From the hard keeper who needs every calorie to the easy keeper who seems to gain weight on air, equine nutrition is anything but one-size-fits-all.
Horse nutrition is a big topic for all of us, myself included.
Over the years, I have found myself standing on opposite sides of the feeding dilemma with two very different horses.
With Denver, the challenge was putting weight on him, and keeping it there, while nursing him through Lyme disease.
Then came Pirate.
His problem?
Rather too much of a good thing!
Access to richer forage meant that instead of trying to put weight on a horse, I suddenly found myself trying to help one take it off.
Same barn. Same owner. Two horses. Two entirely different nutritional puzzles.
And isn’t that so often the case with horses?
More Than What’s in the Feed Scoop
In this episode of Talking About Horses, Patrick King sits down with independent equine nutritionist Dr. Clair Thunes to talk about what our horses actually need from their diets and how those needs change from horse to horse.
Dr. Thunes tackles the kinds of questions so many of us have asked while standing in a feed room, staring at bags, buckets, supplements, hay analyses, and labels and wondering:
Am I actually feeding this horse correctly?
The conversation explores the principles behind good equine nutrition and offers practical insight into making feeding decisions based on the individual horse rather than simply following a formula.
Because whether you’re feeding a Denver or a Pirate, the goal is ultimately the same:
Feed the horse in front of you.
Watch & Listen: Equine Nutrition with Dr. Clair Thunes
Patrick King talks with equine nutritionist Dr. Clair Thunes about feeding horses for health, condition, and their individual nutritional needs.
About Talking About Horses
Talking About Horses brings Patrick King together with riders, horsemen and women, trainers, veterinarians, equine professionals, advocates, and other voices from across the horse world for conversations about horsemanship, training, health, competition, and life with horses.
You’ll be hearing more from Patrick and his guests here at The Barngoddess Chronicles.
You may never look at your feed scoop quite the same way again!
- The Barngoddess
About Janet Winters
Janet Winters is the writer and rider behind The Barngoddess Chronicles, where a lifelong passion for horses meets history, travel, culture, country life, and the occasional mystery. An equestrian whose pursuits have taken her from the show ring to the hunting field, she is also the author of the Ivy Snow Mystery Series.
Denver and Pirate are such a perfect pair for this point. I've had the same split in one barn, one horse needing every calorie and the other gaining on air, and it makes you realize how useless a one size fits all ration really is. I'm going to listen to the full chat with Dr. Thunes, feeding the horse in front of you is a line worth keeping.