Sugar River Equine, LLC

03/01/2026

📣 Multiple Announcements 📣
Please read!!

✨ Now Offering Equine Craniosacral Therapy as a stand-alone service ✨

I recently completed my craniosacral module through the Vluggen Institute and am now offering Equine Craniosacral Therapy (CST) as a separate service.
As I continue refining my assessment skills and flow within this modality, introductory pricing will be available for a limited time.

🐴 What is Craniosacral therapy?? 🐴

Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on modality that works directly with the central nervous system. It focuses on the relationship between the cranium, spine, sacrum, fascia, and the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord.

Every horse has a measurable craniosacral rhythm created by the production and reabsorption of cerebrospinal fluid. Restrictions in fascia or membranes — whether from injury, repetitive strain, training pressure, ill-fitting tack, stress, trauma ,etc — can influence this rhythm and contribute to nervous system dysregulation.
When the nervous system remains in a protective state, the body cannot fully release tension (even if they have received previous bodywork!).

CST uses extremely light touch to assess and support the release of restrictions affecting the craniosacral system. Rather than forcing change, the technique facilitates the horse’s own self-regulating and self-correcting mechanisms.

Craniosacral therapy is quiet work. It requires patience and observation, but the shifts can be profound when the nervous system is given space to recalibrate.

This is extremely light-touch work that addresses:
• Nervous system regulation
• Cranial and sacral mobility
• Membrane, dural, and suture restrictions
• Deep protective holding patterns

Common responses during sessions:
• Yawning, licking, chewing
• Head lowering
• Softening through the eye and jaw
• Deep sighing
• Fascial unwinding
• Full-body relaxation

⸻

💲Pricing

Since opening in 2019, I’ve continued to expand my education, skill set and experience.
I incorporate advanced deep tissue, myofascial work, basic acupressure and Masterson method techniques, BEMER sessions, stretching, and I am starting to include osteopathic-based principles into every session as I continue my final full year of equine osteopathy at the Vluggen Institute of Equine Osteopathy and Education.

Due to my increasing education and the level of therapeutic work provided, my session pricing will be updated effective immediately.

Standard bodywork session rate to be increased $10: new price $110 per horse

Equine Craniosacral Therapy (60–75 minutes):
✨ Introductory Rate: $85
(Regular rate will be $110)

3-Session Craniosacral Package:
✨ Introductory Rate: $240 total ($80 per session)
(Regular rate will be $300)
Recommended for horses needing regulation support or chronic pattern work. Package sessions should be used within 6–8 weeks for best results.

❤️ I am deeply grateful to my long-term clients and will be reaching out directly regarding loyalty pricing. ❤️

⸻

🚗 Travel

Because my business is my sole income, and to account for gas, vehicle wear, and time away from my son, I will be implementing travel fees for everyone effective immediately.

Within 15 miles – No travel fee
• 16–35 miles – $15 travel fee
• 36–45 miles – $25 travel fee
• 46+ miles – Custom quote
Travel fees may be split between multiple horses at the same barn.

⸻

If you’d like to discuss whether craniosacral therapy or massage therapy would be appropriate for your horse, feel free to message me.

Thank you for trusting me with your horses’ care, I look forward to expanding the depth of support I can offer for your horses ❤️— I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

12/14/2025

Bemer sale in coming!
Don’t you want one under the tree for your pony this year???

12/06/2025

How to get your bodyworker to come out in the New Hampshire winters:
1) have a clean and dry horse
2) own a solarium
🤣grateful 🙏🏻

11/28/2025

🌿 Why I’d Choose Herbs Over Another “Gastric Support” Pellet

I came across a new gastric support product today.
Looked at the label… and straight away I saw:

• Magnesium oxide (cheap, poorly absorbed)
• Buffers that only work for minutes
• Binders and fillers
• Artificial flavouring
• Pellet carriers with no nutritional value

👉Nothing in it actually heals the stomach.
It just buffers acid temporarily and masks symptoms.

Horses don’t need more processed pellets,
they need to be fed like horses.

Forage first. Fibre first.
The stomach should never be empty, or left empty for long.

