Sleepy Hollow Equine Services

11/21/2025

Hi everyone,

I hope you and your horses are staying safe and healthy. I want to share a quick update regarding preventative precautions I’ll be taking in light of the recent EHV-1 and EHV-4 cases reported in other regions.⚠️

There are no known cases in our area at this time.
My goal is simply to stay proactive so we can continue sessions safely and responsibly.
Your horses’ health is my top priority, and these steps help ensure I’m doing everything possible to reduce risk while still providing the care they need.

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Precautions I Will Be Taking
Although the virus is not present locally, out of an abundance of caution I will be implementing the following protocols:

● Fully sanitizing all equipment (hands, tools, grooming instruments, and massage tools) between every horse and between barns.
● Wearing clean clothing for each barn, including a fresh outer layer if I’m visiting multiple locations in the same day.
● Disinfecting footwear before entering and after leaving each barn.
● Limiting cross-barn scheduling and allowing additional time between appointments for proper disinfection.
● Rescheduling immediately if I learn of any new exposure concerns or if I observe symptoms in a horse at a previous barn.

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Precautions I Ask From You
To help maintain a safe and responsible environment, I kindly ask owners to do the following before their massage appointment:

● Please do not schedule if your barn has had any recent fevers, neurological signs, respiratory symptoms, or suspected EHV cases.
● Bring your horse out with a clean halter and lead rope, if possible, to minimize shared-equipment contact.
● Notify me immediately if your horse has recently traveled, attended a show, or been in contact with horses outside your barn.

Important Travel/Exposure Notice

Although we have no cases locally, travel can still pose a risk. Because EHV can have an incubation period of up to 14 days, I ask that any horse who has recently traveled or had known exposure wait:

14 days symptom-free with a negative test, or
21 days symptom-free without testing
before their session. This helps ensure we’re not working on horses who may be shedding the virus before signs appear.
⸻
I know this situation can feel concerning even when cases aren’t in our area, but taking these simple preventative steps ensures we can continue sessions safely and confidently. If you have any questions or need to adjust your appointment, please feel free to reach out.
Thank you for your cooperation, your trust, and your commitment to keeping our horses healthy.

11/20/2025

This is a great post explaining why its beneficial to give horses some time off post bodywork.

Why Some Horses Feel “Different” the Day After a Massage

It’s normal for a horse to feel a little loose, wiggly, or slightly uncoordinated the day after bodywork. This isn’t a setback — it’s a sign the body and nervous system are reorganizing after tension releases.

Why It Happens

1. The Brain–Body Map Just Updated

Massage changes how the body moves and how the brain senses it. When old restrictions release, the horse needs 24–48 hours to recalibrate balance and coordination.

2. Fascia Is Rehydrating and Reorganizing

Fascia gains glide and elasticity after bodywork. As it reshapes, the horse may feel temporarily loose or “floppy” while new tension lines settle.

3. Muscle Tone Drops Before It Rebalances

Protective tension turns off first, and postural muscles turn on second. That short gap can feel like softness or mild instability.

4. Proprioception Is Resetting

The horse is getting a flood of new sensory information. The nervous system needs a bit of time to interpret it and organize new, freer movement.

5. Old Patterns Are Gone — New Ones Are Forming

When restrictions release, the old compensation disappears instantly. The new, healthier pattern takes a little time to establish.

Normal for 24–48 Hours

✔ Slight wobbliness
✔ Extra bendiness
✔ Feeling loose or “disconnected”
✔ Mildly behind the leg

Usually by day 2–3, movement improves noticeably.

Not Normal

✘ Lameness
✘ Heat or swelling
✘ Sharp pain
✘ Symptoms worsening after 48 hours

These need veterinary attention.

How to Support Integration
• Light walk work or hacking
• Hand walking
• Gentle stretching
• Turnout and hydration
• Pole work after 48–72 hours

Movement helps lock in new patterns.

