The Horse's Advocate Podcast

As science advances, new ideas about our existence develop that challenge our beliefs. As 2026 begins, more and more credible scientists, with irrefutable credentials, are now willing to address ideas that, only a few years ago, would have been dismissed. Luckily, those of you who have been following me over the years will notice my hinting that there is something "out there" that connects us to horses (and each other).

In my 2010 book, "The Ten Irrefutable Laws Of Horsemanship," I suggested in Law Nine that "Energy Is Everything." Now, 16 years later, science is finding the facts behind this...

The information about care for our horses is overwhelming and often conflicting. The reason is simple: accurate science with horses is impossible due to the expense.

The rule for scientific study follows a simple roadmap. First, suggest a hypothesis, which is a supposition based on observation but not on facts or evidence. Then, scientists work hard to disprove the hypothesis. If they can't prove it wrong, then it must be right, and, therefore, the hypothesis becomes a theory based on fact.

Several problems arise in collecting facts, such as ensuring there are enough subjects in...

More dramatic stories from horse people about how tooth extractions were recommended by veterinarians, with one causing weight loss and permanent diet changes, and the other averted by a second opinion. What was common to both stories was that no horse had a chewing, eating, or weight problem before the recommendation.

I discuss the common practice of "comlexication," in which experts, professionals, and agenda-driven companies impose their unproven theories on the care of our horses. Theories require rigorous scientific examination; however, all horse studies can barely prove causation. Rather, they depend on correlation, which allows for opinions...

I remember when I started my veterinary career: someone told me that, although I was skilled and had just graduated from vet school, the older local veterinarian had more experience. I responded that just because he was old doesn't mean he was aware of the new techniques and knowledge I had just learned. This dynamic remains unchanged, and it seems just as misguided now as it did back then. I now realize that, while horses haven't changed much over the thousands of years they have coexisted with humans, our approach to their care has evolved significantly. I often turn...

I will be a member of a roundtable discussion on equine dentistry in December, along with a dozen or so other equine dentists. The goal, according to the manager of this discussion, is to table everyone's ideas and to hear everyone's opinion. We have all been asked not to denigrate contributors because equine dentists are siloed into their beliefs and are contentious in defending their beliefs as fact.

Facts, however, are facts, and with them, theories can be proven. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia) famously said this: "I never...

I have returned to podcasting after a 7-month hiatus. There are two reasons:

I discuss the effect of relying only on what we know to draw conclusions about the care of horses; the term silo (siloed, siloing) is commonly used.

A silo is a long, v...

There are two reasons for horses to become obese. The first reason is that they eat more calories daily than they use. The intake of calories is in the form of excess starch from hay and grains and excess fat from the digestion of cellulose in the hindgut.

The second reason is often misunderstood. There must be a demand for the fat stored in the body fat; otherwise, it will remain or even increase body fat. The demand is created when muscle cells are used to the point of exhaustion, which, in terms of metabolism, means the...

In South Dakota, the legislature is working on a bill making it legal for non-veterinarians to float horses' teeth by hand or with power and possibly using sedation. The same is happening in Oregon, with the addition of non-vets pregnancy-checking livestock. In Colorado, a mid-level veterinary practitioner has been established, helping fill the void where veterinarians are not filling the need.

Eleven new veterinary colleges are being developed in the US, yet there is a shortage of horse vets. This podcast looks at the situation from two very different points of view: the veterinarian's and the horse...

Uncertain people do uncertain things. This uncertainty affects everything, including people and horses, and not necessarily in good ways. Most people have addressed the quest to conquer their inner self, but few become successful. Our horses know this.

This podcast looks at the essence of all horsemanship, or, in other words, leadership, because horsemanship IS leadership. It comes from within us, but most people react to things in our lives. To improve your poor relationship with your horse (or any human), you must look inward and improve your view of life as a whole.

Brain...

Horse hooves can experience various problems that farriers and veterinarians work to address with their specialized skills and equipment. These issues include crushed heels, splayed walls, cracked walls, dropped soles, bruised soles, and sole abscesses. However, in every conference I attend, every article I read, and every podcast I listen to, I notice that veterinarians and farriers seldom mention the importance of feeding high-quality protein to strengthen hooves.

