Shows
Scoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About NutritionEp. 9: Storing Horse Hay and FeedProper hay and feed storage saves money, keeps horses safe, and gives rodents one less reason to move into our barns during the cold winter months. In this episode, equine nutritionist Dr. Clair Thunes and horse owner Michelle Anderson discuss hay and feed storage strategies, health risks related to horses accidentally accessing and gorging on feed (spoiler alert, it's laminitis!), ways to keep rodents out of your bins, and how to know when feed has spoiled or "gone off."Do you have questions about feeding your horse? Contact us at info@scoopandscale.com Thanks for...2023-11-0631 minScoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About NutritionEp. 6: Electrolytes, Hydration, and Why Your Horse Probably Needs More SaltIt's hot outside! As the U.S. faces extreme heat advisories across the country, ensuring your horses stay hydrated is critical to support their natural evaporative cooling systems (that's sweating). In addition to water consumption, electrolytes are an important part of the cooling equation. But knowing if your horse is getting enough, or selecting the right kind to feed, is often confusing. In this episode, Dr. Clair Thunes explains how electrolytes work and why and when horses need them (and it's not just during hot weather and summer exercise!). Michelle shares how Clair's advice changed how she inc...2023-07-1454 minScoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About NutritionEp. 5: Bagged Feed BasicsHave you stood in your feed store staring at shelves of bagged horse feed and felt overwhelmed by the options?You are not alone! In this episode we cover:The differences between ration balancers, concentrates (aka performance or "life stage" feeds," complete feeds, and bagged whole grains.How to properly weigh and measure feed.The reasons you should read the manufacturer's feeding instructions and plan your horse's diet accordingly.Why not all senior feeds are the same.Considerations for metabolic horses.And more!About UsClair Thunes, PhD, is an equine nu...2023-06-2032 minScoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About NutritionEp. 4: Hay Now! Why Forage is the Foundation of the Equine DietHay, equine nutrition gets complicated quicky! So, to keep things simple, we're taking a step back and covering the basics. In this episode, we discuss why forage is the most important part of a horse's diet. Forage comes in several forms. Most commonly, horses consume forage as baled hay or grass pastures. But beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, hay cubes, and even some complete bagged feeds count as forage.Join our conversation to:Find out how much forage a horse should eat each day;Learn how many times a day horses should get hay servings; Ge...2023-06-1335 minScoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About NutritionEp. 3: Feeding Off-Track ThoroughbredsIt's Kentucky Derby time and the beginning of Triple Crown season, a five-week stretch when horse-related searches online surge and the general public's interest in horses peaks. In honor of the horses, we took this episode as an opportunity to talk about feeding Thoroughbreds as they transition from life on the track to their second careers and beyond.You'll learn about: How racehorses are fed and how that might differ from other horses.Why horses newly off the track still need a lot more calories than you might imagine.Why people in general consider Thoroughbreds "hard k...2023-05-0558 minScoop & Scale: An Equine Podcast (Mostly) About NutritionEp. 1: Hot or Not? The Truth About AlfalfaWelcome to the first episode of the Scoop & Scale podcast! We're excited to start off with a topic we know horse owners will eat up: Alfalfa! We'll cover why to feed it, or not, and common questions we often hear about this popular legume. Learn about:Which horses might benefit from alfalfa.The differences and similarities between alfalfa hay, cubes, and pellets.And why eating a little alfalfa before riding or exercise might be good for your horse.And more!About UsClair Thunes, PhD, is an equine nutritionist, busy Pon...2023-04-2831 min