Dark Horse Equine Massage

12/10/2025

Do your poles! ✅🐴

12/09/2025

Blankets impact the whole body’s ability to move! Try this!
…At this point, the horses are relaxed and I’m the frozen one!! 🥶❄️

12/05/2025

Obviously my horse gets a hat too!! A special thanks to my MIL for this matching hat magic!! ❄️⛄️🪄🦄

12/04/2025

Your horse didn’t make the Naughty List… but the things that make their bodies miserable definitely did. ❌🐴✨

12/02/2025

Proud supporter and lover of senior horses 🩷

11/30/2025

Gift cards and festive appointments available! 🎄🐴🎅🏻

11/27/2025

PLEASE always practice appropriate biosecurity! Please also let me know if your horse has recently been “out and about”! We want to keep everyone as safe as possible 🩷

Equine herpesvirus (EHV) is a family of equine viruses named by numbers including EHV-1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with EHV-1,3,4 posing the most risk for domestic horses. EHV is a common DNA virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide. The two most common species are EHV-1 and EHV-4.

11/27/2025

Today I’m extra grateful for horses who teach us patience, presence, and the joy of gentle connection- and for the clients who trust me to take care of their special equine partners 🩷
May your day be filled with good food, soft nickers, warm muzzles, and all the things that make your heart feel full!
Give your horses an extra hug from me today!
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🩷🐴

11/27/2025

We don’t have an indoor, so weather can really wreck our progress if we don’t get a little creative! You can use what you have to make rehab exercises work for you! I actually liked the bedding bags better than poles because when walking poles there is no real consequence if one gets clipped besides mild annoyance. The bags were something my horse KNEW she shouldn’t stand on, and therefore she really worked to lift all the way over them and take a nice stride! Give it a try!

11/24/2025

I will definitely be checking out this webinar and you should too! 👍🏻🎉

Did you know that there is a direct link between gastric disease, hoof balance and posture?

Posture has been shown to be reflective of autonomic nervous state. A sympathetic posture, high head and neck carriage and camped under, you will also recognise as an abnormal compensatory posture, and a parasympathetic nervous posture, head and neck relaxed and a normal neutral posture. See the postures in the image.

In a sympathetic state the body is in flight or fight mode, increased cortisol levels and the body is focusing blood supply and nutrients to the musculoskeletal system.
In the parasympathetic state, the body is in the rest and digest mode.

Hoof balance has been shown to directly impact static posture, and can put the horse into either of these states! In fact anything that creates a stress response can move a horse into the sympathetic state. Feed, confinement, psychosocial deficit, Domestication itself!

See the ethological series of webinars for a dive into what creates each state..

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/collections?category=courses&page=4

What's important to understand, in that light, is that in the sympathetic state, visceral function rapidly declines, leading to disease such as gastric ones, that lead to further sympathetic activation. The cycle ensues!!

This is why gastric disease is ubiquitous in the equine world, often blamed for behavioural issues. Sometimes it is the start of the cycle, sometimes its the symptomatic scapegoat for the rest of the horses world, including hoof balance.

Join myself and world-renowned Dr Ben Skyes for an upcoming webinar where we delve into these relationships!
Live Nov 26th 8am GMT. Recorded for anyone who cant make it live!!

Link below👇

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/egus

11/20/2025

I always feel better safe than sorry! Your horse’s health comes first- because even the best massage isn’t worth an outbreak! ✨🐴🩷

11/20/2025

⚠️ EHV-1 Awareness!

You may be seeing reports of recent EHV-1 cases linked to horses returning from an event in Texas. While Texas feels far away, EHV-1 spreads primarily through TRAVEL, which is why awareness is important—even here!

We are not seeing cases locally, but this is a good reminder to stay proactive and keep good bio security in mind

What can you do?

1. Isolate Recently Traveled Horses

If your horse has:
Been to a show, clinic, or event
Traveled out of state
Been around horses that traveled
Please keep them separate from the main barn for 14 days.

No shared water, equipment, or turnout.

2. Take Temperatures Twice Daily

Fever (101.5°F+) is usually the first sign.
Call your vet if you see any fever or changes in behavior

3. Watch for Early Symptoms

Contact your veterinarian immediately for:
Fever
Hind-end weakness or incoordination
Decreased appetite or lethargy
Difficulty urinating or odd stance

4. Strengthen Biosecurity

Avoid sharing buckets or grooming tools, disinfect equipment, and keep new/traveled horses monitored separately.

We are monitoring the situation closely and will update clients as new information comes out. If your horse has recently traveled or been exposed to traveling horses, please reach out—we’re here to help guide you on monitoring and isolation.

You can also follow the Equine Disease Communication Center for updates on known cases.