Over the past two years, I have asked numerous farriers and veterinarians why hot shoeing produces such a stinky odor. Only one veterinarian was able to provide the correct...

Two factors drive food aggression in horses.

The first factor is the foraging behavior created by converting fructose into uric acid. The purpose of fructose is to prepare horses for the upcoming winter. However, not only is it fed throughout the year, but the high-sugar foods being fed cause horses to make more fructose.

The second factor is stated in the protein leverage hypothesis, which says that humans (and all animals) will continue to look for food until they consume their daily amino acid requirements. Insufficient high-quality protein in horse diets drives horses to continue...

Who do you believe? Is it the person with credentials or the person with experience? Maybe neither, because whenever anyone says something, there is an agenda. The need to talk is to communicate with someone to gain a response. Here are examples:

Attending meetings is a grand example of communication on several...

Dr. Maria Katsamanis (Dr. Maria) joins me on this podcast to discuss how science can help us create better connections with our horses. I do these things every day, but I need the science or research behind why I do what I do. She delivers on this and more! Dr. Maria will be delighted if you learn something from listening that helps you connect better on a molecular level. Her life's work is to scientifically understand and improve on why we would rather be in a barn asking horses to help us face the world and heal our minds.<...

This podcast is a special Rounds With Doc T with my friend and colleague, Dr James Belden. Usually, Rounds are for members of The Horse's Advocate, but as an annual Thanksgiving treat, it is available for everyone to watch or listen to.

Dr Belden graduated from Cornell's veterinary school in 1964. He has worked on horses in 30 countries, many Triple Crown winners in the Thoroughbred racing world, and many elite show horses in Wellington, FL. He has also competed with his reining horses. His knowledge comes from working on hundreds of thousands of horses in all sports categories.<...

Three articles from the AVMA arrived in my inbox this week:

Gap shrinks between new graduate, overall veterinary salaries

Midlevel practitioner proposal secures enough votes in Colorado

Federal appeals court reverses Texas VCPR ruling

These articles drove me to make this podcast, the third in a series, about horse veterinary care. It emphasizes the need to prevent illness and injuries.

Forgive me as I rant about veterinary care. This week, I experienced or heard of four events between veterinarians and their owners that have me asking: Are the schools teaching integrity along with veterinary medicine?

There are 13 new vet schools in America, spawning 55,000 more veterinarians in the next decade. Most will go into small animal practice. Driving this growth is a demand for pet owners to access care everywhere and corporate strategies to use more veterinarians at higher salaries to remain competitive. In essence, the forecast is for ample demand for services and a need for more...

Over the next ten years, thirteen new vet schools will be built and accredited by the AVMA to teach and add 55,000 more veterinarians to the existing veterinary colleges and new veterinary graduates.

The expansion of the profession is driven by the growth of corporate-owned veterinary clinics and the aspirations of new veterinary graduates to enhance their quality of life. However, this trend may lead to a twofold outcome: increased cost and decreased quality of veterinary care. The impact is particularly felt by owners of animals other than dogs and cats, who may face more significant challenges in...

Perception management is a real industry that affects everyone in every aspect of our lives and our horses. In a spy thriller I'm reading, one man hires a perception management team to turn the world against Russia, causing everyone to purchase more weapons from his arms company while almost ending the world. It's scary stuff but relatable in the news today.

Can someone manipulate our perceptions of horse care for their advantage? Absolutely. The critical question to ask is, "How effective are your current horse care practices?" If the answer is a disappointing "They're not," it's crucial...

Horse owners are being told to purchase feed and supplements with the promise of improving everything with their horses. They do this by confusing you, forcing unproven marketing on you, wasting money, and harming horses. This course will empower you to understand more fully what goes on inside the horse, helping you make informed decisions for their care.

I launch the Advanced Equine Nutrition course this month and wanted to give everyone a preview of its content.

Chapter 1 - Energy Balance

Chapter 2 - DNA and Protein Synthesis

Chapter 3 - Determine How...

Understanding glucose and fructose metabolism within the cell and the effect each substrate has on ATP, the energy currency, is not just for advanced horse owners. This knowledge is crucial to anyone caring for horses as it explains why Equine Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin resistance or dysregulation, misbehaving issues, and a generalized unwillingness are prevalent in every aspect of the horse industry.

