Transcript:

[0:00]

Elisa: Evening everybody, and welcome to Mad Barn Live. This is our very first podcast. My name is Elisa. I’m here with Scott Cieslar, our founder and Grand Puba of Mad Barn. If you’ve never seen him before, you’re seeing him now, ladies and gentlemen. We know he’s been out doing the podcast circuit, so this isn’t brand new to you, Scott, but it’s certainly brand new to the company to be hosting our own podcast.

[0:24]

Scott: It is. This is session number one and we’ll see how it goes. It’s a — I don’t know — fly or die, I guess.

[0:30]

Elisa: We’re gonna have fun with it. Scott and I have actually known each other for a long time. I was one of the original Mad Barn employees back in the day, when there were maybe four of us.

[0:42]

Scott: Yeah, right — it was a good six years ago.

[0:48]

Elisa: And now look at where we are. When we were sitting there having that coffee at Starbucks five, six, seven years ago — I think it was — I didn’t have that kind of money to go to Starbucks back then. And now I just can’t believe we’re sitting here in our own building which has the Mad Barn logo on it. We’re in our own studio; we have a huge warehouse in the back full of products. It’s amazing.

[1:10]

Scott: It is pretty amazing, actually, that we’ve gone this far — but that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

[1:15]

Elisa: No, not to talk about us — we’re here to talk about nutrition. Feed the horses, because that is our mandate.

[1:23]

Elisa: So if you’ve got grain on the brain like we do, we’re going to talk about that today. And I’m a horse owner, so understand some of these questions today are really coming from you — they’ve been prompted for us to ask — but I’m asking them too as a horse owner myself. Coming from a horse family, I learned how to feed racehorses — energy, sugar, let’s get them going so they’re ready for the races. But feeding your horse that’s living in the backyard at home, feeding your show horse, feeding your barrel horse — those are all completely different things, correct?

[1:59]

Scott: They are very different things, and even the way we feed racehorses today has changed considerably from when you and I really started in the racehorse business. We’ve learned a lot, and you’ve seen this big shift away from sugars and starches and moving more towards how we naturally should feed a horse — with forages.

[2:16]

Scott: Even when you’re feeding concentrates, it’s more fiber resources to enhance hindgut fermentation and optimize the microbiome of the horse — to get as much out of non‑starch and non‑sugar feeds as we can — to feed the horse the way they evolved to eat.

[2:28]

Elisa: Right, and we’ve evolved as owners too. Back in the day you just bought bagged feed and fed your horse. Now there’s a lot of research that goes into this from the horse owner — and thank goodness there’s a company like Mad Barn to help educate us on how to balance a horse’s diet.

[2:54]

Scott: That’s really why we’re here — to help horse owners feed their horses appropriately. You have this animal that evolved to basically eat forage and spend most of its day wandering around, eating lots of different forages or shrubs and various things that weren’t grains. Then we domesticated the horse and totally changed how we feed it. We’re trying to bring it back to a more natural way to feed — to meet both their physiological needs and their ethological needs.

[3:26]

Scott: If you’ve listened to any of the podcasts previously, there’s a lot of talk about forage but also about behavior — because those are both sides of the same coin we have to meet. It’s not just the chemical composition of what we feed; psychological well‑being is very important too.

[3:46]

Elisa: We get a lot of phone calls and conversations at Mad Barn about behavior issues, and we’re going to talk about that today. But first, the basics — balancing our horses’ diets: how do we do that? Do we need a grain‑free diet? What can help with behavior? What do we do if we need more energy in the horse?

[4:09]

Elisa: We’ve asked you to join us here today because we’d like to hear from you, too. If you have any questions for Scott, you’re more than welcome to put them in the chat and we’ll answer as they come in — or a little later on. Look at this — they’re popping up already! We have people watching us. Successful already — this is great.