And when a horse truly needs gastric support, you can do so much more with real herbs:

🌿 Marshmallow leaf/root – coats & soothes
🌿 Plantain leaf – heals the gut lining
🌿 Meadowsweet – natural anti-acid
🌿 Chamomile – settles nerves + digestion
🌿 Linseed (soaked) – forms a protective gel for the gut
🌿 Liquorice root (cycled) – supports mucosa & adrenals
🌿 Fennel / Mint – ease gas & tension
🌿 Psyllium husk – gentle hindgut support

Correct feeding + herbs = long-term gastric health.
A bucket of fillers will never replace a forage-based diet and real plant medicine.

Herbs work with the horse’s body.
Pellets just try to imitate what nature already does.

11/07/2025

It’s officially stick season! ❤️🍂🪾

‼️ Heads up friends! My November calender is fully booked and December is almost full too! 😲
I am so grateful!! 🙏🏻
Please don’t hesitate to make your appointments! Reach out so I can get you on my schedule asap

10/21/2025

It’s was a beautiful day to work on some beautiful ponies! 💕

10/10/2025

I have almost 400 bulbs of garlic!
Organically grown by yours truly
7 different varieties, mostly hardneck
$14/lb-good for eating or seed!

If anyone is interested in some please let me know and I will bring it to our appointment! 😊

10/05/2025

How massage reduces pain — the main mechanisms
1. Sensory gating (Gate Control Theory): Gentle pressure and stroking activate large-diameter Aβ mechanoreceptors which inhibit transmission of nociceptive signals at the spinal cord level — i.e., touch “closes the gate” on pain signals.
2. Descending pain inhibition / endogenous opioids: Manual therapy and massage can activate descending inhibitory pathways (periaqueductal gray → brainstem → spinal cord) and release endorphins/endorphin-like mediators that reduce pain perception.
3. Local tissue effects (circulation, lymph, muscle tone): Massage increases local blood and lymph flow, helps clear metabolic waste (e.g., CK after exercise in horses), reduces muscle hypertonicity, and restores mobility of fascia and soft tissues — all of which can lower peripheral nociceptive input.
4. Neurophysiological and stress modulation: Massage reduces physiological stress markers (cortisol), lowers sympathetic arousal, and reduces anxiety/defensive behaviours — these systemic effects lower pain sensitivity and improve coping.

Bottom line for horses: massage is widely used and plausibly helpful for reducing muscle-related pain, stress, and aiding recovery after exercise.

• Vigotsky AD et al., “The Role of Descending Modulation in Manual Therapy” — mechanisms review.
• Atalaia T. et al., “Equine Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review” (2021) — overview of evidence in horses.
• Haussler & others, “Review of Manual Therapy Techniques in Equine Practice” (2009) — clinical background & evidence.
• Pilat B., “Equine Massage Following Intense Work: Effects On Plasma CK” (2020 student study) — an example physiological study.
• Kumar S. et al., “The effectiveness of massage therapy for the treatment of pain” (2013 review) and more recent evidence-mapping (JAMA Network/Open 2024) for up-to-date systematic review coverage.

https://koperequine.com/why-post-operative-massage-for-equines-can-work-wonders/

10/04/2025

08/11/2025

First day back at work! Little man slept all 3 hours, born to be in the barn! 😉
I will be reaching out to everyone to start scheduling soon!
Thank you all for your patience while I enjoy this time!

06/17/2025

We welcomed our baby boy to the world on Father’s Day ❤️

Arliss Landon Wright
June 15th, 2025 8:41am
5lbs 15oz
18 1/2 inches tall 🥰

Words truly can’t express the feelings Gary and I have for him, he is so perfect! ❤️

04/25/2025

A 2017 study found that racehorses receiving corticosteroid injections were FOUR TIMES more likely to suffer musculoskeletal injuries. These weren’t minor lamenesses, they led to long layups, early retirements, and in some cases, catastrophic breakdowns. That stopped me in my tracks. When we inject a horse to keep them “sound,” are we treating the injury, or are we simply hiding the pain?

Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatories. They offer quick relief, especially for sore joints, but repeated use has a risky side. Over time, corticosteroids can accelerate cartilage breakdown and damage the very structures we’re trying to protect. That’s not just theory, it’s been proven in multiple studies. One 2022 review published in Equine Veterinary Education warned that long-term use of corticosteroids, even in low doses, can lead to irreversible joint degeneration.