Fructose is not just a dietary component but also produced in mammals through the Polyol Pathway. Its purpose is to prepare the horse for challenging times like winter. However, when produced throughout the year, fructose metabolism...

Stephanie Brown-Beamer is a horse trainer on Long Island, NY, who discovered firsthand ten years ago that a properly fitted bit could resolve horse training problems. This experience motivated her to become trained in fitting a bit to the horse. No, it's not all about math and physics; it's about finding what bit suits the individual horse.

This podcast delves into how Stephanie assesses the horse under saddle, determines the rider's purpose and skill, and then uses her extensive knowledge of science and experience to match that horse to a perfect bit style, shape, and material so...

During my insightful conversation with Merja Sumiloff, we delved into the common thread of emotional blocks from our past that hinder our ability to form meaningful connections with ourselves and our horses. While our experiences may differ, the impact of trauma is a shared human experience. Whether it's a challenging childhood or a difficult relationship, these traumas can create emotional barriers that impede our potential for personal growth and healing.

For instance, my academic journey could have been smoother—I was a mediocre student in high school and a three-time college dropout. However, my experience as a me...

Kerry Hayes, a life and business leadership coach, is here with us today. She harnesses the unique power of horses to catalyze personal growth and confidence. Even those with no prior knowledge of horses can embark on a transformative journey with Kerry. The results are not just magical, but also deeply revealing and life-changing.

Kerry generously shares a wealth of insights to help anyone working with horses foster stronger connections with their equine companions and those in their lives. This podcast is a valuable resource for anyone who feels stuck or out of sync with their horse...

I take a quick break from discussing fructose to return to the metabolism of glucose. There is a concept of flow (or flux) that, when understood, helps us feed our horses better. When energy flows in and out of a cell, everything works well. But when flow becomes restricted or stops, horses become unhealthy.

Using a product of glucose metabolism called lactate, I show how this movement moves throughout the horse with few borders to stop it. The muscles, brain, liver, and all organs love lactate, and as long as it is kept moving, the horse thrives...

Welcome to this crucial podcast, where I introduce a concept that is not just limited to humans but also affects animals: the ability to convert glucose into fructose within the body. This process is significant as it can have detrimental effects on cells, leading to a range of health and behavioral issues in animals, including horses.

While the chronic metabolic effects of fructose may seem negative (obesity, cognitive decline, inflammation, decreased cell metabolism, and cell death), they serve a survival purpose for animals during times of food scarcity, such as winter. However, in today's world, where sweet-tasting...

On this podcast, Linda and I discussed the basis of all dealings between horses and humans, emphasizing connection at the core, followed by communication and leadership. She also described the other seven parts of her curriculum, which she calls "The World's Best Horse Training Program for You and Your Horse!"

From the website's about page - Happy Horse, Happy Life:

"Linda Parelli is co-founder of Happy Horse Happy Life, Parelli Natural Horsemanship and Pegasus Personal Growth, a dynamic public speaker, and the author of numerous articles, books, courses, DVDs, self-development and equestrian programs including her...

Geoff Teall, a seasoned horse trainer with an impressive 60 years of experience, has been a client of mine for over half of that time. His expertise is widely recognized in the show jumping community, and if you're not familiar with him, you should be. This discussion is not about the sport of jumping horses but about horsemanship, training, philosophy, and the crucial aspect of feeding horses (hint - he soaks the pony hay for 12 hours).

One thing I know about Geoff is that he genuinely advocates for the horse above all else.

There are several...

I start this podcast by describing Memorial Day in America, then tie this idea into what is happening in the equine veterinary profession. I only dwell on this briefly because there are more upbeat things to discuss, such as the Klotho protein.

The Klotho protein was discovered from an experimental failure and found in all animals. This protein, made up of one thousand amino acids, is primarily produced by the kidneys. A portion of it is then released from the cell, acting as a hormone that can influence cells in distant locations, including the brain.

...

Building muscle in horses is a two-stage process. Many horse owners expect results when applying only one factor. This podcast shows that ignoring one of these factors results in poor muscle formation.

In the first stage, the key is to prioritize protein in the horse's diet, particularly the amino acid leucine. Leucine, a branch-chain amino acid, plays a pivotal role as a signaling molecule when it attaches to the mTOR receptor on muscle cells. This crucial process alerts the muscle that the necessary materials for muscle building are available. Understanding this, horse owners can better cater to...

