The Horse's Advocate Podcast

The debate over horse dentistry needs to be resolved before it escalates into an all-out war, leaving horses without the dental care they need. The two main issues fueling this conflict—hand floating versus power equipment, and the debate over whether only veterinarians or non-veterinarians should perform dental work—have been ongoing since the 1960s. I know this history well, as I began my own journey into equine dentistry in 1983. Like many forgotten histories, this discussion often pits people against one another without understanding past mistakes and solutions. Those involved focus solely on their own perspectives, turning the debate into a personal battle in which the horses are caught in the middle, suffering as their needs are misrepresented or ignored. As this conflict continues to play out on social media and in veterinary meetings, an increasing number of horse owners are opting not to have their horses' teeth cared for. Consequently, horses are left chewing in pain or struggling with the bit, only to see a dentist when the dental issues become severe, rather than receiving preventive maintenance. In this podcast, I will discuss this dilemma by examining the various schools of thought, which often rest on unproven theories and distorted facts. It's time for all parties to cease fighting and for veterinarians to expand their scope of care, offering more options for horse owners. By doing so, we can ensure that more horses receive the dental care they need, which is essential to Help Horses Thrive In A Human World™. ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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 model for training veterinarians is broken. Horse owners complain about the cost and the outcome of advanced procedures and diagnostics. Young veterinary graduates quickly become disillusioned, experience declining morale, and elect to leave the profession. The veterinary crisis is real and is occurring mostly in the horse and food animal care. As horse owners, the decline is affecting all but the elite horse centers; rural horse owners are either struggling to choose or decline expensive care options, facing ineffective or nonexistent care providers, or losing their horse prematurely. This podcast looks at the December, 2025 Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Supplemental Edition, which focuses exclusively on a new concept in veterinary medicine: Scope of Care (SOC). Veterinary colleges are incorporating into their pedagogy (the art, science, and profession of teaching students) the idea of offering a broad selection of care, including different costs and outcomes. This approach effectively removes the time-honored tradition of providing the "Gold Standard" of care as the only option for horse owners. While on the surface, the offer of less costly care for horses by veterinarians appears to be a win for horse owners, it masks the fact that horse practices are failing. Declining morale among young veterinarians and owners' loss of confidence in these vets is a double punch; the result is fewer horse veterinarians charging more for diagnostics and procedures that are not scientifically compared to other, more traditional treatments. ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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."

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 law. This podcast discusses the findings of a Columbia Professor of Mitochondrial Psychobiology, Dr Martin Picard. This new field describes the transformation of energy within the mitochondria of cells, from food, water, and air into thoughts, emotions, behavior, action, and health. The findings align well with the thoughts of a Harvard Professor and psychiatrist, Dr Christopher Palmer, who hypothesizes that all brain diseases are a lack of energy within the brain. Can a lack of energy in some organs (the brain, the heart, the connective tissue, the skin, the hooves), due to the allocation of a set amount of total energy to gut inflammation and environmental stress in horses, be the root cause of disease, lameness, and behavioral issues? Dr Martin Picard - https://www.picardlab.org Dr Christopher Palmer - https://brainenergy.com ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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 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 the study and that they represent all subjects in the world. Studying engineering or mathematical questions can be done anywhere in the world, countless times, and with standard variables. However, in living things like you and your horses, too many variables exist to make the facts rock-solid in their validity. Studies on our horses require large numbers of horses to be examined over long periods, and the expense of doing so prevents good, accurate science. The results are sophistry, or smoke and mirrors. Facts are twisted to shape the theory, leading to conflicting, confusing information for the horse owner. There are only two ways for horse owners to resolve this dilemma:      - Return our care for horses to a time before human intervention, when evolution shaped their needs.      - Ask this question: Is what is being done today to our horses in their best interest, and does it support or distract from how they developed? This podcast starts and shapes the discussion about horse care for all horse owners, whether novice or seasoned professional. The theme is this: just because we can, should we? The hypothesis is this: Is what we do to horses in their best interest? As owners, we need to look at the "facts" that marketing geniuses say lead to their conclusions and prove whether they are true or just smoke and mirrors. ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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."

