Listen to Episode 10: Dr. Geoff Tucker
For this episode, Jec invites Dr. Geoff Tucker of The Horse’s Advocate to chat about equine nutrition. It’s probably our most science-oriented episode yet and it might be challenging for some. I think you will hear that Dr. Tucker’s findings agree with some things Jec and I have aired in other episodes. And what he’s saying echoes also what Dr. Erika Lacher elaborated on in Season One of our show.
To paint in broad strokes, the message is clear. Just as processed foods and lots of sugar are not good for humans, grain isn’t good for our horses. Listen to Dr. Tucker’s analysis of why this is so. It’s a bit like confirming why having three square meals of donuts is a bad idea.
You can check out his No Grain Challenge.
Perhaps many of us wish we lived with our horses 100 years ago, with open range and lots of pasture. That’s not an option, but there are lots of strategies we can use with nutrition, pasture management, keeping horses in groups, and other elements to can keep your horses AND your wallets healthy. So keep learning, y’all!
We thank Lucerne Farms for their sustaining sponsorship. Lucerne is a forage company based in northern Maine. Forage is chopped hay. It’s decidedly not grain and has been shown to be an excellent option when you can’t have your horse on pasture. Also, Lucerne bales, wrapped in plastic, are pretty much perfect for being on the road with horses.
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We would like to thank Redmond Equine, Kate’s Real Food and Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Buy some rocks from Redmond, check out the new flavor at Kate’s and check out the WorkWear sales. Please follow these brands and buy their stuff as they support us and what we’re doing. Enter our monthly contest to win Patagonia WorkWear item to two lucky listeners.
Greetings, I’m so glad you had a podcast about grain free feeding. The science intimidates people but it’s ultimately very simple. Feed a horse the way they are designed to eat.
I’m one of those who was nervous about removing grain (even though the way I fed in the 1970s into the 1990s was forage first). I lurked around Dr Tucker’s blogs for nearly a year and it was his reminder about how we used to feed horses, along with the realization of how feed and supplement marketing has exploded that nudged me toward a decision over two years ago. I was dealing with the whack a mole issue of fighting this and that issue with my then 6 yr old Thoroughbred. He wouldn’t maintain weight, he was supremely irritable, he had leg injuries, omg the list went on and no vet or diagnostic gave me answers. I spent thousands trying to get to the bottom of it. It was only after an emergency colic surgery (right dorsal displacement) and during his recovery that I thought, “Enough is enough. No more grain.” and I made the jump. It was literally life saving. Today he’s nothing like he was two years ago. He doesn’t look or act like the same horse. He eats less and yet he’s filled out. He doesn’t act like he’s starving all the time (that took about 18 months.) Documenting with photos along the way was eye opening and I still look at him in amazement. Feeding properly is something we owe our horses and it helps when respected horse people are on board as models for others. Much appreciated.