There’s a kind of magic that happens when you learn from someone who’s walked the path. Who not only read about remedies but lived them. They experienced them through scraped knees, panicked children, sick animals, and those moments where instinct meets experience.
That’s exactly what I learned in a recent webinar. I attended this webinar hosted by Canadians for Homeopathy. It was called “Building a Homeopathic First Aid Kit.”
The speaker was Shirley Gardner, a lifelong horsewoman, educator, and home prescriber. Her stories combined decades of barn life, riding schools, and horse shows. They also captured healing, all infused with the quiet power of homeopathy.
It wasn’t just what was in her kit that stuck with me. It was how she used it. She used it with care.
With clarity. With confidence.
I wanted to share some highlights here. These are not as a “how-to.” They are more of a reflection on what it means to be prepared. It’s about observing carefully and letting homeopathy walk with you through the unexpected.
🐴 Homeopathy in the Field: A Hot Day at a Horse Show
The story Shirley shared took place on a sweltering summer day at a horse show. She brought along a group of young riders. Some of them were competing for the first time. She also brought a few seasoned school horses. As is often the case with events like this, things started going sideways before the first round even began.
Two horses, as soon as they were loaded into the trailer, passed watery manure — a clear sign of anxiety. One young rider kept slipping away to the bathroom, pale and quiet. Shirley recognized the pattern right away: anticipatory nerves.
She reached for Gelsemium. It is a remedy known for fear that paralyzes. This kind of anxiety leads to trembling and blank minds. It also causes a desire to disappear.
Each of them received one dose. This included two horses and one shy little girl. A little while later, things had settled. The manure firmed up. The rider rejoined her friends. Show day could begin.
That’s the thing about homeopathy — when it’s the right remedy, the shift is almost imperceptible. Not dramatic. Just… balanced.
🧠 It’s Not Just What You Pack — It’s How You Use It
Shirley made it clear that a first aid kit is only part of the equation. What really matters is knowing how to observe, match symptoms, and stay steady in your decision-making.
Take Monica, a spectator who had badly bruised her tailbone in a fall earlier that week. She’d skipped her usual pain meds that morning — they made her too drowsy — but she was struggling to walk, grimacing with every step.
Shirley offered her Hypericum 200C, one of our best remedies for injuries to nerve-rich areas. An hour later, Monica was doing squats beside the show ring to prove how much better she felt. By the end of the week, she’d never needed another dose — or another painkiller.
Then there was Francine, one of the helpers. Overcome by heat, red-faced and headachy, she was slumped in the shade with cold packs on her temples. Shirley noticed Francine had sunstroke. She gave her Glonoinum. This remedy is made from nitroglycerin and is known for headaches that feel like they’ll burst through your skull.
It worked within twenty minutes. Francine later admitted that she often got “sun headaches,” and nothing conventional had ever helped before.
That’s the beauty of homeopathy. When you really see the case, the remedy works like a whisper. It acts gently, powerfully, and undeniably.
🔥 A Side-by-Side Test: Internal vs External Remedies
Later that day, everyone was dealing with sunburn. Shirley offered a little impromptu experiment. Some folks took Cantharis 30C internally. Others had Cantharis lotion applied topically (made from mother tincture diluted 1:10 with water).
Both worked — but Shirley noticed something interesting the next morning. The skin that had been touched by the lotion was cool. It was calm and healed. The areas she missed? Still red. Still sore.
Internal remedies treated the system; the lotion offered local relief. Each played its part — and both were useful in different ways.
🥄 Dosing Wisdom That Stuck With Me
If you’ve read The Organon or studied with a good teacher, you know that less is more in homeopathy. But Shirley offered a practical reminder I found incredibly helpful:
“Take only as needed.”
She described how, in acutes, you don’t set a timer. You watch. If symptoms come back, that’s your signal to repeat.
But not the same way.
She shared a simple technique: dissolve two pellets in a small glass of water. When it’s time to redose, stir the water briskly 10 times before giving the next spoonful. That stirring (or succussing) slightly increases the potency — just enough to keep pace with the healing.
It’s a small act. Yet, hearing it described in such a grounded, humble way felt so meaningful. Not theory. Just experience.
🧰 So… What’s in the Kit?
Shirley keeps her kit in a tiny bullet box. It is just 5 inches across. The box is filled with half-gram bottles. Each bottle contains about 200 granules. It’s compact, portable, and surprisingly complete.
She also brings along a few spray bottles pre-filled with clean water. If a horse (or child, or adult) needs a remedy immediately, she adds a few granules to the spray bottle. Then, she sprays the mixture directly into the mouth.
She reminded us that horses and humans often need the same remedies. Gelsemium for show nerves. Hypericum for nerve injuries. Cantharis for burns. Arnica, always. The only difference? Observation.
✨ The Real Takeaway: Confidence Over Perfection
What I loved most about this webinar wasn’t the lists or the protocols — though they were helpful.
It was the reminder that homeopathy lives in real moments:
- A flushed face on a hot day.
- A horse who won’t drink.
- A child standing apart from her friends.
- A woman wincing with each step.
It lives in our attention. It’s our ability to pause. We can look closely and ask the quiet question: What’s really going on here?
And it offers us not just healing, but confidence. Not because we know everything, but because we know how to listen.
Shirley closed her talk with a gentle wish:
“May your kit stay quiet over the holidays. But if it doesn’t, may you feel confident reaching for what you need.”
That feels like a pretty good blessing to carry into the new year.
☀️ Want to Learn More?
Shirley Gardner teaches several beginner-level online courses in acute care. They’re designed to help you grow your confidence in using homeopathy for real-life situations. This can be at home, at the barn, or wherever life takes you.
She also shares her slides and notes for this webinar on request.
📧 Email: learn@canadiansforhomeopathy.com
🌐 Website: canadiansforhomeopathy.com
✍🏼 Over to You…
Have you ever had a moment where homeopathy saved the day at a sports event? Was it during a road trip? Or was it an unexpected injury?
What’s in your first aid kit?
Leave a comment below — I’d love to hear your story.
Until next time,
Stay curious, stay grounded, and stay gently prepared.
Empowered by Homeopathy: Your Guide to Holistic Health 
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