The Horse's Advocate Podcast

There is a turf war between veterinarians and non-veterinarians, both wanting to provide horses with preventive dental care. It started in the late 1990s and has gained protection behind laws meant to protect horse owners. But is there proof that any approach to floating is better than another? Or is it just positioning based on territorialism? I used the following script to make this podcast, but I also added to it freely to emphasize several points. This podcast is more formal than usual because I am reading a script I wrote in response to a graduate of my dentistry school challenged by the Veterinary Medical Association of her area. She is a non-veterinarian working in equine dentistry. Most of the United States allows individual states to determine what a profession is, and most states broadly state that veterinarians are the ones to perform medicine, surgery, and dentistry on any animal. This statement includes fish, reptiles, birds, and any other animal other than humans. It is the prerogative of the veterinary board to investigate anyone who does any work on any animal in their state. However, routine care of animals, including preventive medicine, is usually avoided. You can purchase and administer vaccines and dewormers, adjust angles on hooves, apply therapeutic shoes, prepare any mixture of medicinal supplements, breed horses, deliver foals, apply linaments, clip the hair of horses not shedding, splint crooked legs of foals, adjust bones, massage muscles, use red light, PEMF, and a dozen more things to a horse without being a veterinarian. But you cannot remove the unworn parts of the cheek teeth in horses, digging their sharp edges into the tongue and cheeks and causing pain with every movement of their jaw and tongue. I have been training veterinarians and non-veterinarians in the technique of Horsemanship Dentistry. My definition of this form of working on the teeth of horses is as follows: 1) Removing sharp points from horses' cheek teeth by filing them to a smooth edge is commonly called "floating teeth" but is also known as odontoplasty. The root cause of most dental problems is pain in the tongue and cheeks caused by sharp enamel points. Therefore, routine maintenance of the horse's teeth removes pain from these sharp points. Secondary to the removal of sharp points is finding pathology and addressing this. 2) Administering sedatives to horses for routine floating is unnecessary; instead, horsemanship skills are used for 97% of horses (from annual data consistent over the past decade). The remaining 3% are horses that are reactive to pain, fear the process, or have a painful procedure done, such as extracting a fractured cheek tooth. With those, I administer pain and anxiolytic medications. My name is Geoff Tucker, and I am a veterinarian who graduated from The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine (Cornell) in 1984. I have worked professionally with horses since 1973, starting on a Saddlebred farm in Ohio and moving to a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm in New York that same year. I completed my undergraduate degree at Cornell University in 1979 and graduated from veterinary school in 1984. In my autobiography, I tell my story: "Since The Days Of The Romans; My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses." It's available on Amazon, and I have also read it here on "The Horse's Advocate Podcast." While in veterinary school, my mentor told me the importance of maintaining horses' teeth. With him, I floated my first horse in 1983 and made this a part of my practice in 1984. Since then, I have logged the number of horses I have worked on or who I have taught. In February 2024, I recorded my 80,000th horse. But I always continued learning about horses' teeth and oral cavities. I have attended many continuing education courses offered by veterinary professional organizations in person or online. The New York State Equine Practice Committee invited me to join them in 1996. The reason for this...

This podcast is about sugar as a fuel for our horses to use when it's needed to run away from danger. However, I also tell the story of the risks of eating more sugar daily than is required to fuel the body. The first thing to know is that the body can make all the sugar needed to make it through the day. Adding sugar to food is required for only two things: replenishing stored sugar as glycogen for the next emergency and storing it as body fat for future use. Think of it as cash that you have either quick access to on a bank debit card (glycogen) or cash stored in a long-term asset requiring time to get, such as stocks or property (body fat). Further, think of using fat as fuel steadily released from body fat into the cell, like dividends automatically deposited into your bank. When sugar is released freely into the blood or cells, it sticks to proteins, preventing them from doing their jobs and causing damage. Over time, this damage will cause the demise of the cell and the horse. So why are you still feeding grain and giving hay 24/7? ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast breaks down how to feed horses into five simple rules based on what the food does, good and bad, within the horse. It is a short discussion that avoids a deep dive into science. Instead, it is a to-the-point instruction set for those wondering why their horses are falling apart in front of their eyes and what they can do to help the horse survive. There are no gimmicks or supplements. If your horse is sick or lame, there is a strong chance it has been caused by the food they eat. I tell you in the first part my five rules for feeding horses. After this, if you want to understand why I made these rules, I lightly go into the science. Future podcasts will go deeper into details to strengthen your ability to share what works for your horses with those still feeding the foods that make them unsound, unhealthy, or both. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast provides an alternative perspective to an interview published in an equine veterinary magazine with a board-certified veterinary equine dentist about EOTRH (Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis). I am troubled by what was said. Professionals are skipping to conclusions in a world demanding scientific evidence for decision-making on health issues. Worse, their focus is on treating this disease while saying multiple times that the cause is still unknown. In addition, alternative views are ignored and never mentioned, while there is good anecdotal evidence of many more cases of this disease. I hold nothing back but often become speechless. After 41 years of working on horse teeth, I have some thoughts that need airing, and I do so here. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast discusses the basics of breeding the mare and delivering the newborn foal. The number one rule of getting your mare bred is to develop good daily observational skills and record what you observe. This will show the subtle signs needed to get your mare bred successfully. The next most important thing to do is to create a good working relationship with a veterinarian skilled in reproduction. Delivering mares requires no intervention 90% of the time. However, you should still attend because they will need help for the remaining 10%. Of these problematic births, one will be life-threatening for the mare, foal, or both. I discuss how and when to intervene and when you need to call your veterinarian. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast discusses two significant thoughts about equine veterinary medicine. The first is the breadth and scope of veterinary medicine, which is so much more than just horses. This is evidenced by my discussion of all the articles presented in this month's Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). The second is that most new veterinary graduates are being trained for and applying to small animal medical practices. Horse owners have two responsibilities: first, to prevent disease and lameness in their horses, and second, to nurture their relationship with their veterinarian. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/).