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 rather than verified facts. The result is that horse owners hear an abundance of opinions and follow those that "sound good." Does this allow them to "do the best for their horses?" ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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 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 to the wisdom of my elders to deepen my understanding of modern horse veterinary care. One of my key mentors in this area is my friend, Dr. James Belden. He returns for the third time to share his invaluable insights from decades of work with horses.  Just because Dr. Belden has been a veterinarian for over 65 years doesn't mean he isn't up to date with today's research. He is truly brilliant and will impress you with his current knowledge on many horse-related topics. I am grateful for this Thanksgiving holiday tradition of spending time with Dr. Belden. I'm thankful you're carving out a spot in your busy lives to listen to this replay. 2 minutes 11 seconds -  [Deep Digital Flexor Tendon injury and diarrhea] I would love a fresh perspective on rehabbing a DDFT injury. It has been almost 3 years since the injury occurred. I have had PRP and shockwave done, and 4 rounds of stem cells. One distal perfusion and 3 subcutaneous injections spaced out over a year. "How hard do you push," and can pain cause stomach upset, i.e., diarrhea? 16 minutes 57 seconds - [Equine Herpes Virus - 1 neurologic form outbreak, prevention] Thoughts on the EHV-1 outbreak. When traveling with our horses, what precautions should we consider when they are in stalls at an event? I think next time I may spray the stall walls with a bleach solution. Ideas? Of course, I always bring my own buckets, etc. 26 minutes 35 seconds - [Skin condition with severe itching, mites] I continue to struggle with MITES… with the cold weather, my horse has become itchier and has dandruff in the mane, tail, neck, head, and ears…E S! He is itching his ear nonstop. It has dandruff and sores at the base. Ivermectin has resolved some of the problems. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks 44 minutes 10 seconds - Various topics and stories with Dr. Belden. ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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 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 guess. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." Unfortunately, scientists, veterinarians, and equine dentists have twisted facts to fit theories. Therefore, theories are defended with passion because there are no facts to support them, and all that is left is the emotion of being important. Countering unproven theories are data collected over 84,000 horses that I have floated. With large numbers, patterns develop. This kind of accumulation of observations is called an observational study. They are not anecdotal, which means they are not based on fact. Rather, observational studies are conducted over time with large numbers to identify patterns. They may also be called wisdom or experience and can be supported by evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, with limited funding, RCTs will never be conducted. ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place to learn about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. website discusses how and why I perform equine dentistry without immobilization or the automatic use of drugs. I only accept new clients in Florida. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. Please give a thumbs-up or a  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 have returned to podcasting after a 7-month hiatus. There are two reasons: I have been working on a new place where all horse owners can find unbiased, safe, private, and convenient information about their horses. Go to Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com to see how easy it is to get the information you want. Too many recent events have involved incompetent care for horses. 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, vertical tube standing on end, about 15 to 40 feet (4.5 to 12 meters) in diameter and 50 to 150 feet (15 to 46 meters) tall. Originally used to store grains on farms, they now have multiple uses and configurations, including underground missile storage. The term, silo, is also used to describe keeping ideas, processes, and departments isolated from all others. It is how I use it in this podcast: horse caregivers only use what they know, don't ask questions outside their silo to determine the cause of the problem, and instead focus only on the solution to fix the problem. ********** Community.TheHorsesAdvocate.com is a place for learning about horses, horse barns, and farms. Its information is free, and there is a membership side that allows horse owners to attend live meetings to ask questions and deepen their understanding of what they have learned on the site. Membership helps support this message and spread it to everyone worldwide who works with horses. The Equine Practice, Inc. 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. Click here to make an appointment. The Horsemanship Dentistry School is a place for those interested in learning how to perform equine dentistry without drugs on 97% of horses. 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."

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 answer. After listening to this podcast, you will learn the reason behind the smell and discover why this strengthens the hooves from the inside, supporting the horse's weight and athletic performance.

