Interview with Lion van den Hoek of Equine Dreams

Blockages in the nervous system: common but often ignored

For an animal in motion like a horse, a healthy nervous system is of crucial importance. If something is wrong with a (sport) horse it often manifests itself in underperformance or lameness. Many of these symptoms can have their origin in problems with the nervous system. This is not always thought of, but it is common. We spoke with horsetherapist Lion van den Hoek, who specializes in PEMF, or Pulse Electro-Magnetic Field therapy. This is all about unblocking blockages in the nerves and allowing the energy to flow freely through the horse’s body.

Lion van den Hoek has been working in international show jumping for 13 years now, as a groom, sports masseur and trainer. Since 2016 he has worked with NES Health Equine, which he currently does from his company Equine Dreams. Van den Hoek’s mission is to work from calmness and give horses the opportunity to develop.

What does the nervous system do?

“The nervous system is a communication network that regulates contact between all parts of the body. Through the nervous system, stimuli are sent from the brain to parts of the body and vice versa. The system controls the muscles and organs, usually through the spinal cord.” When blockages occur in the nervous system, due to a fall, an injury or, for example, a poisoning in the cells, this transmission of stimuli cannot take place as well. This can lead to problems in the musculoskeletal system, but also, for example, in the organs, because the nerve pathways leading to them no longer function properly.

Ataxia

Nerve blockages in horses are often grouped under the heading ‘ataxia’. However, this is primarily a symptom, not a disease. Damage to the nervous system means that signals from the brain do not get through, or only partially. This can affect the tactility of the horse’s gaits. But it depends on the severity of the damage and its location what can be seen in the horse. Often you can see it in both hind legs, but if only a small nerve block is present it can also be just one leg. Sometimes horses just seem a little limp and without balance. If the entrapment is in the neck or shoulder, sometimes you can only see something on the front legs. Very small lesions are not very noticeable. A horse then performs less, or does not walk perfectly. Nerve problems are not always thought of in these situations.

Problems

“About 60% of the cases I see have movement problems,” says Van den Hoek. “Think, for example, of traumas, hindhand problems and horses that are atactic. But extremely nervous horses also come to me. When a horse is examined in the regular circuit, it is often just the legs that are examined, sometimes supplemented by an osteopath who also checks the back. With the scanner, we can really look deep into the body, into the connective tissue, for example, in a simple way that is not invasive.”

Make a diagnosis

Van den Hoek uses a scanner to measure the nerve fibers. He places this MyHealth scanner on the horse’s body, usually the shoulder or middle hand. Within half a minute, the device gives a complete printout of the flow in the horse’s body. Van der Hoek then examines where the main blockages are. “The scanner emits sound waves. I use these impulses to see where the problem is, but I can also use them to unblock the body. On the laptop connected to the scanner, I can read out what I need to treat a horse completely. Of course, I also include things like fatigue, how a horse’s eyes look and what comes out of the conversation with the owner when talking through the results of the scan.”

Treatment

The treatment consists partly of “traditional” massage techniques, with the additional information from the scan and his years of experience helping Van den Hoek know where to start. “I make sure the body can discharge and get the flow going again. Each resonance has been tested by the inventors of this method and each problem has its own frequency. This allows me to know exactly what is going on and where I need to discharge and treat, based on what that nerve needs at that moment. I use the MyHealth scanner for both scanning and troubleshooting. PEMF (Pulse Electro-Magnetic Field therapy) works with sound waves. It is also used at NASA for astronauts, for example.”

“The results are often incredible,” Van den Hoek explains enthusiastically. “Even after four years of working with this method, I am still sometimes amazed myself. Horses that have been completely checked by the regular circuit, I can sometimes get them back on track in two treatments. We can actually treat almost any condition, from lameness to chronic diseases and super nervous behavior or horses that have no energy at all or seem depressed. We can really do a lot. Clinics and conventional veterinarians will always be needed, but I’m 100% sure we’ll be using systems like PEMF a lot in the future.”

Lots of blood contributes to blockages

“We breed very good sport horses these days” continues Van den Hoek. “Horses with a lot of blood, but therefore also very sensitive. These horses are very susceptible to blockages in the nerves. I always try to ask myself the question: ‘How can we further improve the well-being, pleasure and fitness of our horses?’ Paying attention to nerve blockages and their influence is very important in my opinion.”

Organs

Nerve blockages don’t just lead to lameness or ataxia, but cause many more problems. “When a horse has had mental symptoms for a long time, it goes into the organs. Because I unblock many organs and improve the flow, such a horse also gets better mentally. If I clear a liver blockage, for example, it does often affect the horse emotionally. Life is one system.”

Vitamin intake

The results from the scanner indicate everything from blockages in the nerves that can be traced back to organs or joints, for example, to vitamin results and a horse’s mental state. I still find the latter very special. By measuring the blockages, I can see, for example, that certain vitamins are not able to do their job properly at that moment. For example, if there is a blockage in the stomach, then the digestive process is slower. This can cause vitamin deficiencies. With a blockage on kidney function, it may be smart to give natural supplements to support the kidneys. Often you look on the wrong side and start treating incorrectly as well. You prevent that with this method.”

No blame

Van der Hoek emphasizes that the occurrence of nerve blocks in a horse does not immediately mean that the management is bad. “You haven’t done anything wrong as an owner, a blockage in the nerves can come from a trampling or a delivery or something like that. It’s certainly not always someone’s fault. But especially in sports, if a horse has to perform at a high level, then we really need to unblock, otherwise you’ll get tendon injuries or other conditions.”

Enthusiastic

What stands out in the conversation with Van den Hoek is above all his passion and enthusiasm: “Every new scan is another challenge for me to read and treat that horse. Osteopaths and physiotherapists can certainly enrich their work with this system and work more directly, faster and deeper” urges Van den Hoek.

“Although the results are often striking, in chronic cases we often see good results within two or four weeks, this does not always work. It’s great to see horses come out of a severe blockage well that sometimes seems hopeless. But if a horse has gone beyond its limits for a long time, then recovery can also take a while,” says Van den Hoek.

Conclusion: Blockages in the nerves require attention

Blockages in the nerve tracts can lead to all kinds of problems in horses. Not only in the movement mechanism, but also in digestion, organs and the overall performance of sport horses. Lion van den Hoek recommends a scan of the nerve blockages and uses new technology with sound waves to remove the blockages. Sports massages can also contribute to the recovery of horses with neurological blockages.

Van den Hoek uses a scanner to measure the nerve fibers. He places this MyHealth scanner on the horse’s body, usually the shoulder or middle hand. Within half a minute, the device gives a complete printout of the flow in the horse’s body. Van der Hoek then examines where the main blockages are. “The scanner emits sound waves. I use these impulses to see where the problem is, but I can also use them to unblock the body. On the laptop connected to the scanner, I can read out what I need to treat a horse completely. Of course, I also include things like fatigue, how a horse’s eyes look and what comes out of the conversation with the owner when talking through the results of the scan.”