EQUI PARTNER
CLAIR THUNES PhD Nutrition. 2005. University of California, Davis
MS Animal Science. 1998. University of California, Davis
BSc. Hons. Animal Science. 1997. Edinburgh University
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Dr Clair Thunes
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Google the term nutrition and you will see it defined as "the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health". Good nutrition is the foundation of our horse's health and well being as well as the basis for reaching peak performance. It is a rare horseman that doesn't appreciate the importance of nutrition in their barn management program and yet many times when dealing with health or performance issues the role of diet and nutritional management are not considered.
It is tempting to reach for the latest popular supplement to try and fix a problem, be it brittle hooves, spooky behavior, or lack of stamina, or to discount poor behavior as a stubborn streak. This approach may or may not fix the problem but it is easy to end up with a ration that is expensive and a pain to feed. In fact, you may have unwittingly created new problems by creating an unbalanced or over supplemented diet. Many people believe that if their horses are looking great and competing well that there can't be anything wrong with the horse's diet. However subtle deficiencies may not be noticeable externally or have an impact for some time.
As an independent equine nutritionist, I see time and again horses whose diets are sub-optimal even though they look great and appear to be performing well. Poor trace mineral balance is common and these minerals, although only required in tiny amounts, play vital roles in your horse's body. For example, copper is involved in collagen formation and manganese in chondroitin sulfate production.A long term deficiency in either could have an impact on joint health. Certainly we can provide joint nutraceuticals to support the ailing joint but isn't it better to insure the horses base diet is optimal so that he has the building blocks he needs to protect his own joints? Joint nutraceuticals can then be added to this solid foundation as needed. Many experienced horsemen and women do a very good job of feeding their horses. You don't get to the top in any equine discipline without knowing how to feed horses. However an equine nutritionist can really dissect a diet and look at it in a whole new level of detail. I have software that I use to help me analyze diets and the data it gives me like the graph displayed here.
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An example of the type of analysis carried out during a consultation showing the percentage of each nutrient in the ration and the contribution of each ingredient"
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This analysis allows me to find otherwise undiagnosed deficiencies and excesses. It also lets me look and see how cost effective each of the items in your horse's ration really are. Just how much are they contributing to the overall ration?
In a recent study of hunter, jumper and dressage horses competing at the Winter Festival in Florida results showed that 100% of horses who were not fed based on feeding advice from a qualified equine nutritionist showed some degree of nutrient deficiency in their diets. This was despite the fact that 85% of the horses were fed additional equine supplements beyond their hay and grain. Not only does this impact health and performance but it can have major financial implications too.
Last Call (a.k.a. Fergie) an advanced event horse ridden by
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Allie and Fergie |
Alexandra (Allie) Slusher finished the 2010 season with a 2nd place finish in the CCI*** international at Galway Downs. However earlier in the season things had not been going to plan as the mare tied-up and retired at Jersey Fresh and retired again at The Event at Rebecca Farm. I began working with Fergie that December. As a warmblood she has no trouble maintaining weight, in fact for an advanced event horse she can easily carry a little too much weight. This means that she is on fairly meager rations compared to other horses competing at her level. While she looked great and had the calories and protein she needed, a detailed analysis of her diet showed that she was significantly deficient in a number of minerals including those that act as electrolytes. This was in spite of the fact that she was receiving an electrolyte every day.
I recommended a nutrient dense ration balancer to insure adequate trace minerals, and that the electrolyte be removed and replaced with a daily supplementation of table salt. The electrolyte was then given only on days that Fergie showed obvious signs of sweating. Along with some additional vitamin E to support muscle function Fergie was all set for the 2011 season. Allie and I worked closely together throughout the season tweaking the ration depending on how the mare went and the feel she gave Allie at competitions. Fergie took the season by storm winning the Galway CIC***, placing 5th at the Jersey Fresh CCI*** and 3rd at The Event at Rebecca Farm CIC***. As a result of their success Allie and Fergie were named to the Pan American Games team short list and were also awarded a travel grant to attend the Boekelo 3 day event in the Netherlands.
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Allie and Fergie ©Sherry Stewart |
Perhaps the more important success was that Fergie started to drink during transit something she had not previously done. In 2010 due to concerns over hydration Allie would have the show vets administer IV hydration before and after cross country, however this pre-competition hydration was no longer necessary in 2011. Not only was this better for Fergie's health but show vets are not cheap so it had a huge impact on Allie's wallet.
Another common problem with performance horses is not eating and that was the case with Monneypenny. This mare was a super picky eater which was posing quite a challenge for her rider Susan Treabess. Ultimately she was diagnosed with ulcers and working together with Susan we took Monneypenny's diet right back to basics and rebuilt it with feeds less likely to pose an ulcer risk. This gave Susan the horse she needed to make a successful bid for the 2010 WEG Para-Dressage team where she and Monneypenny were the highest ranked US combination.
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Susan Treabess and Fugitivo XII ©Scott Stanley
Qualified for London 2012 Para-Olympics Team Owned by Terry Waechter |
Monneypenny has retired and Fugitivo XII has stepped into her shoes as Susan's next FEI horse. Fugi, as he is known around the barn, couldn't be more opposite. He is a P.R.E. stallion and his focus prior to entering Susan's barn had been breeding so there was a considerable amount of fitness work to be done. As a breed they tend to be pretty easy keepers so the challenge becomes how to get him the sparkle needed to wow the judges without losing mental focus or getting fat. A good amount of that sparkle comes from building the muscle, strength and stamina needed to perform the FEI movements. So while his diet is not providing a lot of additional calories beyond his hay it is packed with essential amino acids and the mineral and vitamin building blocks for muscle development. This past March less than a year after entering Susan's barn, Fugitivo qualified for the London 2012 Para-Olympics
Obviously it isn't always feasible to feed every horse in a barn something different but it is possible to create a customized feeding plan if you have 2 or 3 feeds and a couple of supplements that can be combined together depending on each horse's needs.
Similarly not everyone's budgets or needs are the same so I offer a range of services from teleseminars to phone consults and remote diet formulations to farm visits. I'm also available as a speaker if your barn or equestrian group holds educational events. My clients hail from across North America and are certainly not all Olympic hopefuls, as I work with lots of trail and retired horses too.
I have over 25 years of hands-on horse experience in everything from trail and fox hunting to preliminary eventing and 4th level dressage. I have also worked as an assistant trainer and groom so I understand the practicalities that are required in a large barn.
Join her free teleseminar~Keeping your horse happy and hydrated in the heat~ THIS Wednesday
May 23rd at 5pm PDT
REGISTER HERE
You can learn a lot more about Summit Equine