DECEMBER 2022 THE RIDER /17 ^Between The Ears^ How can Eyes help with a Pre-purchase exam and discover root causes of issues.


tions given in this assessment. It cov- ered physical symptoms, internal organ imbalances, injuries (this was remark- ably accurate in my horse’s case), areas of inflammation, digestive issues, min- eral imbalances , presence or absence of parasites and also his temperament, which was bang on. Iridology is not intended to diag-


By Ellie Ross We often think of looking at a horse’s eyes to


label them as kind, wild, nervous, soft and so on. Often eyes are referred to as the window to the soul, however there is a far more to be told by the eyes and it is called Iridology. This is an ancient practice that is non-invasive and can be assessed remotely by submitting correctly taken photos of the horse’s eyes to the practitioner. Interpretation is a combi- nation of intuition, experience and science that began long ago, before the 9th century. I recently had one of my horse’s eyes pho-


tographed and submitted to certified Equine Iridol- ogist, Lisa Wesson of Wesson Therapies. The process was noninvasive and totally painless. A few photos were captured and Lisa provided a report to me a few days later, which we discussed intently. The findings and the history she stated were re- markably accurate. We reviewed her findings, dis- cussed the meaning of such and she provided recommendations to follow in order to improve the overall health and existing physical ailments in my horse. I was amazed at the long list of considera-


nose diseases but certainly provides in- sight into how one can strengthen the identified weaknesses revealed. I found it very thought provoking as well, since there was a discussion about how organ malfunction can even be the cause of lameness and/or how it impacts/re- stricts movement. This all made perfect sense as I was thinking of the last time I ate fast food and my body did not re- spond well to that meal. I was certainly not walking with free forward move- ment while I endured the discomfort associated with my bad diet choice. Then came the pain in my joints as a result of eating poorly. Even some anx- iety was resolved in my balancing my diet better and temporarily supplement- ing with things like a Vitamin B com- plex. This sparked more consideration to the horses in my care and I would utilize Iridology in the future especially as part of a Pre-purchase exam. The identified areas of weakness


in this assessment, have provided the opportunity to prevent problems that could be brewing as a result. Lisa took the time to discuss some areas of con- cern and the possible causes to avoid in future plus her recommendations to strengthen these areas. The use of herbs, diet changes and understanding how common nutritional habits owners have these days, was enlightening to say the least.


ORHA News Report of the


ORHA Nominations Committee For 2023 Election of the ORHA Board of Directors


The election of officers and directors shall be held at the Annual General Meeting of the Associ-


ation at 1pm on Saturday Feb 4/2023 online or in person as designated by the Board of Directors. The ORHA Nominating Committee will accept nominations for the positions of President, First Vice Pres- ident, Second Vice President Nominations can be sent to : orhagrandefinale@gmail.com


Current Candidates are as follows: PRESIDENT: Dan Fletcher


FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: John Purdie


SECOND VICE PRESIDENT: Terri Purdie


Current ORHA Board of Directors:


Position /Name Status President


First Vice-President


Elected Director Elected Director Elected Director


Appointed Director Appointed Director Appointed Director Appointed Director Appointed Director Appointed Director


Dan Fletcher John Purdie


Second Vice-President Terri Purdie


Completing second year of two year term End Dec 2022 Completing second year of two year term End Dec 2022 Completing second year of two year term End Dec 2022


Leona McAtee Completing first year of two year term Mike Munroe Joanne Milton


Completing first year of two year term Completing first year of two year term


Loris Epis Completing a one year term


Rebecca Nelles Completing a one year term Alyssa Van Kleek Completing a one year term Tracy Nelson


Completing a one year term


Samantha Speed Completing a one year term Ashley Janzen


Completing a one year term


End Dec 2023 End Dec 2023 End Dec 2023


horse’s dam and sire both had genetic kidney weakness and this can easily impact a horse’s stamina. The location of various marks in the iris are equally as important as the type of marks. Overall I found this to be a


fascinating and fairly accurate assess- ment of my horse that revealed some concerns to which I will be making changes in his nutrition and exercise. Herbal recommendations have been made and I will go ahead and follow the plan to which we will reassess next year.


