take the same remedies while working to resolve the shared underlying issues.
How to Use Flower Essences
There are a variety of ways to use or administer flower essences to horses.
1. Give 4-6 drops from the bottle directly into the mouth with a dropper. Or add the drops to a little clean water and syringe.
2. Add several drops to their drinking water.
3. Drop onto the gums or lips and rub. Or dab the drops behind their ears in the crease and rub gently.
4. Add a few drops to a hypoallergenic non-fragrant cream, ointment, or oil and massage the animal on any affected areas.
5. Use a misting bottle. Add several drops to some clean water and spray directly on to the body or into the air that the animal breathes.
6. Flower essences can be combined, and two or three well-selected remedies can be used at the same time.
Beneficial Flower Essences for Horses
Here is a helpful guide to some of the flower essences that we often recommend for horses. These are ones that we find to be very useful for frequent situations and emotional conditions that can affect them.
For more remedies and further information order a copy of the Flower Essence Repertory. It’s one of our favourite books! See below.
Quick Guide to Flower Remedies
Aspen – Hidden fears or fears of the unknown. Anxiety and apprehension, trembling, and nervousness. Horses who are easily startled or frightened.
Bleeding Heart – Grief from a broken heart. Loss of a loved one. Herd bound, separation anxiety, or over-attachment.
Borage – Heavy heartedness or grief. Depression.
Chamomile – Horses with emotional upset, usually due to relationships. Horses that are easily irritated and moody.
Chestnut Bud – Good remedy for training programs and learning new things. Helps them retain information and not repeat mistakes.
Chicory – Demanding or emotionally needy. Always seeking attention. Using negative behaviour to get attention.
Dandelion – Tense, rigid, or stiff muscles. Over-striving and intense.
Dill – Overwhelmed or confused when there is too much activity in their environment. Horses that are hypersensitive to outer activity.
Evening Primrose – Feelings of rejection and abandonment. Unable to form committed relationships. Lack of bonding.
Holly – Unconditional love remedy for jealous horses and herd rivalry.
Impatiens – Impatience, high energy, and high-strung.
Larch – Low confidence; shy horses with low self-esteem. Lack of expression.
Lavender – Spiritually sensitive horses that are nervous and easily over-stimulated. Highly refined.
Mariposa Lily – Issues with maternal bonding. Alienated from mother or feelings of abandonment. Good for rescue horses or horses who were weaned too early.
Mimulus – Known fears of everyday life such as thunder, wind, loud noises, or sudden movements.
Olive – Exhaustion from long-term stress due to fear, illness, relocation, or trauma.
Pink Yarrow – Horses who sponge other horses or their owner’s problems and health conditions. Lack of emotional boundaries.
Poison Oak – Fear of intimate contact or bonding with other animals or people. Overly protective of personal boundaries and territory causing hostility, distance, or aggression.
Quaking Grass – Helps horses adjust and live together in a group. Good for introducing a new horse to the herd.
Red Clover – Horses susceptible to mass hysteria and anxiety as caused by the rest of the herd. Easily influenced by horses.
Snapdragon – Aggression with biting or snarling. Tensions around the mouth or jaw. Aggressive tendencies. Cribbing due to suppressed anger.
Star-of-Bethlehem – Abused horses who suffered injury or trauma in the past or present. Horses that need healing and comfort from the spiritual world.
Vervain – Horses who are overenthusiastic and striving for perfection, leading to nervous exhaustion from trying too hard.
Vine – For horses that like to dominate others, especially younger or weaker animals. Domineering behaviour or over-dominate stallions.
Walnut – Horses going through transition, change, re-homing, and relocation. Letting go of past experiences.
Willow – Resentment, anger, and attachment to negative emotions. Horses that hold grudges. Inflexible.
Yarrow – Extreme vulnerability to the environment. Picks up energies easily and is overly absorbent of negative energies. Easily depleted.
Five Flower Remedy (Cherry Plum, clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose, Star-of-Bethlehem). First aid remedy for any kind of stress, shock, trauma, or emergency. Loss of consciousness or shock.
Flower Essences in the Health Program
Flower Essences are one of the best kept secrets in natural healing and are capable of helping and re-balancing many, many animals. They are an amazing energy healing tool that work at the level of the soul.
When we formulate natural health programs for horses, flower remedies are always included because of their ability to address so many different life situations, restoring harmony and health. They are an integral part of the holistic care package along with good nutrition and herbal blends.
Familiarize yourself with a few remedies and try them out with your horses. They will gladly accept the help.
Single Remedies $14.95 each Flower Essence Book $39.95
Order online or call the Riva’s Remedies Office
1-800-405-6643
Marijke van de Water, B.Sc., DHMS
Horse Health & Nutrition Specialist
Homeopathic Practitioner
Medical Intuitive & Healer
Educator & Author
Marijke is a life-long animal lover and the founder, formulator, and CEO of Riva’s Remedies. She is a gifted healer who has helped thousands of animals live happier, healthier lives. She is the author of Healing Dogs Their Way and is currently working on the 3rd edition of Healing Horses Their Way.