Sharon Stebeleski graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1975 with a Bachelor of Physical Education.  She became a Certified Iridologist with the National Iridology Research Association, completed her Level I and Level II Healing Practitioner Courses with Rev.  Hanna Kroeger of Boulder, Colorado, Ontario Spiritual Healer's Network course, Reiki Level I and studied kinesiology with Sheila Bullock of Dallas, Texas.  While in Boulder she studied the art of Saliva Reading which is a psychometric method to provide information from the body about the individual who may even be at long distance away via their saliva sample.

She is author of "Heal Thyself" (a guide to herbs and nutritional supplements), has written numerous articles for newspapers, is publisher of "Natural Healing" newsletter (plus equines) and has appeared many timse on CKND-TV, CBC and CJOB radio.  She has been a guest speaker for numerous local and provincial organizations, health expositions, and professional groups, has taught basic and advanced herbal courses and was involved in a Masters of Holistic Healing Program.  Her company called Naturally Yours was founded in 1990 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  In 1994, her family moved frm Winnipeg to a small farm in Lorette.  She founded the Natural Healing Centre in Winnipeg in 199s6 and worked there and in Lorette for two years before deciding to stay working from Lorette only and devote more time to her equine clientelle. While in Winnipeg she worked with Mary Thiessen and gained a solid understanding about the body through live blood cell analysis, and encorporates this knowledge with her abilility to do kinesiology and psychometric saliva analysis. She introduced the blood type diet and food plans and their specific nutritional programs into her practice in 1998.

Their farm boasts many animals which include, horses, miniature goats, dogs, cats and bantam chickens, which all enjoy the benefits of natural supplements and herbs for their health concern.  She employs all her previous training and experience and encorporates herbs, chinese constitution analysis, nutritionals, flower essences, homeopathics and magnetic therapy to the goal of helping her two-legged clients achieve better health.  To further this goal she is currently enrolled in the Equine Research Centre's (Guelph) Distance Learning Certificate Program (partnered with University of Kentucky) and will be completing the first module on Equine Reproduction, followed by Equine Nutrition and then Equine Exercise Physiology.

To arrange for your personal consultation or to speak to her, call Naturally Yours
in Lorette at (204) 878-2493 or E-Mail at Naturally Yours

Hippocrates - "Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine by thy food"

Herbs! Naturally!
by G. Campbell

The following article appeared in Horse Country Magazine July 1999.

The Trakehner/Thoroughbred mare was advertised as needing an experienced rider.  Months after buying the horse for her 17 year old daughter Chelsea, Sharon Stebeleski felt there was too much resistance going on for the mare's behavior to be a training issue.  Futher investigation revealed chronic back pain which showed immediate improvement with the help of acupuncture and proper farrier care.  Adding a magnetic blanket further aided in relaxing the mare's muscles and yet she still showed mental resistance.  The Stebeleski's riding coach suggested breeding the mare as a possible solution to getting her more settled citing a possible hormonal imbalance as the cause of the problem.  Chelsea wanted to show her horse, not lose a year while she had a foal.  She asked her mother whether or not it was possible to foal the mare's body into thinking she was in foal.  Sharon, a certified herbalist, believed she could.  Using a custom made mixture of ten herbs including things like rosemary, peppermint and slippery elm, they began to solve the mare's behavioral problems from the inside out.  A few weeks later, the fear and resistance is disappearing and the mare has a promising future in the dressage ring.   "We didn't know if we could change her behaviour, but you never know until you try," said Sharon.

The use of herbs for healing is an old idea that is becoming new again.  Natural options to mainstream medicines are increasing in popularity among the human population and are also being used to help animals too.

As in the case of her daughter's horse, Sharon turned to herbal remedies to solve a problem.  Shortly after the birth of her second child in 1986, Sharon went temporarily blind in one eye. Doctors told her that there was nothing she could have done to prevent it and nothing to do to help it.   Unwilling to accept this Sharon began searching for answers on her own.  She met a herbalist and began to study the use of herbs eventually becoming a herbalist as well as an Iridologist.