This podcast discusses a comment by a listener who likes what I'm saying but doesn't like to feed herself or her horses anything genetically modified or treated with chemicals. All of us will agree with her. But is it possible in today's world? Is avoiding these two criteria (GMOs and chemicals) important relative to other factors, such as chronic protein deficiency? What can we control with the care of horses, and what is beyond our control? Most horse foods are altered and treated worldwide, keeping production costs low, yields high, and making horse food affordable. However, removing processed food with multiple ingredients from your horses' diet decreases exposure to GMOs and chemicals and removes their inflammatory effects. We need to work with what is given to us to make choices about feeding horses. Realize what is in our control and exclude things beyond it. Evolution perfected horses, but not for today's world. If you can find and afford organically grown food or turn them out on chemically free and ancient seeded pasture, then do so. But if you cannot, remove what you can from your horses' diet to reduce inflammation and add high-quality protein. The benefits of feeding to follow their evolution outweigh the effects of feeding imperfect food. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

In this podcast, I discuss two diseases that affect horses: Kissing Spine, which involves the overriding spinous processes, and peripheral vestibular disease, which is discussed at about the 16 to 17-minute mark. Kissing Spine is a relatively new condition discovered thanks to advancements in X-ray technology. The images show abnormal bone on and between the upright vertebrae spines. However, some veterinarians question the significance of finding these lesions on the X-ray of the thoracolumbar spines as the cause of pain in the horse. According to a new paper, lesions seen on X-rays may be developmental in young horses and not necessarily a result of weight placed on the horse's back. Peripheral vestibular disease causes a head tilt, one drooping ear, one half-closed eyelid with an unconstricted pupil, and a nose drawn to one side. There are several potential causes, the most common being "idiopathic," which means the cause is unknown. Fortunately, advancements in diagnostic technology are providing more information to identify the underlying cause. While advanced technology is critical to understanding equine health, it is essential to use it cautiously to avoid accepting visible differences as causal. Just because we observe them does not necessarily mean that they are problematic. Sometimes, we need to look elsewhere for the root cause of the issue. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

Many people face difficulties in convincing horse professionals such as vets and farriers to consider alternative approaches to horses' health. These professionals tend to resist change, making it uncomfortable to persuade them to adopt new ideas. I have recorded a podcast to discuss a book on horse health that was written over a hundred years ago in 1916. During the podcast, I read some paragraphs from the book and encouraged the listeners to question why certain diseases occur in horses. By taking a historical and worldwide perspective on horse health, we can gain a better understanding of how to prevent and limit disease and lameness. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

Published March 13, 2024 The First Law in my book, The Ten Irrefutable Laws Of Horsemanship, states, "A Horse Can Kill You." They are quicker and more muscular than humans, with clubs at the end of each limb. My original mentor, John Steiner, DVM, was killed by a horse while he was working on a stallion after his retirement. This week, two horses tried to add me to the list of fatalities caused by horses. But they didn't. This podcast is about why they didn't, how I use the knowledge of the brain, and how both horses and humans think to connect and prevent a disaster. It might be refreshing, or it might be something you have heard before but need help understanding. Either way, it is how I have learned to connect with horses I've never seen before and, within 30 seconds, start floating their teeth without medication. What I do can be used today by you without any other gear. It is all in the way you think. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

