Grand Adventures Ranch

What is Holistic Medicine - As per the AHVMA

AHVMA - American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association.

What is Holistic Veterinary Medicine?  

    Holistic medicine, by its very nature, is humane to the core. The wholeness of its scope will set up a lifestyle for the animal that is most appropriate. The techniques used in holistic medicine are gentle, minimally invasive, and incorporate patient well-being and stress reduction. Holistic thinking is centered on love, empathy and respect.

    This mixture of healing arts and skills is as natural as life itself. At the core of this issue lies the very essence of the word "(w)holistic". It means taking in the whole picture of the patient—the environment, the disease pattern, the relationship of pet with owner—and developing a treatment protocol using a wide range of therapies for healing the patient.

    The holistic practitioner is interested in genetics, nutrition, family relationships, hygiene, and stress factors. Many patients present in a state of "dis-ease." At this point the holistic challenge lies in the question "why?" By a series of analytic observations and appropriate testing the goal becomes finding the true root source of the pathology. A simple-appearing symptom may have several layers of causation. Only when the true cause of the ailment has been found is there the possibility for a lasting recovery.

    It is at this point that the most efficacious, least invasive, least expensive, and least harmful path to cure is selected.

    In many acute situations, treatment may involve aspects of surgery and drug therapy from conventional western technology, along with alternative techniques to provide a complementary whole. This form of treatment has great value for severe trauma and certain infections. It often outperforms other methodologies. It is also at this time that other treatment plans such as those listed below are brought into use. Once the symptoms have been treated, the task is not complete until the underlying disease patterns have been redirected. The patient, as well as the client, will be guided to a new level of health.

Holistic Boarding - cont.

The primary focus for the health of our animal guests is NUTRITION!  In my opinion, a holistic approach to animal nutrition means looking at what Mother Nature, in her infinite wisdom, fed an animal.  Then looking at how stress and caloric need changes affect their overall health and using foods naturally found in their diet to keep the body in balance.

First - horses GRAZE.  They are not designed to eat concentrated calories in short bursts.  In fact, concentrated feeds such as hay pellets & cubes and pelleted grains can lead to sand colic, teeth problems and overall poor nutrient assimilation.  Here in Arizona grass pasture is rare and expensive.  And it is less expensive to grow a low-water legume like Alfalfa than it is grass.  But feeding alfalfa is to save money is short sighted and can get very expensive in future veterinary bills.  Click here for a more complete article on Why Not to Feed Alfalfa. 

Bioscan - The Leading Name in Light Healing Technology

We use BioScan Photopuncture to stimulate healing and cleansing for many of the issues we see in animals.  This is a very informative article about light therapy:

Bioscan - The Leading Name in Light Healing Technology.

Light therapy has been proven in over 40 years of independent research worldwide to deliver powerful therapeutic benefits to living tissues and organisms. Both visible red and infrared light have been shown to effect at least 24 different positive changes at a cellular level. Visible red light, at a wavelength of 660 nanometers (nm – 1 nanometer is equal to one billionth of a meter), penetrates tissue to a depth of about 8-10mm. This lower strength light is very beneficial in treating problems close to the surface such as wounds, cuts, scars, trigger and acupuncture points, and is particularly effective in treating infections. Infrared light (904nm) penetrates to a depth of about 30-40mm which makes it more effective for treating ailments of bones, joints, and deep muscle tissue.

How to spend 1.4 Million Dollars - The Long Way!

Well, we did it. It only took a year and a half, 5 bankers, reams of paperwork, a 70 page business plan and very thick skin - but we finally found a way to purchase what is to become the new home of Grand Adventures Ranch. (And it turns out we didn't need the business plan - but thats later in the story.)

In November of 2003, Melissa Shandley was sitting in my office and chatting while picking up some Dynamite vitamins for her horses. Melissa teaches Equine Assisted Psycotherapy clinics for people with emotional or communication issues. She was relating her discomfort with booking the ranch where these clinic are held because it was for sale and she wasn't if the new owners would still be willing to rent out the facilities. As Jeff and I had been on the lookout for property for our long term dream of a therapeutic boarding ranch I was curious about the property and, after seeing some pictures, went to look at it.