Why Some Horses Recalibrate and Others Don’t

Every horse’s response reflects their unique body:

A horse may need more integration time if they’re:
• tight or guarded
• weak in stabilizing muscles
• coming out of chronic patterns
• sensitive or older
• less body-aware

A horse may feel great immediately if they’re:
• already symmetrical
• strong and conditioned
• biomechanically correct
• quick to adapt neurologically
• had fewer restrictions to begin with

Both responses are normal — they simply tell you a different story about the horse’s body and nervous system.

https://koperequine.com/the-power-of-slow-why-slow-work-is-beneficial-for-horses/

10/27/2025

Even the small hooks need to be addressed. Dental health affects every aspect of how the horse moves.

10/16/2025

Dental health is SO important! Interesting read on plague build up and how it can affect the fascial system.

Plaque, Pain, and Posture: How Oral Health Shapes the Equine Body

Plaque buildup on a horse’s teeth is more than cosmetic—it’s a subtle but significant source of chronic discomfort that can influence far more than the mouth. Through fascial connections, the trigeminal nerve, and the horse’s core postural system, even minor oral inflammation can affect comfort, movement, and behavior.

🦷 Plaque and Tartar Basics

Plaque is a soft biofilm of food, saliva, and bacteria that naturally forms on teeth. Without abrasion from forage or dental care, it hardens into tartar, irritating gums and allowing harmful bacteria to thrive.

Common buildup sites include:
• Around the canine teeth (especially in geldings and stallions)
• Incisors and gumline areas of the cheek teeth

This can lead to gingivitis, periodontitis, halitosis, feed dropping, and even tooth loss.

Contributing factors:
• Diets high in soft or sweet feeds
• Reduced grazing and chewing time
• Uneven dental wear or aging
• Hormonal differences (males often have more tartar)

Long-stem forage remains the horse’s best natural toothbrush.

🧠 Fascial and Neurological Effects

1. Fascial Continuity and Tension
The jaw muscles (masseter, temporalis, pterygoids) are wrapped in fascia continuous with the neck and shoulder. Oral inflammation can create protective bracing—tightening the jaw, poll, and cervical fascia—restricting motion and affecting the thoracic sling and forelimb balance.

2. Trigeminal Nerve Sensitization
Chronic gum irritation stimulates the trigeminal nerve, sometimes leading to hypersensitivity. Horses may show muzzle reactivity, poll resistance, or asymmetrical flexion—patterns that persist even after dental issues resolve.

3. Postural Compensation
Through the hyoid apparatus, jaw restriction alters fascial tone through the poll, neck, and shoulders, limiting scapular freedom and affecting gait. Shoulder or forelimb unevenness can stem from oral discomfort.

4. Emotional Impact
The mouth is richly innervated and emotionally sensitive. Ongoing irritation can keep horses in mild sympathetic arousal—guarded, tense, and less able to soften into contact or bodywork. Relief often brings immediate emotional and physical release.

🪥 Care and Prevention
• Schedule dental exams once or twice yearly.
• Provide ample long-stem forage.
• Scale canines or incisors as needed.
• Use dental rinses (e.g., chlorhexidine) for horses prone to buildup.
• Collaborate with your equine dentist or vet.

💡 The Bigger Picture

Even a small patch of plaque can send continuous “stress signals” through fascia and nerves, subtly shaping posture and movement.

Oral health is postural health:
A relaxed jaw leads to a relaxed poll, balanced sling, and a freer body.

10/05/2025

I spent the weekend in beautiful Shamong, NJ, supporting horses competing in the Mustang Memorial Endurance Ride.

I absolutely love these events! It’s so great seeing old friends and meeting new ones. The ride is so well managed, and there’s an amazing group of vets, farriers, and volunteers.

My favorite part is hearing the stories, supporting these wonderful equine athletes, and appreciating the bonds between horse and rider. See you all at Foxcatcher in the spring!

📸 Dom Turner

10/03/2025

Horses + Red Maple 🍁 can be dangerous!

If your horse eats dropped leaves from some types of maple trees, fast action will be required to save his life. Click the link in the comments to learn more.

10/02/2025

This makes me so sad. We are damaging our horses by starting them too young when their growth plates are not fused yet 😕