The Journey

of

Buqi for Horses

A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step
(Lao Tzu)

The Seeds:

The seeds were sown in 1994 when freelance riding instructor and equine journal writer, Jo Osborne, joined a group of non-horse people in London and encountered a series of exercises very different from the norm. Posted as 'self-healing exercises using spontaneous body movement', her first real experience on that first weekend workshop was that of a high frequency vibration travelling through the central axis of the body which then created a spiralling movement which grew and grew. This completely spontaneous movement resulted in a doubling over of the body and then a tremendous physical and emotional release of pain from first the left sacro-iliac joint and then from the right, accompanied with much sweating, crying and laughter. Gosh! Jo was definitely hooked into further exploration, and for the first few years, that was on a purely personal journey.

Tentative Steps:

Dr Shen, the originator of the system, encouraged Jo to explore this work for horses and the first tentative steps were made, around 2001. Jo says  "Initially I was really reluctant because I was a professional working in the industry about to explore some quite unusual work and reveal this 'left of centre' work amongst peers and colleagues. I proceeded cautiously because I wanted to make sure that it was something of real practical value and I needed to understand how it worked. From my own perspective I had gained an immense amount on my own personal journey but I needed to understand the effects that Buqi could have on horses, whether it was effective and if the experiences and reactions that I was seeing could be replicated". She adds, "It also became the spur for studying and working with Equine Massage because I felt that I needed the biomechanical understanding and a hands-on understanding of what is going on in a horse's body. This has proved invaluable in its own right  because I can now look at a horse and see how the musculature has built up which gives lots of clues as to how a horse is using and holding himself".

Research Period:

In order to get the proof and experience that she needed Jo offered Buqi sessions for free in the summer of 2003. 'Horse & Rider' magazine generously ran a piece of editorial inviting horse-owners to put their horses forward for Buqi sessions, at no cost other than making a contribution to the travel expenses. In that summer Jo saw nearly 50 horses, with a whole range and variety of conditions and this became her initial 'field study' or research period. In May 2004 an article was published in 'Horse & Rider' magazine outlining some of those cases. 

Consolidation:

Since that time Jo has seen all manner of horses, from rescued horses to competition horses. She says, "After the research period I saw a number of horses as one-off events but interspersed with that, and growingly, I began to see horses on a regular basis. The bulk of my work is now seeing regular clients working for progressive and positive change for maintenance and for performance and also for alleviating symptoms from old injuries or chronic conditions". 

Jo adds, "The work and its effects keep unfolding to me and I get greater and greater clarity on a day-by-day basis. In the early days I would get excited about a horse yawning, seeing spontaneous muscular twitching or the horse lying down mid-session and then there was the thorough enjoyment of watching horses do some of the most extraordinary spontaneous stretches. Recently I have been getting excited because for the first time I could feel a completely 'open back channel' on a dressage horse that is not only having regular Buqi sessions but is also being ridden by one of the highest quality riders in the country. Recently I was working on a horse that had a colic operation many years before and which was suffering from further colic bouts. I was amazed at what I could feel; I not only could feel the binqi around the original scar line along the length of the belly but at one point I felt like I was 'inside' the intestines and moving through the digestive tube itself. A little unusual (!) but completely fascinating!".

Jo keeps up her own practise by daily sessions of meditation, Taijiwuxigong (Qigong) and Taiji training along with teaching classes and studying with Dr Shen with over 20 contact days each and every year. "This is what makes the Buqi Practitioner so unique" says Jo, "an ongoing development of the Practitioner ensures a high level and quality of work and ability". Jo has worked through the 3 levels and 8 main stages that are cited in the Taijiwuxigong stages of development (further information can be found at the official Buqi Website).

Reassurance from solid foundations:

Having written as an equine journalist specialising in complementary therapy Jo not only understands the benefits of complementary therapy but also the danger of snake oil 'practitioners'. She says, "People are cautious of being conned and rightly so. Buqi is difficult to understand and at first glance is easy to dismiss. However the depth and and level at which Buqi is working is awesome and, to understand, does require a paradigm shift in thinking". She adds, "I know that it is difficult for people to understand what is going on when they see me working on a horse without touching it. Some owners are happy to accept that things are observably happening and without the need to understand how or why. Others are a little surprised when they can see that it really is having an effect 'in the moment'. What people don't see is the fourteen years of personal development that has been going on behind the scenes which is what makes this work even remotely possible".  Jo adds, "Sometimes owners will have their own sensations and insights as I am working on their horse. And a couple of owners have literally slid down the wall as they fall into their own stupor of deep relaxation!".

The future:

The journey continues and there is more to discover. Watch this space!