April 17, 2007
Kids, Pets, Fleas and Pests!
“The essential oils do what we used to have to do,” reported Debby Gallie-Miller, founder of Camp Wahoo, a high country horse camp for kids and the only woman outfitter in Washington State. Having owned over 70 horses and seen hundreds of school-aged children over 25 years, Debby and her assistant, Jeani Krogstad, a retired Seattle Public School teacher who cooks and administers first aid at the camp, relayed story after story of the many ways they employ essential oils with the camp kids, their pets and the horses.
When the group leaves for high camp, the kids are wearing Young Living Essential Oils lavender. A drop of lavender is dabbed on the horses harnesses, as well. “It smells like we’re a passing lavender field as the kids ride off,” Jeani told us. Horses and riders take the inevitable spills and unexpected events along the trail in a much calmer fashion.
With high camp at over 7000 feet in altitude, it’s a major challenge to get to medical or veterinary help for a child or a horse. “It used to be that when a horse got colic (a very serious and miserable condition for horses) we’d be facing a 3-day trip to get it to the veterinarian.” Debby explained how she rubbed DiGize (a Young Living essential oil blend) on the underbelly of a horse and within 3 minutes, the horse recovered! That and Raindrop Technique for the horses are standard procedure, these days. The Young Living products for animals often come in handy, as well. Debby and Jeani have found the Essential Oils Desk Reference (available through Essentail Science Publishing to be a great help and guide to troubleshooting the many issues that arise in a given summer.
“We used to have to be psychotherapists for panicked or homesick kids. Now we just offer a little Lavender or Peace and Calming or Valor to give them courage to carry on.” Bug bites, blisters and bruises are a no-brainer with essential oils on hand. Foot baths with a drop of essential oils are a popular item among the kids at camp.
Jeani stressed the importance of “keeping it simple.” It doesn’t take a truckload of products to do the many jobs essential oils can do. And besides, they wouldn’t fit in her saddlebags.
Posted on our Young Living Northwest website is a great FIRST AID SPRAY recipe from Debby and Jeani, along with reference guides and their favorite oils and products for use in the classroom, at camp, or anywhere else you might find kids, pets and horses.
Thank you Debby and Jeani for a wonderful evening of stories and inspiration about the many uses and applications of essential oils. Come back soon!
Handouts and Web References
To learn more about High Country Outfitters and Camp Wahoo, go to High Country-Outfitters
Kids & Pets Solutions from Debby Gallie-Miller - PDF
Things that bug you by Dr. David Stewart - PDF
