Equine Bowen Therapy A Less Well-Known Alternative

Equine Bowen Therapy (EBT) is a lesser-known alternative therapy modality for horses. It is a light, soft tissue manipulation technique.

Practitioners believe it promotes healing and pain relief by:

addressing the entire nervous system of the horse.

releasing any muscle spasms.

relieving congested kidneys.

stimulating the lymphatic system.

WHAT IS EBT?

Equine Bowen Therapy is based on the Bowen Technique, a therapy which is widely used for humans. The Bowen Technique was developed by Thomas Ambrose Bowen, who was born in Geelong, Australia, in 1916. It is believed that he initially worked on Greyhounds and racehorses, achieving remarkable results.

Like the human form of the therapy, EBT is a simple, non-invasive, handson therapy, that promotes healing and the relief of pain. Nobody is sure exactly how it works, but many therapists and horse owners believe it to be very effective.

All Equine Bowen Therapists are qualified Human Bowen Therapists. This is to ensure that they all have a complete understanding of the whole technique and its application.

HOW IS IT PERFORMED?

In EBT there is less focus on a specific diagnosis, and more focus on treating the horse holistically. Therapists use their thumbs and fingers on precise points on the horse’s body, which they believe disturbs the muscles, soft tissues and energy within the horse. They apply the pressure on these points with a rolling action. These small movements help to release endorphins, which naturally cause relaxation. At regular intervals during the treatment, the horse is left to rest for short periods of time (around two minutes at a time) to allow him to process the therapy.