For those wondering about


the history of iridology, it has a very long history but the most remarkable is as follows; Iridology evolved considerably, fol- lowing WW1 when a veterinary assis- tant named Syd Mercer studied iris mapping in injured, diseased and dying horses. He and veterinarian Dr. Stephenson, worked together to pre- scribe remedies for these horses and used that knowledge and experience with racehorses that they claimed at- tributed to the successful winnings. This earned Mercer the nickname ‘Magic Man’ and further evolved through the work of Ellen Collinson of the U.K. and this knowledge is being passed on through courses and ongo- ing education and experience. Fortunately we have someone


Common feeding routines can be attributed to blocking of essential nutrients, production of stress hormones etc. Hippocrates, the father of clinical medicine,


stated ‘Let food be thy medicine’. This is some- thing that seems to have been lost through the course of modern medicine depending more and more on prescribed, manufactured pharmaceuti- cals. Focusing on treating the cause of the prob- lems vs. Band aiding effect, deserves far more attention. The iris responds to what is going on in the


body. The iris nerve cells are impacted by tissue changes throughout the whole body. For example, lactic acid produces lines in the iris that look like it was painted with a brush and raised ridges. Stress appears as lines that look like deep cuts. The pigment can be an indicator of how good a horse’s constitution is and can even reveal genetic concerns in the dam and sire. I learned that my


in Ontario that learned from the fa- mous institute of Ellen Collinson. Lisa Wesson is certified in a variety of al- ternative therapies and also provides several educational workshops for horse owners throughout the year. Up- coming workshops include; How to


find pain and weakness in your horses, Chinese medicine and Acupressure, Lymphatic drainage, Laminitis prevention, Craniosacral therapy and so much more. For more information refer to the website https://wessonnaturaltherapies.ca


Author Bio: BSc Equine Science - Virginia Tech. Diploma in Doma Vaquero - Royal Stables / Spain. Former Pet Expert CTV - for 10 years. Pro- fessional Animal Trainer - Large Exotics and Do- mestic Pet. 2x Provincial Champion Extreme Cowboy, Trillium Provincial Dressage champion, Three Day Event Young Rider Champion. Behav- iour Assessment Specialist - Humane Society. Former SPCA Agent. Former FEMA Disaster Re- sponse Team. Owner/operator Circle 8 Ranch. Quarter Horse Breeder


Midwest Co-op’s Horse Night


By Amanda Burnett With 50 + guests in atten-


dance Midwest Co-op’s Horse Night was a huge success! With most show seasons coming to an end, and cold weather coming in we figured it was a great time to bring people together to chat all things horse. I wouldn’t have been able


to put this night together without the help of so many amazing co workers : Jenni Rundle (Mount Forest), Sarel Smit (Area Man- ager), Reid Lobsinger (Feed Salesman), Andy Macdonald (Mount Forest), Kelly Boyle (General Manager), Justine Lennox (Harriston Branch Man- ager), Ashley Noble (Marketing & Communications Specialist). Our speakers did a spectac-


ular job with the topics that they brought to the table, Brent Troyer (Pasture Management), Ashley Stinson (That’s the Spot: Body Works For the Equine Ath- lete), Alaina Macdonald (Winter Colic), and Jenna Beach (Feed- ing for the Winter). We also can- not thank our sponsors enough, Marcc Apparel, Tapestry Eques- trian, Masterfeeds, and Ukal.


Lastly a huge thank you to Louise Donald, and Doris Aitken for the wonderful chili supper they provided for us! Again I cannot thank all


these amazing people enough! Stay tuned for our next


Horse Night !!


In the picture from left to right: Brent Troyer, Amanda Burnett, Jenna Beach, Jenni Rundle, Ashley Stinson, Alaina Macdonald.


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