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...

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 y...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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TheHorsesAdvocate...

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...

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...

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 o...

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 b...

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...

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...

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...

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.

...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 G...

James Belden, DVM, is a quiet horse vet who became a friend when I helped him find the Hertz car rental facility at Newark airport on a cold January day in 2006. From that serendipitous meeting, James became a mentor and kindred spirit. He is my colleague with more horse experience than I can imagine with all types of horses and veterinary cases.

James worked with horses on the farm as a boy and moved quickly through school, graduating from Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1964. For over 31 years, he helped Thoroughbreds compete at the New York race...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I have a special message at the end of this podcast, but the essence of it is this - I am thankful for each person who takes the time to listen to my podcast and then share it with others. Together, we all will Help Horses Thrive In A Human World!

I ran across a brief article filled with so much misinformation about dentistry in horses and its relationship to their nutrition that I had to pick it apart. Join me on this quick rant about science (or the lack thereof) and the...

Here are the lectures covered on this day.

1) A Review Of A Novel Treatment For Equine Osteoarthritis: Intra-articular 2.5% Polyacrylamide Hydrogel - Megan Green, DVM - A product manufacturer presented this talk. She described using a registered medical device injected into the joints of horses (and humans) that helps cushion the concussion and provides a scaffolding for cartilage repair.

2) Diagnosis Of PPID In Practice - Dianne McFarlane, DVM - "This is a dopaminergic neurodegenerative disease." You must have clinical signs despite the blood work. It is a catabolic disease, so the horse must be losing weight...

Here are the lectures covered this day.

1) Relevance Impact of Common and Lesser Characterized Respiratory Viruses Associated With Upper Airway Disease. Nicola Pusterla, DVM. Identifying common viruses and separating them from the common bacterial infections of the upper airway is the main focus of this talk. Discussion includes Equine Herpes Virus 1&4, 2&5, Equine Influenza Virus, Equine Rhinitis Virus, and the bacteria Strep equi. Prevention is touched on.

2) Coronavirus In Horses: Any Reason To Panic? Nicola Pusterla, DVM. Whether horses can get or give Sars-CoV-2 from or to humans is discussed. The Equine Coronavirus, unlike Covid-19, affects...

Here are the lectures covered on this day.

1) Why Understanding Injury Pathogenesis Is Important, Chris Kawcak, DVM. He first discusses why understanding injury is essential, then moves to define lameness versus asymmetry. The problem is predicting the outcome for individual horses.

2) Using What We Know To Influence Injury Prevention, Chris Kawcak, DVM. The task of identifying at-risk horses before they are injured. This discussion is divided into 1) external data using wearable devices, 2) internal data, 3) perceptual well-being, and 4) readiness. He touches on machine learning (AI), reiterating the importance of easily predicting before they occur.

3...

Here are the lectures covered on this half day.

1) Healing With Horse Power, Liberty Getman, DVM - discussing regenerative medicine for osteoarthritis using IRAP (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein), PRP (platelet rich plasma), Restigen®, Pro-Stride® and PPP (platelet poor plasma).

2) Emergency Service: Thinking Outside The Box, Amy Grice, DVM - The crisis of the reduction of equine veterinary practitioners is addressed, specifically in the ability to provide emergency care for clients. 24/7 availability ranks as the #1 reason a client chooses a veterinarian and the #2 reason practitioners quit.

3) The Science Of Joint Supplements: What Does The Ev...

The annual Florida Association of Equine Practitioners meeting is in Palm Beach, FL this week. I review the topics to be covered, helping you see what the world of practicing equine veterinarians is discussing.

I also discuss the importance of the insulin-to-glucagon ratio in adding or removing body fat as a glimpse of the detailed discussion on the recent membership "Rounds With Doc T."

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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...

I want to give horse owners a different perspective on whether to feed their horses vitamins. Most discussions on this subject discuss what diseases are prevented by supplementing with which vitamin. I will not repeat this because 1) others have done this, and 2) there needs to be more good science behind their findings. Instead, I will tell you how vitamins work, if supplementation works, and the difference between vitamins from food, food sources, and chemicals like coal tar.

Doing a thought experiment, I asked listeners if giving synthetic vitamins (and amino acids) can cause inflammation. I also ask...