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 eating beyond their caloric needs. ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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 lactate and glycogen are nearly all consumed within the muscle cells. This exhaustion of glucose and lactate forces the cell to use the fat stored within the cell, thus creating a demand for replacement of cell fat from body fat stores. Horses with limited exercise ability (lameness, age) should still be encouraged to move, but they will need less food. However, remember that calorie restriction signals the horse to maintain or increase body fat because it will believe there is little food available, so it needs to conserve energy. Increasing exercise allows for adequate calorie consumption due to its effect of lowering hunger. ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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 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 owner's. There is a decrease in the number of horse vets available for rural horse owners. The competency of the new vets is in question because the schools are becoming factories. There is a lack of mentors for these new vets. Most vets today lack the foundation of horsemanship and rely on sedation to account for the lack of these skills. Horse owners are unsure whether the task has been completed to an acceptable level. Horse owners are uncertain whether the care offered by the vet is required or not. Many rural vets are overworked or no longer make farm calls to reduce road time. My conclusion is based on hearing these points and on my experience. Horse owners need to do things that attract vets to their areas. In other words, horse owners' frustration with the current situation in veterinary care is driving any remaining vets away. A paradigm shift is needed from the horse owners to attract new veterinarians to rural areas. Here are some considerations: Prepare your horses for any visit through the training of the horses. Respect the veterinarian's time by having the horses ready in the stall (halters on and presented to the vet with a lead). A clean and dry working environment is always good. Remember, the vet has driven through traffic with insane drivers and often over long distances, and usually has other visits scheduled. Veterinarians are people with families and a life away from the practice. They need time off, and this requires practices to hire several vets. Training a veterinarian is expensive – between $250,00 and $350,000 in America. Multiply this by the number of vets in a practice. Add the costs of transportation, equipment, maintenance, insurance, supplies, and support staff, and the price per person becomes very high. The cost of veterinary care is high, and if you cannot pay the vet, they will leave to find another opportunity, such as a small animal practice. Many never follow their ambitions of veterinary medicine but find more profitable work elsewhere. To summarize, horse owners need to create a better opportunity and environment for people making a living working with horses to attract and keep more qualified people. Unfortunately, the veterinary colleges have focused on stamping out small animal veterinarians, offering little mentorship in the foundation of horsemanship. The lack of quality mentorship outside the universities in the horsemanship world worsens things. The publications, products, and advertising are included, driving horse owners to offer inflammatory foods that create ill, lame, and misbehaving horses. Without a significant shift in horse care, the future of people owning horses, at least in countries where they are recreational, is dire. ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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 Health, by Christopher Palmer, MD Whole Brain Living, by Jill Bolte-Taylor The Ten Irrefutable Laws Of Horsemanship, by Geoff Tucker, DVM ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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: "What is your name?" is a question wanting an answer. "The sunset is beautiful!" encourages others to look up and share what I see. "Feed your horse with my grains and supplements, and they will win the championship." solves the desire of sport horse owners. Attending meetings is a grand example of communication on several levels. The presenting organization uses its associates to orchestrate an assembly of speakers and audience. The goal for most is to make money, primarily if sponsors are used to finance everything. Last week, I attended six lectures presented by an animal feed ingredient maker and sponsored by several horse feed manufacturers. I report on my experience, which was mostly a waste of my time. Luckily, it was free and online. However, it is essential to report on this because I need to know how they manipulate horse owners. Bamboozling, deceiving, and misleading are all words I would use to describe what marketing does, and unfortunately, our horses suffer. Not all marketing bamboozles. All businesses need to make money to remain in existence. However, integrity must be addressed when a need to return a profit at the expense of those supporting a business is compromised. Most lectures should have addressed the overarching problem in equine nutrition; what they say about feeding horses is not helping them. The same was true at the AAEP meeting in Orlando this year. Again, medicine wants to explore ways to fix things rather than prevent them. Several of the presenters of scientific papers said from the stage that their studies were underpowered or didn't last long enough to show causation. In other words, what we say here may or may not help horses, but we won't study anything that will prevent illness and lameness. How can veterinarians offer help when preventive strategies are never mentioned? Just take a look at the sponsors down on the trade show floor. After all, they are the driving force behind what is said from the podium. ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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. Some philosophies of Dr. Maria as stated on her website: "Horsemanship is more than the horse. Horses are brought to us and challenge us to reconnect with ourselves. This reciprocal "helping" —helping of the horse, helping of the human often challenges people to find training methods that will help them grow with their equine mate." "Committed to studying human and equine physiology, her training focuses on the self-carriage of the horse and rider. Only in balance and relaxation can the correct muscle formation occur, physical blocks be dissipated, and mental communication be facilitated." "It is always very important to remember that each horse is an individual and with Dr. Maria they are treated as such and their education is tailored to their personality and physical profile—all with a solid foundation in a classical French recipe." Dr. Maria Katsamanis is an author, educator, and advocate for horses. She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and maintains an appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Rutgers Medical School. Her background in biofeedback and psychophysiology is central to her training approach, dubbed "molecular equitation," which examines the connection between horse and rider on a molecular level. Dr. Maria has co-authored "The Alchemy of Lightness: What Happens Between Horse and Rider on a Molecular Level and How it Helps Achieve the Ultimate Connection" and authored her latest book, "Riding In Dignity: A Philosophical Foundation to Finding the Ultimate Connection." Dr. Maria is very busy with several endeavors: She offers several online courses to help improve your connection with horses. She trains and boards horses in New Jersey at her Mythos Farm. She has a line of equipment and tack to help riders connect with their horses better. She advocates for the Marwari horse, a rare breed in India. Dr. Maria has also founded the non-profit organization Friends for Pegasus, whose mission is to promote a better understanding of equine wellness through the rehabilitation and transformation of horses who need a second chance.  ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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 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. Dr Belden tells stories of his work with horses, blending his experience into impactful ideas for all to use with their horses today. Practical advice sparkles throughout as he also answers questions from the audience. I hope you enjoy and learn from this veterinary treasure. Timestamps: 0:53:14 - A question about equine sarcoid treatment. 0:58:59 - "What forgotten treatments or old timely treatments and remedies are as effective or maybe more effective than newer advanced treatments and pharmaceuticals and supplements used? What things do you wish people would do instead of spend money, and aggressively go after things that, you know, like when is ice better, for instance? And what are the simple things that still really, really work?" 1:08:22 - "Would you guys say that there's a difference in the growth or maturity rate between a filly and a colt?" 1:11:23 - "Do you see the difference in the maturity if you leave a male horse intact longer, say maybe 4 to 5 years old, or rather than cut them at a long yearling or a two-year-old, do they mature any differently?" 1:18:32 - "A pre-purchase exam. What were they like in the 60s, 70s, the 80s? And do you think they actually help buyers? Obviously, there's obvious things that you can find, like a blind horse, things like that. But yeah, people are looking for such subtle changes. What's your whole thought on this? Give us a little bit of history of pre-purchase exams and what you think of them now." 1:32:34 - "Any suggestions for non sweater?" ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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. In summary, new vet graduates' mean starting salary (adjusted for inflation) has steadily risen since 2000, while the income of established veterinarians (adjusted for inflation) has not. The educational debt to become a veterinarian has also risen, but the ratio between debt and income on average has fallen due to increasing salaries. However, after removing the 17% with no debt, the debt-to-income ratio is higher and less sustainable. All veterinarians are young, with 8% older than 65. Thus, the pool of experienced veterinarians to mentor graduates is shrinking. Colorado approved the development of a midlevel practitioner to "fill the gap" between technician and veterinarian. Almost all veterinary organizations opposed this; however, the voters accepted this idea. Is this different from non-veterinarians already diagnosing and prescribing (dentists, farriers, bodyworkers)? Will this become available in other states? How will this affect the safety and cost of care for our horses? Texas accused a retired veterinarian of offering advice to a patient via email without first establishing a VCPR (veterinary-client-patient relationship) in person. The federal court overturned the lower court's guilty decision, saying that offering advice by email without a VCPR is a right under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. How will veterinarians and state boards use this decision? ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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 veterinarians to meet this need. Stepping away from this "supply and demand" model, I now see evidence that integrity is being replaced with a "fix-it" mentality. New veterinary graduates are well-trained in the science of "fixing" an animal's problem; however, are they also advocating for the animal and, importantly, the owner? Regrettably, the era of the "country vet," who took the time to educate, advise, and console the owner, seems to be fading. The high cost of training and the standardization of care have led to a "cookie-cutter" approach to animal care. This approach, while efficient, may seem superficial to older vets who, though impressed with the knowledge young vets bring to the practice, miss the days of explaining how to prevent problems and advocating for the animal above all else. ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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 accessing quality care. 80% of new graduates are predicted to enter small animal practice, leaving only 20% for all other animals. Cattle, small ruminants, swine, aquatic animals, zoos, research, government roles, and our horses are left with too few new graduates to replace the steady loss of veterinarians leaving equine practices. However, the ratio of new veterinarians per horse practice diminishes this number, as practices need to employ more veterinarians to meet young professionals' social and financial needs.  For example, to cover a large geographic area with 24-hour care, two to four veterinarians need to be available to allow time off when, in the past, one or two covered it. Additionally, non-veterinary owned (corporate) small animal veterinary clinics offer high salaries that horse practices need to match to retain young employees with high student loans. The mission of The Horse's Advocate is to help horse owners prevent unnecessary veterinary visits by improving farm and barn safety, improving nutrition, and teaching horsemanship skills. The goal is not to replace veterinarians but to enhance their efficiency so they can attend to horses needing urgent attention. ********** 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."

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 to reconsider your approach and critically evaluate who truly benefits from your methods. This process of critical evaluation is not just necessary, but it's empowering. It will engage you in thoughtful consideration of your horse care practices and a purpose and willingness to change them. However, effort is needed to distinguish good information from bad. This podcast provides two relatable examples of perception management in horse care: Is 24-hour access to hay good, and should you feed processed foods? By listening to this, you can empower yourself to ask questions and build new strategies to improve your horse care practices. The knowledge you gain from doing so will give you a sense of control over your horse's well-being. I also provide a simple image to illustrate how life is fueled, with advice on managing food intake with energy output. This image of energy flow will help you focus on where change is needed: diet, exercise, 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. For our swag, go to this link: (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."