Smell is the only sensory system directly connected to the brain...

The Integral Role of the Smell Sensory System in Horses and Its Impact on their Health

Investment in the health, happiness and welfare of our equine sports or leisure partners is growing exponentially as more research and development is being carried out, to help us give our horses better care.  In this process, more and more information is being made available to equestrians to access and better understand ‘the horse’, because most of us want to have a pleasant experience with our ‘heart horses’.  And Precious Pony Naturals is delighted to bring you the the ancient therapeutic modalities of aromatherapy that will enhance your efforts of making your horses happy and healthy.

In terms of daily horse care, the least considered aspect of the horse is its olfactory system or sensory system of smell.  Horses use this their sense of smell to induce calmness when greeting a friend, when in the presence of feeding mares, who release pheromones that make the foal feel safe, protected and calm when close to its mother (and I’ve observed adult horses calming in the presence of mares and foals).  They use their sense of smell to detect danger: of eating the wrong plant or detecting unknown horses or prey, and they use their sense of smell to analyze their feed and their surroundings.

If we look at the calming effects of smell, what if we looked deeper into ways of working with this system to help us get desired responses in our horses in a gentle, natural way?

“Olfactory stimulation may increase behavioral diversity, allowing horses to behave more naturally, to deal with stresses and challenges, and to stimulate species-typical behaviors,” ~ explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research.

Studies on olfactory stimulation for horses have revealed this sensory system to be a highly effective way of improving behavior and inducing calmness in horses.  How it works is through the olfactory neurons – it is the only sensory system in the body (in humans too) that is directly connected to the brain.  This means, when the horse receives smell stimulation the olfactory neurons are activated and signals travel through the palate and into the olfactory bulb of the central nervous system where various signals will travel through the brain and a response will take place throughout the nervous systems and body.

The study of the use of inhaled Lavender Aromatherapy (LA) on horses who were put into a box to be transported showed a remarkable difference in cortisol levels of the horses exposed to LA vs those not exposed to it.  Statistically the results were significant enough for the scientists to hypothesize that:  “Overall, our results show that cortisol levels were suppressed in stressed horses that received lavender aromatherapy. These conclusions partially support the original hypothesis that lavender aromatherapy has positive effects on horses during a stressful situation. Cortisol was the only parameter that was lowered in horses that were subjected to lavender aromatherapy during a stressor. Follow-up studies should include additional stress biomarkers, different essential oils, and examine how…” ~ The Use of Lavender Aromatherapy to Relieve Stress in Trailered Horses, Kylie Heitman ^a, Bradley Rabquer ^a, Eric Heitman ^b, Craig Streu ^a, Paul Anderson, Department of Science, Albion College, Albion, MI, Ottawa Animal Hospital, Holland, MI

Precious Pony Naturals has been working with horses on an energetic and frequency level for nearly a decade, and through observed changes in postures, behaviors and overall health that could be directly attributed to the essential oils blends the horses themselves chose, we could not ignore the positive effects these botanical oils have had on their health and wellbeing.  Not only did we see it, the owners started requesting essential oil blends for their horses based on the positive results they saw in their horses. We have also got to work with a broad range of oils – from the common oils most people know about to highly unusual, but extremely effective exotic oils with highly active properties – that when blended, each frequency of each oil comes together to form a deeply transformative elixir that instantly brings comfort to the horse.

Through horses we have learnt that using the sensory system to stimulate a bodily response, is an extraordinarily effective, gentle and natural care aid that has a profound impact on your horse’s health and wellbeing.

“To maximize the welfare of managed horses and avoid unwanted behaviors, owners may implement various environmental enrichment strategies. While big, bouncy balls may immediately spring to mind, olfactory stimulation is a more subtle form of sensory enrichment.~ explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research

Whilst scientists have not yet studied exactly how essential oils affect the horses internal circuits and systems, the evidence that they do have a considerably positive effect on horses is irrefutable. Precious Pony Naturals aims to revive the therapeutic properties of aromatherapy for equines and we invite you to consider these beautiful blends as part of your horse’s daily care regimen.