What is an identity? Is it the thing that makes you an individual, or does it make you identical to others? Which one is it for an equine veterinarian? As the number of veterinary schools and new graduates increases, the latter definition of identity generates like-minded, cookie-cutter professionals focused on themselves rather than the people they serve.

Yes, after today's farm visits, I'm a bit angry. I talk about it on this podcast, knowing that some veterinarians may not like what they hear. I hope you hear my passion and don't call me names like "old school."...

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a collection of factors and events within the horse affected by food, stress, and sleep. This podcast focuses on the fact that behind the top three causes of medical deaths in humans (atherosclerosis/cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive disorders) is a metabolic system not functioning to its full potential. Could a poor metabolic system also be causing health issues in horses? I believe it does.

In the last podcast (Part One), I overviewed the basics of the ingested materials (air, water, minerals, fats, sugars, and proteins) and what they do within the body...

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a collection of factors and events within the horse affected by food, stress, and sleep. This podcast summarizes information in general terms for most horse owners. While preparing it for broadcast, I realized that making a part two would help further understand the questions raised within this podcast.

This podcast covers the ingested materials (air, water, minerals, fats, sugars, and proteins) and what they do within the body. It covers the role of insulin, insulin resistance, and its relationship to metabolic syndrome. Also discussed are the secondary diseases of EMS, including laminitis...

For many of us, it's hard to understand math. But twisting numbers to explain what we observe only makes things worse. With confusion in our understanding of what the scientists find in an experiment, we turn to others, like magazines, news articles, and social media, for a distilled explanation. Further, we assume these distillers of information have it right, but unfortunately, they usually don't.

Most horse owners only want to do what is best for their horses. We spend money on anything that sounds good. Yet, we often don't see the results claimed by the science-backed...

The Beatles played music from the 1950s through today, though two of the "Fab Four" are now dead. Their "invasion" of the United States occurred in 1963 when I was in 5th grade. While some of you listening to this have probably never heard of this iconic band, their music still plays around the world. Their song, "Here Comes The Sun," is one of the top songs, if not the #1 song, ever played by listeners. And at its roots is what is at the core of horsemanship.

I go a bit esoteric on this podcast, relating what all...

The road near our house is under construction, causing traffic snarls for over a year, and completion this year is unlikely at the work rate seen this weekend. Two days are dead quiet on the construction site. From Friday night to Sunday night, workers do everything except build the new highway: family time, sports, and recreation. Why? Because road construction is a job. These people may be good, or even the best at what they do. But at the end of the day, making a road is just a job that doesn't call you when the road develops a...

This podcast covers three topics within the interest of dentistry in horses. EOTRH (Equine Odontoplastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis), dentistry in donkeys at The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK, and the problems that can occur with cheek tooth extractions in horses.

Dentistry in horses is what I have done since 1983 and exclusively since 1998. I have drawn my own conclusions by studying the correlations of diet, age, surgery, and other factors on the teeth of horses. But in an era where we want evidence-based studies to prove causation, no randomized, controlled, double-blinded studies have come about in the...

This podcast is chapters sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. If you are new to this podcast, please go to podcast # 078 to start from the beginning of this book. This podcast is the final episode of the reading of this book. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man...

It is a simple math problem, as easy as a homeowner's budget. If more equine vets leave practices than there are coming into practices, there will be fewer to care for our horses. Just like the expression, there is more month than money.

The reasons fall into several groups. The first and most important reason is money. Small animal vets make about double what a horse vet makes. The second reason is time. This is divided into the time behind the wheel traveling to farms in rural areas and the time required for a few vets to...

This podcast is chapters thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. If you are new to this podcast, please go to podcast # 078 to start from the beginning of this book. Over the next few months, I'll record and put out all 18 chapters of my autobiography. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a...

This podcast is chapters eleven and twelve of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. Over the next few months, I'll record and put out all 18 chapters of my autobiography. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man to becoming an equine veterinarian?

In 2014, I wrote my autobiography to help others trying to...

This podcast reviews a vet school's economic impact statement and a special Equus magazine about the health of our horses. When I read these, my first reaction was a concern for my colleagues and, worse, all horse owners.