It was while studying iridology that horses came into Sharon's life.  As a child she had always dreamed of owning her own horse and after enjoying some rides in Alberta the idea returned.  Within six months Sharon, husband Mervin and daughters Chelsea and Sarah were happy horse owners living on 40 acres near Lorette, MB.  It wasn't long before Sharon began applying her herbal knowledtge to her horses preferring not to us chemical wormers and injections.  Last year she began selling a line of herb products for horses.

Often people come to use herbs and other alternative approaches as a last resort to problems that traditional medicine haven't helped.  Sharon says that more and more owners of performance horses use the nutritional benefits of herbs to get the most from their horses.  One of the newest products she sells, Gluta-syn is endorsed by Canadian jumpers, Hugh Graham, Christi McQuaker and Frankie Chesler.  This powder replenishes the body's GSH (glutathione) levels and helps promote good health at the cellular level by removing damaging free radicals from the bloodstream.  People and horses today are exposed to toxins through air and environmental pollution and need help to detoxify their systems.  Sharon explains that symptoms like arthritis and tying up are indicative of antioxidant deficiency or low GSH levels.

MSM is a product often seen advertised in national horse publications.  This powder helps build the immune system but Sharon says that all horses who are fed only had and don't graze on pasture should be fed it as it provides a sulphur component not found in dry forages.  This also applies to horses on hay through our long Manitoba winters.

Some herbs are used to relax, loosen or soothe/cool while others tighten/tone or stumulate.  There are herbal solutions for a range of health problems.  During our interview, Sharon was busy mixing up a custom blend for a mare with a hormone imbalance that had been identified by the owner's vet.   Other common maladies such as respiratory and laminitis difficulties can be helped through herbal remedies, says Sharon.  Rhono, for instance, is a virus and can be controlled through nutrition and homeopathy.  "horses are easier to treat, you can control what they eat," says Sharon with a laugh, "Many of my human customers have trouble refraining from eating foods that aren't good for them - horses don't eat candy bars!"

Some herbs are easily found in our backyards.  She says that we should be feeding thos pesky dandelion greens to our horses - they purify the liver, acting as a tonic and anti-inflammatory.

Sharon cautions that herbs can be misused as well and can cause harm if not used correctly.  Many have beneficial effects but cause other actions which may be counterproductive.  For instance Devil's Claw is used to help arthritis but is also a uterine stimulant and should not be used on pregnant mares as it can cause premature labour.  Do not make the mistake of thinking that because herbs are natural they cannot hurt your horse.

Sharon says that owners should educate themselves and check out the manufacturer before buying.  Many companies don't guarantee the purity of their products and ultimately you shouldn't have to use a lot of different products.  There are several books available such as A Modern Horse Herbal by Hilary Page Self or Healing Your Horse, authored by several vets, which can offer some guidance.  Sharon says her role is often one of cunsultant, she regularly refers owners to other alternative options such as massage, acupuncture, magnetic therapy and others if she feels it can help.;  She encourages owners to talk to their veterinarian and is willing to discuss the use of herbal hremedies with them.

In 1998, Sharon founded the Natural Healing Centre (for people) in Winnipeg.  at the Centre, a group of natural therapists came together under one roof to offer their services.  Last year she decided to start her own business at home and add horses to her list of clients.  Now she can enjoy the benefits of rural living while helping others through herbal healing.   Sharon and family share their acreage with four horses and an assortment of dogs, cats, miniature goats and bantam chickens.  Her business, Naturally Yours Equine, is doing well with most of her customers finding her by word of mouth.  She has found a new level of satisfaction in her work through continued research into the field of using herbs to help horses.

"I'm not an evangelist, I'm here to help and I'm not afraid to voice my opinion.  I like to keep communication open between myself, the owner and other healthcare professionals.  People often need more information and I'm willing to offer an alternative."