4 Legged Friends
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Equines & Canines
Horses & Dogs
Horses & Dogs
I have been using essential oils with my four-legged friends as long I have been using them on myself! My experience has
been limited to horses and dogs. However, if you want information on using oils with other animals, please click here to
email me or call me at 303.499.1607. I am in touch with many other people who use essential oils with animals and share
their information with you.
been limited to horses and dogs. However, if you want information on using oils with other animals, please click here to
email me or call me at 303.499.1607. I am in touch with many other people who use essential oils with animals and share
their information with you.
Using Essential Oils with Horses
In my experience, horses LOVE essential oils! They want to sniff each one before use, they lick my hands, and they greet me
enthusiastically whenever I approach! Lavender is, by far, the equine-favorite oil, although I use many different ones for many
different issues. Chance (may she rest in peace) LOVED her oils, especially lavender. She would breathe so deeply when I
held my lavender oil lathered hands under her nose. Cocoa likes her wintergreen – helps with the soreness in her feet.
Rosalie LOVES lavender and likes her special blend (oils to help ease the discomfort of a broken pelvis). Knick O’Time
hasn’t met an oil he doesn’t like!
Horses are much more sensitive to essential oils than most humans. This means that I often use only a few drops of an oil
when working with a 1000 or 2000 pound horse.
I often just rub a drop of an essential oil on my hands and hold them under the horse’s nose. Oils can be dropped on the
bottom of their hooves and rubbed on their chest and knees (so they can smell them easily). When I want to use an oil to
create a positive effect on their emotions, I gently rub a drop on the edges of their ears. I will put oils on a sore shoulder, for
example, and massage it in.
When a horse is upset or getting tired of being confined during a period of stall-rest, I put lavender or Peace & Calming on
their ears, chest, and knees. If they are so agitated that I cannot get too near, I will put some on a cloth and put that in/near their
stall so that the aroma reaches them or put some on my hands and get them to sniff. Generally they calm down after that and I
am able to put some oil on them.
Every summer, I make up what seems like gallons of fly spray with essential oils. I like the smell and the horses do too. And I
know that there are only healthy ingredients in it. It does repel flies and other flying insects. For more information, click here
to go to our products page.
Some of my favorite oils to use with horses include:
Di-Tone
Geranium
Lavender
Marjoram
Peace & Calming
Peppermint
Thieves
Valor
Wintergreen
Please click on the above Information Sheets to learn more
enthusiastically whenever I approach! Lavender is, by far, the equine-favorite oil, although I use many different ones for many
different issues. Chance (may she rest in peace) LOVED her oils, especially lavender. She would breathe so deeply when I
held my lavender oil lathered hands under her nose. Cocoa likes her wintergreen – helps with the soreness in her feet.
Rosalie LOVES lavender and likes her special blend (oils to help ease the discomfort of a broken pelvis). Knick O’Time
hasn’t met an oil he doesn’t like!
Horses are much more sensitive to essential oils than most humans. This means that I often use only a few drops of an oil
when working with a 1000 or 2000 pound horse.
I often just rub a drop of an essential oil on my hands and hold them under the horse’s nose. Oils can be dropped on the
bottom of their hooves and rubbed on their chest and knees (so they can smell them easily). When I want to use an oil to
create a positive effect on their emotions, I gently rub a drop on the edges of their ears. I will put oils on a sore shoulder, for
example, and massage it in.
When a horse is upset or getting tired of being confined during a period of stall-rest, I put lavender or Peace & Calming on
their ears, chest, and knees. If they are so agitated that I cannot get too near, I will put some on a cloth and put that in/near their
stall so that the aroma reaches them or put some on my hands and get them to sniff. Generally they calm down after that and I
am able to put some oil on them.
Every summer, I make up what seems like gallons of fly spray with essential oils. I like the smell and the horses do too. And I
know that there are only healthy ingredients in it. It does repel flies and other flying insects. For more information, click here
to go to our products page.