To appease the workforce demand for quality time and a work-life balance, veterinary schools are increasing the number of veterinarians graduating yearly. An assumption is that this would lead to more equine veterinarians and, thus, more choices. An equal assumption is that they will all go into small animal practice. With either belief, the cost of veterinary care for...

This podcast is chapters eight, nine, and ten of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. Over the next few months, I'll record and put out all 18 chapters of my autobiography. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man to becoming an equine veterinarian?

In 2014, I wrote my autobiography to help others trying...

Dr. Martin Goldstein is known as "Dr. Marty" and "The Dog Doc." He earned his veterinary degree from Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973, as I did in 1984. We walked the same halls and learned from the same professors. Yet Dr. Marty saw something wrong early in his career. The animals he treated with academic knowledge should have improved, but instead, they became sicker and died.

Through a chance of fate, Dr. Marty discovered a book that started his journey to discover that we needed to stop treating diseases, as taught in our education, but treat the...

This podcast is chapters six and seven of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. Over the next few months, I'll record and put out all 18 chapters of my autobiography. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man to becoming an equine veterinarian?

In 2014, I wrote my autobiography to help others trying to...

How long ago is relative to how old we are. To a baby, yesterday seems so long ago. A 24-year-old may think they have "forever" before them, hoping the past stays in the past. As a 70-year-old, I believe that my "runway" is short, and I often reflect on the past, as I did last week attending my father-in-law's funeral.

Relative to me, one or two hundred years ago doesn't seem that long ago. My 50 years of working with horses give me many reference points; how they were cared for has dramatically changed. The opportunity to reflect...

This podcast is chapters four and five of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. Over the next few months, I'll record and put out all 18 chapters of my autobiography. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man to becoming an equine veterinarian?

In 2014, I wrote my autobiography to help others trying to...

Evolution defines the development of a species, such as the horse, throughout all time on Earth. However, the starting point may be adjusted to any moment we choose, for example, identifying a particular breed, when man domesticated horses, or when the first resemblance of a horse appeared. The time between the selected point and today is thousands to millions of years ago. More importantly, the rate of change is relatively constant.

Technology is the development or engineering of devices using science to build upon what is known to solve a need. However, while the length of time...

This podcast is chapters two and three of my autobiography, Since The Days Of The Romans - My Journey Of Discovering A Life With Horses. Over the next few months, I'll record and put out all 18 chapters of my autobiography. I hope you enjoy hearing my story and find inspiration if you need help finding your journey.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man to becoming an equine veterinarian?

In 2014, I wrote my autobiography to help others trying to f...

Four decades of floating horses have filled me with experiences hard to gain from a textbook. In fact, in 1983, there was only one book on equine dentistry written by an equine dentist from New Jersey; however, other mentions in textbooks on horse care date back 100 years.

The questions often asked by horse owners about the care of the teeth in horses are the basis of this podcast. Using the guide of the questions in my blog, "Horse Dentistry - Frequently Asked Questions," I cover most topics in my daily travels to horse farms.

May 2023 represents my 50th year working with horses. So how did I get here? What brought me from being a wandering young man to becoming an equine veterinarian?

In 2014, I wrote my autobiography to help others trying to find their way but having obstacles block their path. This recording is my story of finding my passion while overcoming my obstacles: a poor reader and student, a three-time college dropout, and good at everything but finding no spark to become proficient.

As homage to my half-century, I read my book, "Since The Days Of The Romans...

I received the following emails targeting equine veterinarians with various announcements last week. You must be "cognitively diligent" to read the subtle messages and misdirection, confusion, and sometimes utter nonsense within their messages.

Everyone has an agenda. As veterinarians or horse owners, we must read between the lines, question what is said, and discover if the information is good, relevant, or, most importantly, what parts they are leaving out. Lying by omission is still covering the truth. Marketing is so good at this that the government forced specific industries to rapidly read all the adverse side effects...

This podcast answers a question about the feeding of young, growing horses and their mothers sent to me by someone in Thoroughbred breeding and sales. Here is the question:

"I assume that your no-grain diet is only for mature non-pregnant, and non-lactating mares. I'm interested in trying to find a way to use less grain, but it seems impossible to raise Thoroughbreds to sell at auction. They would be midgets compared to all of the other horses. Do you have any feeding solutions which work for that situation? Also, pregnant and lactating Thoroughbred mares can't possibly get...