Published March 6, 2024 Feeding grain and processed feeds and supplements are killing our horses, yet these companies continue advertising to horse owners in all the horse magazines. However, with the Spring 2024 issue of The Horse, I discovered there were no ads for these foods, except for three supplements. Why? Because this issue focuses on equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). How can they do this and simultaneously promote the cause of EMS? They can't! Kudos to this magazine for taking a stand. It is the start of Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World™, and I am grateful. I discuss the article and add other ideas that will interest all owners, including metabolic flexibility, a description of the batteries within all cells, and a brief discussion using physics to explain why athletic horses do not need an extra 200 pounds (about 100kg). ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

February 21, 2024 I floated my 80,000th horse this week since my first one in May 1983. I include horses I helped in training others and a low estimate of the numbers I did from 1983 to 1997. So, if you want to be picky, you can reduce this to about 65,000 horses. But this podcast isn't about me and the enormous amount of horses I've seen for dental care. It is, instead, a call for help for the profession to start listening to horse owners who want their horses treated with respect and themselves fairly. They want dental care for their horses based on evidence, on one hand, and on the other hand, what is in the best interest of their horses. There will never be randomized, controlled studies with enough horses and without bias done over long enough periods to answer, with a reasonable degree of specificity, the questions asked by horse owners: is what we do necessary and not harmful? We do, however, have anecdotal evidence that has accumulated over a long time with many horses: 80,000 horses in 41 years. The purpose of this podcast is to say that while there is no proof of the causation of specific dental conditions in horses, abundant observations show strong correlations. With the AVMA pronouncing February as Pet Dental Month, horses (and all farm animals) are not mentioned. This absence is not encouraging. Many horse owners want an alternative to what their veterinarian offers for the dentistry of their horses. I worry that the horses will go with no dentistry if they decline the advanced dentistry techniques of the veterinarians, who cannot offer both styles. This decision may not be an issue with the declining number of veterinarians electing to work with horses. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

I attended the 2024 Ocala Equine Conference for my continuing education credits. While attendance is mandatory for maintaining my veterinary license, I have always found that these meetings fall short of inspiring me to learn. Instead, they help confirm that I am on the right track in bringing current information to you, the horse owner, while also generating more questions for me to investigate. In this podcast, I cover three topics discussed at this convention: free fecal water syndrome, ultrasonography of the equine tendon sheaths, and equine asthma. Each topic was informative, helping at a basic level with terminology and mechanics. But I add to the discussions to give you more depth and clear conclusions that will help your horses. Join me as I review my notes and add more in-depth details to bring relevance to horse owners and Help Horses Thrive In A Human World™. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

The first six weeks of 2024 have the highs of positive comments about horse owners changing the way they care for their horses, with them seeing positive results, and the lows of horse owners on the point of frustration because they can't get the care they need. The lift I get from those who have found my information helpful is the fuel to keep me going. However, in the past seven days, several stories have come to me describing ineffective care, advice, and even outright inability to get anyone to visit a farm with a horse needing care. My podcast examines what might be happening and where to assign the blame. If you are listening to this podcast, please look at the images in the show notes or listen to my description of the paintings. You may be surprised at who I blame, so don't get upset if I mention you in the run-up to my conclusion. As always, thank you for listening or watching. If you want to be part of the solution, pass on this information. above - Veterinary care for a horse in 1895 above - Veterinary care for a horse in 2005 ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

When used to understand nutrition, "calories in equals calories out" is the message of the First Law Of Thermodynamics. Everything on Earth, including horses, abides by this law; however, many factors affect both sides of the equation. It makes sense because every horse responds differently to the foods eaten and the amount of work done. Identifying the factors affecting a horse's response to what they are fed starts with understanding this law. I offer the vision of "adjusting the dials" when feeding individual horses, but this concept is lost in modern technology. Computers automatically adjust factors in engineering, such as automobiles. However, when feeding horses, what kind and how much going in will be balanced with their overall health by systems within the horse. Adjusting the food and its associated inflammatory factors will positively or negatively affect these systems. It is one example of the many "factors" affecting both sides of the "calories in equals calories out" equation. Helping to understand this complex concept, I use a simple banking analogy called the balance sheet: money in versus money out. Having too little makes painful problems, but having too much can too. Balancing the stress of taxes and excess work associated with more income offsets the extra work involved in maintaining what the money buys. To this point, horse owners work harder and longer to create the extra cash for the care of horses (or eat more food to build body fat reserves), while enjoying the use of the horse requires time and energy in training and competing (diet and exercise to maintain the ideal weight). Adding the work needed to keep both sides close to balance is a lifelong challenge for all things, including our horses. The better we do this, the healthier our horses will be. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

