Marmite...
I have owned Marmite for 5 years and use her for general hacking and lessons. Before I had her, she had hunted and evented.
To be honest, sometimes she can be a bit of a handful. She can be very spooky at times, is fairly stiff, and can never take up a contact when ridden. She is also a nightmare to load, having had some bad experiences in the trailer.
After her first bowen, I couldn’t see much difference in her, but after 3 treatments, a week apart, there was definitely an obvious change in her. Sara informed me that her head wasn’t set on her neck straight, which I had no idea about, and which the bowen definitely fixed. She was a lot more supple and happier to be ridden after her sessions, and was able to maintain canter more easily, whereas before treatment, she would lapse back into trot. Sara has continued to treat Marmite when she has any injuries. A while ago, she had a serious bout of mudfever, that lingered, despite topical treatment. After 1 bowen treatment, it cleared up really quickly. She also had another treatment when I moved yards, and she was quite stressed. The bowen appeared to calm her, and helped her settle in more quickly.
Sian Booker, owner and rider of Marmite, 16.2.hh Irish Sports Horse.
Taz & Gem...
I bought Taz and Gem as fun 13 h.h. ponies for my two beginner daughters, aged 11 and 13 yrs, Rowan and Alekko. We thought Taz was the perfect pony for a novice, as he had a great personality, until he started bucking mercilessly. This caused the girls to lose a lot of confidence, something they really didn’t need when they were just learning to ride. Taz also seemed very prone to laminitis and had a cresty neck.
At intermittent intervals, he then had a change of saddle, one chiropractic session, and 3 weekly bowen treatments to support this. So far, he seems to have no sore spots on his back, and has stopped bucking.
Gem is a very well schooled pony, with a lovely temperament for the girls to learn on. However, we found him to be grumpy when groomed on his tummy, and his hindfeet are impossible for the girls to pick out on their own. We also found he had the rather disturbing habit of occasionally, when being ridden downhill, of his hindlegs giving way, and his back end would nearly collapse. Sometimes, but not often, his nearside hindleg would get stuck out behind him and he was unable to pull it through, which was quite distressing for him, and us to watch. As the girls riding improved, and they wanted to jump Gem, he would often refuse, despite seeming to enjoy his jumping the rest of the time.
By this time, I was really worried about him, so the vet had examined him, and suggested he had a slightly clicky stifle. He was also very fluffy, and was hanging onto his winter coat in patches.
First, he had 2 blocks of bowen treatments, a week apart, 5 the first time, then some months later, another 4.. Sara commented that his symptoms could possibly be that of a slipping stifle, or at least a stifle injury. She recommended that more veterinary intervention was needed, if the bowen didn’t help him. She also suggested that maybe we should check to see if he was selenium deficient, as the area we live in, can be selenium deficient.
The first bowen treatment he had, was obviously a bit uncomfortable for him, but after each subsequent one, he would get a bit better. After each block of treatment, his condition improved significantly. His hindend stopped collapsing altogether, when going downhill. This was so much better that Rowan managed to do a full 3 day pony club camp on him, jumping him 3 foot with ease. The two of them are now enjoying lots of fast hacks of about 3 hours, and are finally able to bond in a partnership together. Gem is a lot fitter and healthier now, with a sleeker coat, and is comfortable to have his hindfeet picked out without kicking.
Sadly, Alekko has had a growth spurt, and has now grown out of him, but I would not hesitate to recommend bowen as a method of improving the health of any horse.
Liz Fjelle Batoctoy, owner of Taz and Gem. Proprietor of Frochas Hill Boarding Kennels.