Some of my favorite oils to use with horses include:
Di-Tone
Geranium
Lavender
Marjoram
Peace & Calming
Peppermint
Thieves
Valor
Wintergreen
Please click on the above Information Sheets to learn more
Using Essential Oils with Dogs
Dogs, on the other hand, are a bit more particular about essential oils. One must respect their very keen sense of smell (I have
read that it is 10,000 times more sensitive than humans!). I find that I only need 1-4 drops, depending on whether I am working
with a Jack Russell terrier or an Old English mastiff. My grand-dog, Junior, the mastiff, begs for oils whenever I stay at his farm.
He loves Raindrop Massages, he loves just having oils massaged anywhere, he loves to sniff the oils on my hands or out of the
bottle. Zeus, my lovely Rottweiler, on the other hand, is very particular about the oils I use – his favorite is lavender! When I use
oils with him, I try to put them far away from his nose; except for the times I am doing some emotional work with him and put an
oil on his ears.
When I am working with my canine friends, I use essential oils in various ways. I do Raindrop Massage – see below. I put a
small amount of essential oil on the bottoms of their paws. When I want to use oils to help them emotionally, I rub a little on the
edges of their ears. If they have sore muscles, I put the essential oil right on the area and then massage it gently. I spray them
with floral water – even Zeus, the picky one, likes rose and lavender floral waters. I spray their beds with floral waters. When
they have upset stomachs, I rub Di-Tone or peppermint on their bellies. When they are stressed, I massage Lavender or
Peace & Calming on their ears.
Some of my favorite oils to use with dogs include:
Believe
Di-Tone
Joy
Lavender
Marjoram
Peace & Calming
Wintergreen
Please click on the above Information Sheets to learn more
read that it is 10,000 times more sensitive than humans!). I find that I only need 1-4 drops, depending on whether I am working
with a Jack Russell terrier or an Old English mastiff. My grand-dog, Junior, the mastiff, begs for oils whenever I stay at his farm.
He loves Raindrop Massages, he loves just having oils massaged anywhere, he loves to sniff the oils on my hands or out of the
bottle. Zeus, my lovely Rottweiler, on the other hand, is very particular about the oils I use – his favorite is lavender! When I use
oils with him, I try to put them far away from his nose; except for the times I am doing some emotional work with him and put an
oil on his ears.
When I am working with my canine friends, I use essential oils in various ways. I do Raindrop Massage – see below. I put a
small amount of essential oil on the bottoms of their paws. When I want to use oils to help them emotionally, I rub a little on the
edges of their ears. If they have sore muscles, I put the essential oil right on the area and then massage it gently. I spray them
with floral water – even Zeus, the picky one, likes rose and lavender floral waters. I spray their beds with floral waters. When
they have upset stomachs, I rub Di-Tone or peppermint on their bellies. When they are stressed, I massage Lavender or
Peace & Calming on their ears.
Some of my favorite oils to use with dogs include:
Believe
Di-Tone
Joy
Lavender
Marjoram
Peace & Calming
Wintergreen
Please click on the above Information Sheets to learn more
Articles on Essential Oils and Animals
Click here it find out more about Adding Essential Oils to Your Equine First Aid Kit
Raindrop Massage
The traditional Raindrop oils include oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil, cypress, peppermint, wintergreen, Aroma Siez, and
Valor. Often I custom design each Raindrop Massage by using oils that match each animal’s specific needs. I almost always
incorporate lavender into each equine or canine Raindrop Massage, as animals love this oil!
Raindrop Massage can be very beneficial for dogs. The amounts and types of oils I use vary, based on the size of the dog, the
issues she/he has, and their familiarity with essential oils. One needs many fewer drops for a doggy raindrop. My friend,
Junior, LOVES his raindrops – there is not an oil he does not like!
Most of the horses I know love Raindrop Massages. I choose oils based on what is going on with the particular horse. I keep
a bottle of organic vegetable or nut oil on hand to massage on if I notice that they are reacting to one of the oils. I tend to use
3-12 drops of each oil, depending on the size of the pony/horse and what is going on with them. The first time I work with a
horse, I like to use a few drops of each oil to see what they think.
After I drop each oil along the spine, I gently massage it in using the backs of my fingers in a feathering motion. I then do some
deeper massage, along each side of the spine, on the neck and back, over the shoulders, and along the hindquarters. Most
animals love this part of the work almost more than the oils!