Stress comes in two parts: the immediate response from the adrenal glands with adrenaline and the longer-lasting response from the adrenals with cortisol. There are specific reasons all mammals (humans and horses) have these stress systems: life is stress-filled. In the past, stress factors were much less frequent, so the body had a chance to "reset." Unfortunately, in today's world, the effect of continuous stress adds to the "set point," causing it to rise with the result that more cortisol circulates in the body. This higher level affects systems, causing increased appetite, body fat storage, and muscle degradation. Over time, obesity occurs along with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), muscle wasting, lameness, hoof problems, immune suppression and autoimmune diseases, and other ailments commonly seen today. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast continues the simplification of one of the 7 "things" placed into our horses. These are air, water, minerals, various plant compounds, sugar, protein, and fat. The last two podcasts covered sugar and fat. Today, I discuss protein in the diets of horses. Proteins are the most important of all the ingredients that horses need besides air and water. When planning horse diets, you must determine how much protein is required before adding carbohydrates and fats. This podcast explains what proteins are and why it is essential to start here. Using a protein-first approach to feeding your horses, you are arming them to fight disease, illness, and lameness; all of these will end your horse's usefulness prematurely or worse. High-quality protein is the key to giving horses a healthspan and improving your return on your investment. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast continues the simplification of one of the 7 "things" placed into our horses. These are air, water, minerals, various plant compounds, sugar, protein, and fat. The last podcast covered sugar, and the next podcast will cover protein. Today, I discuss fat in the diets of horses. Where do horses naturally get their fat in their diets? Is adding fat to the diet good for horses? What exactly is fat, the Omega fats, and how do fats get from the gut or the fat cells to the muscle cells for use? I answer these questions to clarify the confusing information we all get from the noise of experts and marketing. In a nutshell, horses get their fat from the cellulose they eat. If allowed to migrate over great distances, I'm sure there are other sources, such as oils from grains eaten in a short growing season. But when fed only pasture and hay, horses do very well in making what they need from the bacterial digestion of cellulose. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

PLEASE NOTE AN ERROR AT 32 minutes and 25 seconds: I said (and wrote) pyruvate, but I meant to say PROPIONATE as one of the short chain fatty acids. Welcome to 2024! This year, I aim to break down all the details of what we feed our horses into bite-sized, easy-to-digest pieces of information. Based on feedback, when we get an overload of information, only parts stick in our memories and knowledge base. When challenges, either by ourselves or others asking questions about what we've learned, our memory fails. This podcast is the first in a series that starts this process. I take one of the seven things placed inside the horse - sugar - and I define it and then discuss its relationship to the other things placed in the horse. Future podcasts will do the same for fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Later, I will bring these concepts together and look at how they work in our horses (metabolism) both on the cell level and the whole body. If I do this correctly, everyone will have the information to feed horses in a way that will help them thrive. But only some people need the details to think that what I say makes sense. They "get it" but may not be able to defend it. These podcasts will help those who want to spread the information to others, and this is as important as helping your horses because there are so many more horses out there waiting to hear this message. Let me leave you with what my client said yesterday, after switching over to a no-grain diet plus soybean meal eight months ago, "all of my horses are happier, fitter, healthier, coats are beautiful, weights look consistently perfect, and the performance has been nothing but fantastic!" Let's get this message out to others. Thank you for watching or listening. Doc T ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."

This podcast is a mix of two subjects. The first subject concerns oral care and teeth health in horses. I go over a paper about peripheral carries, which is the decay of the outer edge of the cheek teeth near the gum line. I explain how the tooth is demineralized (loses minerals) as the pH of the oral cavity changes by the food and water consumed. I also looked at two related papers. One goes over the prevalence of EOTRH (a disease of the jaw, incisors, and canine teeth of horses) in Icelandic horses living in Germany, and the other paper discusses the incidence of oral health of the incisors and canines of Icelandic horses residing in Iceland, their natural environment. The second subject of this podcast is understanding the scientific method of reporting studies and the interpretation and further questioning I have after reading them. It requires a mind willing not to take things at face value. There is no right or wrong to my interpretations. However, I make a clear point: reading scientific papers requires a lot of thought. Being spoon-fed information gets us all in trouble while thinking “outside the box” creates more questions than answers. Through better questioning, better solutions evolve. ********** TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a website for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its membership side allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide working with horses. HorsemanshipDentistry.com is a website that discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. TheEquinePractice.com/appointment HorsemanshipDentistrySchool.com is a website for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. There are eight spots a year for interested students PLUS, there is a separate online course for those wanting to learn how to do this but can never get to South Florida for hands-on training. Show support for The Horse's Advocate by wearing a hat or shirt or drinking from a cup, all with the official logo. Go to this link for our swag (https://the-horses-advocate.creator-spring.com/). Please give a thumbs up or 5-star review and share these everywhere. I know horse owners worldwide listen, and the horses need every one of you in "Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World."