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The Horse's Advocate PodcastAuthor: Geoff Tucker, DVM
The Horse's Advocate Podcast is about helping horse owners find the missing horse owner's manual for owning and caring for horses. Geoff Tucker, DVM (aka, "Doc T"), brings you wisdom from almost 50 years with horses. But beware - some of this stuff is NOT what you might expect. When the "box to think outside of" was built, he was never included and remained outside! This show aims to Help Horses Thrive In A Human World. Language: en Genres: Kids & Family, Nature, Pets & Animals, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Equine Metabolic Syndrome Happens When Cell Engines Get Stuck - The Horse's Advocate Podcast #187
Episode 187
Wednesday, 30 September, 2026
Like all animals, horses need energy to survive. That energy comes from fuel, which is why many health issues focus on what horses eat—grains, hay, supplements, and treats are all fuels we can see and buy. We often ignore how well a horse's cells turn fuel into energy, since we can't see the process or buy a quick fix. We tend to focus on taking action, usually by giving something, rather than changing how we keep them. But for hundreds of thousands of years, horses have adapted to survive on very little fuel when needed. In this podcast, we talk about why horses need their cell engines—the mitochondria, or MT—to stay flexible in how they use different fuels. Today, horses often get the same type of fuel all the time, which can cause their MT to get stuck. Just like a car engine that loses power, adding more fuel or supplements won't restore full power if the engine itself isn't working right. Timestamps: 0:00 - How do hay, water, and air make a horse move? 1:28 - Insulin resistance/dysregulation is a distraction from the actual cause of EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome). 2:40 - The Cell has an energy budget. 3:30 - What makes a horse thrive? 5:00 - Adding food or supplements can't cause the horse to make more energy. 6:15 - First-principles thinking about energy production in horses. 6:50 - Mitochondrial flexibility. 8:23 - Fructose is unlike glucose in that it drains energy. 9:29 - Body fat is a system that buffers energy use and can also get stuck. 10:10 - Mitochondria manage energy production in several ways. 10:50 - Summary of the energy budget. 12:40 - Mitochondrial flexibility is critical for the horse's health. 14:05 - The Laws of Thermodynamics are the physics behind biology. 15:35 - How can "sugar" be required for life, but also blamed for all diseases? ******************************* #horses #veterinary #horseteeth #horsecare #equinedentistry Join us at The Horses Advocate Community page: https://community.thehorsesadvocate.com/yt Dentistry: https://theequinepractice.com/ Horsemanship Dentistry School: https://www.horsemanshipdentistryschool.com/c/information/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHorsesAdvocate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horsesadvocate/ Geoff Tucker is a veterinarian and horseman who has worked with horses since 1973, earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1984. Geoff went from mucking stalls as a farmhand to starting his own equine practice. He advocates for horses by educating owners through his extensive experience, emphasizing dentistry, horsemanship, nutrition, and more.