In my last episode (#074), I discussed "Cognitive Laziness," as defined by an article in The Wall Street Journal. I suggested that artificial intelligence in the form of marketing has been shaping our minds to do things around our horses that may not be in their best interest. However, the lines blur between beliefs in what is right and what is wrong. Further, we cannot live in a world of uncertainty, not knowing what is really "the truth." So, to protect ourselves from worry, doubt, and anxiety, humans create rules to bring comfort in an uncertain world.

This...

I am returning to podcasting after a 6-month break. I will tell you about why in the NEXT podcast. Instead, in this podcast, I want to read a blog I wrote back in March 2020.

There are two drivers for my action here. The first is the recent uptick in the discussion about artificial intelligence. The second is the observation that most horse owners I see or hear from are still listening to this artificial intelligence.

My example is old, both in when it happened and my use of it. About 500 years ago, we believed the...

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) meets annually to offer continuing education for horse vets worldwide. They meet in a major American city every autumn (this year is in San Antonio, TX); however, they also offer a virtual meeting for practitioners who cannot attend. That appeals to me as November and December are my busiest months as my clients get ready for their show season.

Why do I attend this meeting? The answer is to collect my credits for maintaining my veterinary licenses. It is also my way of conveying to horse owners listening to this...

As defined by Wikipedia, 2022 - "In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is the perception of contradictory information, and the mental toll of it. (…) Cognitive dissonance is typically experienced as psychological stress(…). According to this theory, when two actions or ideas are not psychologically consistent with each other, people do all in their power to change them until they become consistent. The discomfort is triggered by the person's belief clashing with new information perceived, wherein the individual tries to find a way to resolve the contradiction to reduce their discomfort."

I discuss how we get bombarded with contra...

Over the past month, I have heard many great stories about how well the no-grain plus soybean meal diet works from my dentistry clients. However, they also tell me how difficult it can be to discuss it with others.

This episode explains why I have been absent for a few weeks. Sorry about that! Then I mistakenly said this would be a short and brief review of the basics of feeding horses. But like a runaway horse, I go from one essential point to another, attempting to tie together ALL the points.

So, stay calm...

In 1979, I memorized the standard chart for aging the horse using the ware patterns of the teeth over time. The incisors were used rather than the cheek teeth because they were readily available by lifting the lips. The recorded features included the cups, dental star, and Galvayne's Groove. Horse owners and buyers used the chart for maybe a century, but in the 1980s, many equine dentists started to describe the incisors' bite. They noticed uneven wear patterns representing them as a smile, a frown, a diagonal, or a V-shape.

In 1983, I floated my first horse, and since...

Water is one of the necessary ingredients to maintain life. Every animal and plant on Earth knows this. Still, because of the familiarity, we often don't think much about remaining hydrated.

In this episode, I read an article from the August 2022 issue of "The Horse" that Purina sponsored. During the reading, I added my thoughts to broaden your understanding to ensure your horses remain hydrated throughout the year. I also add side notes about feeding salt, electrolytes, and protein that will be a review for some and new for other listeners.

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TheHorsesAdvocate.com...

My guest today is Dr. Denny French, a second-generation large animal veterinarian from the midwest United States. He was a professor at Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine for 30 years. In 2009, he migrated back to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine as a professor and head of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine. He presently is a co-owner of a private large animal practice.

I met Denny a few years back, sitting at a kitchen table at a mutual friend's home outside Shreveport, LA. I asked him how many students were graduating...

I talked with Bonny Barry of Equine Reflections (EquineReflections.org), a non-profit horse therapy center in Folsom, Louisiana. They offer these programs:

Bonny's honesty about her journey into this field will move you whether or not you are a victim of abuse. Her stories of patients, unable to speak, connecting with the horses and then expressing thoughts locked up in their silent consciousness will shake you. Knowing that the horses used in her program are also from abuse...

Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World is a tagline of two parts: Thrive and Human.

Horses thriving is open to interpretation, but as we look at our horses, we all see the difference between thriving and existing. We see this in ourselves. We all want to thrive, but life is usually about surviving.

The human world adds restrictions to the horse, often proclaiming to help horses thrive. But do they? Are they burdening their lives, driving them away from thriving, and eventually causing their premature demise? I discuss these ideas in this podcast.

