When my daughter had cancer (please note, thankfully, the past tense "had"!!), a reiki healer visited the hospital(University Collge Hospital London) weekly and my daughter thought he was amazing! (Daughter now all clear - phew!!!) Reckoned she felt great after he'd done his bit (whatever that was!).
Hmmmmm. No experience but inclined to think tosh coz (a) how can it possibly work except that if you think it does then it's lifting your spirits which has to be good and (b) if it really was the answer, then vets all over the world would be downing tools and using it. Sorry. Just my opinion.
Humans or horses? My sister started Reiki training, and she does it on my horse - He is always WIRED afterwards for a few days. Definitely different! You think he is going to sleep as he gets sooo dopey during it. If you ride after then its like a completely different horse.
Sunnymum reiki is not meant to be used on its' own for humans or horses, but in conjunction with conventional treatment.
You've kind of answered yourself in a way, with your comment about lifting people's spirits and making them feel good. So if that is all that it achieves than that has to be good in itself surely?
I've had reiki treatments done on our horses and they absolutely love it. Get chilled out beyond belief. The whole ethos of reiki is "do no harm". So even if people don't think it can do any good it certainly can't hurt a horse. Most of it is hands off anyway, and where it is hands on the practitioner is only resting their hands on you or the horse, they don't use any pressure.
A friend had her dog who was suffering from cancer given reiki, her vet was happy for her to have it done. Although sadly she didn't survive my friend said the reiki definitely gave her a lift.
My horse has had it a few times and he seems to love it.
I have found it very helpful when he has been on box rest etc as he seems to feel much better. Even if it's not actually doing much else it was worth it to lift his spirits.