A good energy: Isabell Freund

Helen Sharp (HS): You have a range of therapies on offer, can you talk me through what inspired you to become an equine therapist?

Isabell Freund (IF): It was not a straightforward process at all. I gave in to parental and societal pressures initially and qualified as a lawyer in Germany. But I was involved with horses all my life and there is no way you can escape horses in Ireland. When I worked as a trainee lawyer in Dublin, spending my free time with equestrian activities, it became clear that I wanted horses to play a bigger role in my life again.

I spent a number of years with one foot in the legal and one foot in the equine world and things developed gradually from there. Having seen the positive effects of acupuncture on one of my own horses, I trained as an alternative practitioner for horses in Germany.

Shortly after, I returned to Ireland where I worked in different settings with horses. I then trained and qualified as an equine acupressure practitioner and went back to Germany for a while to deepen my training in equine acupuncture with the German based Belgian vet Dr Jean-Yves Guray.

Horses have always played an essential role in my life. So, I guess at the core of it all is the desire to give something back to them and to make their lives a little easier.

HS: Equine therapies are very much on the rise, have you found it easy to practice in Ireland?

IF: I found there is much openness and interest in the work I do and many people like to use it, want to see how it works, and to learn more about it. But, of course, there is scepticism too. And rightly so. With all that is on offer today, you want to know what it is that you are getting.

HS: Can you explain what acupressure is and its positive effects on horses?

IF: Acupressure is a form of bodywork based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) where you work with your hands and fingers on certain acupoints and areas of the horse’s body. It is pretty gentle, and safe yet still effective. It is basically acupuncture without needles, relying on the same concepts and theoretical framework.

Due to the holistic nature of TCM, which works both on the body and its functions; as well as on a mental and emotional level, horses can benefit from acupressure in a myriad of circumstances. It would be most commonly known for musculoskeletal problems, though acupressure is also used to address respiratory conditions, digestive disorders including ulcers, behavioural problems, and reproductive issues, to name a few.

HS: You have trained in acupuncture, are you able to practice that in Ireland?

IF: Unfortunately not. You have to be a qualified veterinarian to practice acupuncture in Ireland.

Germany – and also Sweden and parts of Switzerland as far as I am aware – are quite the exception in Europe, in that non-veterinarians are allowed to practice acupuncture on animals.

As I have to rely on my hands as a tool in Ireland, I have added more focus on adding other manual practices into my work such as myofascial release and trigger point therapy as there is quite an overlap with acupressure and TCM teachings, so they can be easily integrated. There are also other Chinese medical massage techniques called Tui Na and moxibustion, which is a form of heat therapy which I apply in certain cases.

HS: Equine therapies are often part of a holistic approach to treating horses, do you work closely with vets or physiotherapists?

IF: Yes, and while not always possible I believe that a team approach is essential to achieve the best outcome for the horse and I would add farriers, coaches and trainers, owners and riders, other manual therapists and bodyworkers, dentists and nutritionists to that list, not to forget the individual horse. Especially with musculoskeletal problems, training both in-hand and under saddle can play an important role in resolving these issues.

HS: Why do you choose to work with horses?

IF: I was horse mad before I could walk or speak so it was only natural that I would end up working with them eventually. We all know the hardships involved with long hours, early starts, sick horses and being out in rough weather conditions. At the same time, working with horses is incredibly rewarding and makes up for everything. They are amazing animals on so many levels and I am simply grateful to be able to spend a big part of my life with them.

HS: I worked as an equine therapist myself and I know the hours on the road and physical work can be relentless, how do you balance that in your own life?

IF: I enjoy being on the road going to different places, meeting different people, and I think that helps. But of course, self-care and the ability to say no are crucial. I live on a farm where I keep my own horses and dogs and that is where I recharge and refill my own cup. When time allows, I like to meet up with friends, read a book or go for a hack, a walk, or a hike.

HS: You offer many different therapeutic techniques including energy work, what exactly is energy work?

IF: TCM is energy medicine in the sense that at its basis there is qi – life energy – and other vital substances that nourish the body. From a TCM perspective, when qi flows harmoniously through the body, there is health. That means during a session my goal is to identify the imbalance and related TCM patterns that cause a problem and then to select the most appropriate acupoints to work on in order to help the body find its way back into balance.

One that stuck with me, because it shows the holistic nature of TCM and how it works, was a gelding with chronic respiratory issues. There is no certain set of points always used to address respiratory issues, rather it is based on an individual assessment.

I worked on the horse with the acupoints I had selected and there were indications during the session that it was working on the respiratory level.

The owner rang me the next day. She had not told me that the horse had trouble picking up and staying on the correct canter lead. When she worked the horse the day after our session, he picked up the correct lead and stayed on it without bother. From a TCM perspective, this makes total sense because of the way the body is interrelated.

So there can be positive side effects with this work.