We are all students; we usually believe the teachers that teach us. Math was easy. 2+2=4, and there is no getting around that. The concept of zero, introduced about 300 AD, caused the extinction of the abacus and Roman Numerals but allowed for the advancement of science and trade. Before 500 years ago, teachers taught that the sun circled the Earth. Soon that changed unless you still believe the Earth is flat.

Veterinary medicine, human medicine, and every other profession not using physics (engineering) come up with theories they test. But are the results accurate? For example, do plaques in...

Shaming was a way for people in the past to look at those with excess body fat. However, excess body fat on people is now considered normal and accepted as a part of health and life. The same is happening with our horses. Today, most people want extra fat on their horses and consider this a sign of health. But is excess body fat healthy? Do we see excess body fat on healthy, thriving older people or horses?

The excess body fat represents the body's efficiency in storing excess calorie consumption for use later when calories (food...

In this podcast, I talk about a variety of subjects. Some I have discussed in detail elsewhere, and some are new. These subjects include the microbiome of horses (and what we know in humans), prebiotics and probiotics (and what I will be taking), what happens to sugar in the diet, how body fat forms, and why excess body fat is unhealthy.

I also share my adventures with floating horses and meeting equine dentists this past week. Some were inspiring, and others were frustrating.

I end by briefly discussing ketones, where horses get their dietary fat...

Arrogance (dictionary.com): the offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.

Confidence (dictionary.com): belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.

These two human traits are often confused, especially in horsemanship. In this podcast, I discuss the difference between these attitudes and their bearing on how we interact with horses. I also describe the four basic personalities of horses and how we can build a relationship with each type even when they are so different.

I also discuss how we can change ourselves in a way that doesn't...

Many horse owners associate weight loss in horses with dental issues. The most common sign of a dental problem is "Quidding" or the formation of a "Quid." When a horse chews food, material moves in an orchestrated relation between the teeth, jaw and tongue to move food from the front of the mouth back to the swallowing mechanism of the throat. However, when this food bolus is unacceptable for swallowing, the horse will spit the soggy, half-crushed material onto the ground; horse owners call this a "quid."

Will the horse lose condition (weight) because of this? I...

Dennis Brooks is a great guy who owns a small section of woods in central Florida and, with his wife (a veterinarian), cares for three horses and a clan of small animals. So why is he my special guest today? This explanation may take some time.

To start with, Dennis Brooks is a veterinarian, a Ph.D. researcher, a diplomat in the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology, a professor emeritus in ophthalmology at the University of Florida's Veterinary College, and he owns a consulting service for equine eyes.

Dr. Brooks also is the recipient of...

Do you know what is in your feed bad? And if you do, do you know why?

Millions of grain scoops are fed to our horses every day around the world, yet when I ask horse owners what they are feeding their horses, I usually get blank looks. I grab a feed tag from any bag in the feed room and start reading the first ingredient to the 5th, 8th, or 10th, but usually, within a quick time, my point is made. Feed companies are dumping their waste products into the horse feed expecting great results in...

This podcast is the second time I have picked up a popular horse magazine, reviewed the articles and added my thoughts on the ones I selected. I received some positive comments the last time I did this and decided to do this again. After all, you are reading these magazines without any balancing views. It is like watching one station's newscast and then hearing the same story on another station with a completely different take on the same information. 

With your horse's health at stake, it is essential to understand that if a published article is in a...

Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome, or EGUS, is being treated in more horses today than almost any other disease and is considered by horse owners to be "routine." The advent of visualizing the stomach lining using a fiber-optic endoscope is now available to nearly every horse owner through their local veterinarian. In addition, medicines are available to treat horses suffering from this condition, and they are effective.

Nutritional changes are a basis for improving horses' health. Still, few have associated a specific change in diet with concomitant use of prescribed medication to enhance the effectiveness of using the...

My equine veterinary practice is limited to horses' teeth and oral cavity. Almost all of this practice focuses on removing the sharp enamel points that cause discomfort within the oral cavity. I have been doing this since 1983 and full-time since 1998.

This episode covers some frequently asked questions I often get asked as I meet horse owners. My answers are not based on scientific facts because there are no clear scientific facts in equine dentistry. Instead, I establish these answers on the more than 78,000 horses I have performed dentistry on. Technically this is called anecdotal evidence. I invite...