Raindrop Massage Training Workshops
I offer private and group training workshops on how to do raindrop massage with dogs and horses. Each one is designed to
meet the needs of the participants, with a basic overview of essential oil use with animals and a more in-depth look at the
Raindrop Massage technique. I prefer to do the workshops in a location where we can build in some hands-on demonstration
and practice. The cost of the workshop varies based on the number of participants and how far I have to travel to get to your
location.
For information on setting up a training workshop, please email Nancy Cebula or call her at 303.499.1607.
meet the needs of the participants, with a basic overview of essential oil use with animals and a more in-depth look at the
Raindrop Massage technique. I prefer to do the workshops in a location where we can build in some hands-on demonstration
and practice. The cost of the workshop varies based on the number of participants and how far I have to travel to get to your
location.
For information on setting up a training workshop, please email Nancy Cebula or call her at 303.499.1607.
Stories about Essential Oils Use with Horses and Dogs
Here are a few stories of how I have used essential oils with my four-legged friends:
When Chance, our old Morgan-x mare was 22, she had surgery to correct a strangled small intestine. I visited her at Colorado
State University’s Equine Hospital. She was very stressed, with a muzzle over her mouth to keep her away from the IV tubes.
Her breathing was very shallow and fast. I decided to put a drop of lavender on my hands and let her smell it. She immediately
began breathing much slower and more deeply. When I put my hand inside the muzzle, she licked the lavender off my hand.
When I saw how calm she was becoming, I put lavender on her ears and on her chin. Every time I visited her, I brought
lavender – she would nicker when she heard (or smelled!) me coming!
Cocoa is a lovely mature Welsh Pony cross who contracted pigeon fever, which creates large abscesses especially on the
chest and girth area. The abscesses swell and swell until they finally open up and ooze a nasty yellow-ish substance. This can
go on for months. When I first noticed Cocoa’s abscesses, I made up a special blend of essential oils, including ImmuPower,
Oregano, Thieves, Melaleuca Alternifolia, Orange, and Thyme in an aloe vera gel base. I spread this all over and around her
abscesses. They would immediately begin oozing, which allowed them to shrink a bit. I treated her with this blend for three
weeks and also did three Raindrop Massages with immune system supporting oils. At the end of three weeks, there were no
longer any abscesses. And she did not have any relapses, as many of the other horses at the barn experienced.
chest and girth area. The abscesses swell and swell until they finally open up and ooze a nasty yellow-ish substance. This can
go on for months. When I first noticed Cocoa’s abscesses, I made up a special blend of essential oils, including ImmuPower,
Oregano, Thieves, Melaleuca Alternifolia, Orange, and Thyme in an aloe vera gel base. I spread this all over and around her
abscesses. They would immediately begin oozing, which allowed them to shrink a bit. I treated her with this blend for three
weeks and also did three Raindrop Massages with immune system supporting oils. At the end of three weeks, there were no
longer any abscesses. And she did not have any relapses, as many of the other horses at the barn experienced.
Junior is an Old English mastiff with hip dysplasia so bad that the orthopedic surgeon advised my daughter not to do surgery.
He is only three years old, weighs 160 pounds, has an amazing will to live and is very full of love. We don’t know how long we
will have him around, but we enjoy every minute of time that we do have! He LOVES essential oils. He is very happy when I do
Raindrop Massages. If I just put a few drops of one oil (usually lavender or wintergreen) on his back and feather them in, he
heaves a great big sigh and relaxes on the spot. If I am doing a Raindrop on one of the horses, he comes over and begs for
oils on his back. He is a pleasure to work with – he is so very appreciative.
He is only three years old, weighs 160 pounds, has an amazing will to live and is very full of love. We don’t know how long we
will have him around, but we enjoy every minute of time that we do have! He LOVES essential oils. He is very happy when I do
Raindrop Massages. If I just put a few drops of one oil (usually lavender or wintergreen) on his back and feather them in, he
heaves a great big sigh and relaxes on the spot. If I am doing a Raindrop on one of the horses, he comes over and begs for
oils on his back. He is a pleasure to work with – he is so very appreciative.