And it’s not just steroids. Treatments like IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein) and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) are widely used, but the science behind them is still emerging. A recent meta-analysis found highly inconsistent outcomes with some horses showing improvement, and others none at all. These therapies show promise, but they are not miracle fixes. Their long-term benefits and risks remain unclear, especially when used repeatedly without a comprehensive rehab plan.

Even alternatives like Adequan and Polyglycan come with caveats. Adequan (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan) can help reduce inflammation and protect cartilage in the short term, but does not show lasting curative effects without rest or additional therapy. Polyglycan, often marketed as a joint lubricant, has been linked to increased bone proliferation and osteophyte formation. That means while it might make your horse feel better in the short term, it could be quietly encouraging abnormal bone growth that worsens arthritis and limits joint mobility over time.

It seems that most injections don’t fix the problem, they just silence the alarm bell. And when we quiet that bell without solving what caused it, we set the horse up for further breakdown. They keep working through masked pain, compensating, and eventually injuring something else. What seems like a solution quickly becomes a cycle of damage.

So, what does responsible use look like? It starts with intent. Injections should never be used as routine “maintenance” or as a preventative measure in otherwise healthy joints. There is no such thing as a preventative joint injection. Every time you inject a joint, you’re altering its natural chemistry and potentially weakening its future integrity. Instead, injections should be used after thorough diagnostics: imaging, flexions, lameness exams, and only as part of a comprehensive plan. That means rest. That means thoughtful rehab. That means time to retrain healthier movement patterns so the horse can come back stronger and more balanced, not just numbed. Injections can open a door to recovery, but they are not the recovery itself.

Responsible use also means reevaluating the workload. If a horse needs regular injections to keep doing the job, then maybe it’s the job that needs adjusting. I’m not saying injections are evil. They’ve done wonderful things for horses I’ve known and I’m not saying we should all stop injections forever. But if Beauty’s hocks need to be injected three times a year just to keep her jumping the 1.20s, maybe the 1.20s are no longer where she belongs. Maybe it's time to listen to what her body is telling us.

I’m not a vet. I don’t have a medical degree. I’m just someone who enjoys research and writing, and I would still argue that we need more research to ultimately determine what is "safe" for our horses. However, I do think it's important to be aware of what the science currently says, and having hard conversations about if the potential risk is worth the reward.

Your vet is your best friend in this process. Don’t change your horse’s care plan because someone on Facebook shared a study about joint injections being questionable…or because someone else said they’re harmless. Talk to your vet. Ask hard questions. Understand exactly what these drugs do, how long they last, and what they mean for your horse’s future soundness. Your vet knows your horse better than I ever could, and they want to help you make the best choices, not just the most convenient ones.

Studies used:

Johnson, B. J., et al. (2017). "Association between corticosteroid administration and musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbred racehorses." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 250(3), 296–302.

Textor, J. A., & Tablin, F. (2012). "Platelet-rich plasma in equine musculoskeletal therapy." Canadian Veterinary Journal, 53(8), 841–849.

Frisbie, D. D., & McIlwraith, C. W. (2014). "Evaluation of autologous conditioned serum and platelet-rich plasma for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses." Equine Veterinary Education, 26(12), 572–578.

McIlwraith, C. W., et al. (2012). "Effects of intra-articular administration of sodium hyaluronate and polysulfated glycosaminoglycan on osteoarthritis in horses." EquiManagement Clinical Research Reports.

Burba, D. J., et al. (2011). "Evaluation of pentosan polysulfate sodium in equine osteoarthritis." Equine Veterinary Journal, 43(5), 549–555.

Garbin, L. C., Lopez, C., & Carmona, J. U. (2021). A Critical Overview of the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Equine Medicine Over the Last Decade. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 641818.

Boorman, S., McMaster, M. A., Groover, E., & Caldwell, F. (2022). Review of glucocorticoid therapy in horses: Intra-articular corticosteroids. Equine Veterinary Education, 35(6), 327–336.

Nedergaard, M. W., et al. (2024). Evidence of the clinical effect of commonly used intra-articular treatments of equine osteoarthritis. Equine Veterinary Education.