Rosalie, a beautiful two-year-old draft-cross, had a horrible accident during turnout, which resulted in a broken pelvis, several
cracked vertebrae, and lots of soft tissue and nerve damage. I began doing Raindrop sessions (with little massage and lots of
essential oils) within a couple of days of the accident. The decision was made to try to help her recover, even though we still
don’t know (nine months later), what kind of healing she is capable of. I visit Rosalie every chance I get and do Raindrop
Massages with a special blend I have made for her to help with bone, muscle, connective tissue, and nerve damage. Her
favorite oil is Lavender. In fact, I had purchased a different brand of lavender essential oil, just to try it. The quality was close to
what I usually use, so I decided to take it up to use on Rosalie. She thought it was fine. When that bottle was empty, I took a
bottle of my usual lavender up to the barn. When I opened it in front of her, she got very excited. She tried to lick the bottle and
could not stop inhaling its aroma. Her reaction was fascinating – even she could tell that this was a superior essential oil!
cracked vertebrae, and lots of soft tissue and nerve damage. I began doing Raindrop sessions (with little massage and lots of
essential oils) within a couple of days of the accident. The decision was made to try to help her recover, even though we still
don’t know (nine months later), what kind of healing she is capable of. I visit Rosalie every chance I get and do Raindrop
Massages with a special blend I have made for her to help with bone, muscle, connective tissue, and nerve damage. Her
favorite oil is Lavender. In fact, I had purchased a different brand of lavender essential oil, just to try it. The quality was close to
what I usually use, so I decided to take it up to use on Rosalie. She thought it was fine. When that bottle was empty, I took a
bottle of my usual lavender up to the barn. When I opened it in front of her, she got very excited. She tried to lick the bottle and
could not stop inhaling its aroma. Her reaction was fascinating – even she could tell that this was a superior essential oil!
Zeus, our lovely ancient Rottweiler, was abused and neglected until my daughter rescued him. A few years ago, he decided to
move in with us – I think he came to dinner one day and never left – none of us can remember exactly how it happened. One
day he lived on the farm and the next day he was living in town! One evening, he was dozing and having a bit of a nightmare,
based on the way he was moving and whining. I decided to wake him and put an oil blend on his ears to help him emotionally.
Three Wise Men is a blend of oils that are very high in frequency. It was blended to help us let go of negative emotions and
energy and then to keep them from reattaching once we have let go. I put about ˝ a drop in my hands and rubbed it on the
edges of his ears. He made the saddest sound I have ever heard – not possible to describe in words. He started shaking and
whimpering. I sat with him and gently massaged him and talked in a soft voice, telling him that it was OK now, that no one
would hurt him anymore, he was loved and would be taken care of forever. After about two minutes, he stopped whimpering,
after five minutes, he stopped shaking. I sat with him for about fifteen minutes total, putting a drop of Lavender essential oil on
his paws after ten minutes, and at the end he was sleeping peacefully. I have repeated the Three Wise Men on his
ears/Lavender on his paws several times since, each time his reaction is less strong and of shorter duration. And his
nightmares have stopped.
move in with us – I think he came to dinner one day and never left – none of us can remember exactly how it happened. One
day he lived on the farm and the next day he was living in town! One evening, he was dozing and having a bit of a nightmare,
based on the way he was moving and whining. I decided to wake him and put an oil blend on his ears to help him emotionally.
Three Wise Men is a blend of oils that are very high in frequency. It was blended to help us let go of negative emotions and
energy and then to keep them from reattaching once we have let go. I put about ˝ a drop in my hands and rubbed it on the
edges of his ears. He made the saddest sound I have ever heard – not possible to describe in words. He started shaking and
whimpering. I sat with him and gently massaged him and talked in a soft voice, telling him that it was OK now, that no one
would hurt him anymore, he was loved and would be taken care of forever. After about two minutes, he stopped whimpering,
after five minutes, he stopped shaking. I sat with him for about fifteen minutes total, putting a drop of Lavender essential oil on
his paws after ten minutes, and at the end he was sleeping peacefully. I have repeated the Three Wise Men on his
ears/Lavender on his paws several times since, each time his reaction is less strong and of shorter duration. And his
nightmares have stopped.