[4:33]

Elisa: The first question is coming from somebody in the endurance world. Scott and I both originally come from the racing industry, so endurance is another form of racing, and learning how to feed those horses is a completely different ball of wax than feeding your traditional Standardbred or Thoroughbred. But before we get to Pauline’s question, let’s peel the layers back here, Scott. What does it mean to feed a balanced diet?

[5:01]

Scott: Well, it sounds basic — you think of scales and things in balance. The problem with nutrition is you have a myriad of nutrients you need to bring into balance based on what the horse is doing and what it needs. From a nutritionist’s standpoint, where we look first to bring things in balance is energy.

[5:23]

Scott: Energy is everything. We can talk about minerals and vitamins later — and protein and all these other things — but we need to meet the energy demands of that horse. If we’re a little over, over time the horse gains weight, and that can create problems. If we’re a little under, the horse loses weight, becomes lethargic, and won’t perform as well.

[5:40]

Scott: It’s probably one of the hardest things to do because it’s hard to estimate the energy content of feed — how much energy the horse is actually getting — but we work away at that. That’s the first thing: hit the energy requirement. After that, the rest is fairly easy.

[5:58]

Scott: The basics of hitting energy requirements come down to knowing what’s in the forage. We spend an inordinate amount of time looking at supplements and complete feeds, and then we just throw hay in front of the horse or stick them out in a paddock with grass. We don’t know the chemical composition of that, yet it makes up the vast majority of the energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins the horse consumes in a day.

[6:33]

Scott: So, broken record — analyze pastures and forages so we know what’s in there. Then we can estimate how much energy the horse will get. The rest is actually relatively easy. You wouldn’t think it’s that easy based on the feed industry and the marketing — “you need this, you need that.” Those things are easy to hit once you get the energy right. Then you balance protein, macrominerals, microminerals, and vitamins.

[7:10]

Elisa: Okay, let’s go back to the beginning again. I want to know what’s in my horse’s hay. How do I do that? How do I get it tested?

[7:17]

Scott: The best thing to do is take a sample and send it to a lab. For sampling, we want to sample a minimum of five bales if it’s small squares — even in big rounds or big squares, we want multiple samples, because we want a composite of what we’re feeding.

[7:34]

Scott: Some people get quite specific and think, “It’s going to change; fields change,” and yes, that’s true. But it’s a biological system — there’s a ton of buffering capacity. As long as we have a general idea of where we’re at, that’s a great starting point.

[7:51]

Scott: We can even sample pasture as well. Send it to the lab, they analyze it and send it back to us. We’ve developed a model that we provide online for free where we can put all the data in — where we come up with nutrient requirements and balance the ration requirements.

[8:22]

Elisa: What’s important to say here — as a customer, because I’m a customer as well — is that when I do the diet evaluation and send in my forage analysis, I’m getting a program specifically to meet my individual horse’s needs. It’s not “one size fits all.” Someone else, say in B.C., would get something completely different, right?

[8:42]

Scott: Yeah, absolutely. If you have a hay analysis, we’ll input your exact data. We do have some off‑the‑shelf products for balancing minerals and vitamins because — to take a step back — for protein and energy we kind of direct the horse owner to where to get those ingredients.

[9:02]

Scott: Minerals and vitamins are the hard part because there are so many to balance. When we have a hay analysis, we get very specific about amounts. Sometimes off‑the‑shelf products work for the majority of people — we used thousands of samples to build those products — which is why they fit a lot of cases.

[9:30]

Scott: But if they don’t, we’ll offer a solution that isn’t off‑the‑shelf. Your hay may be a little outside normal parameters, so we’ll show what the ideal is — and then take into consideration the practical aspect. There’s theoretical perfection, and then there’s practical implementation where someone says, “I can’t do that,” or “That’s too many ingredients.” We’ll work with you to get as close as we can while still providing optimal health for your horse.

[10:00]

Elisa: And simplifying it, too. Sometimes people are their own mad scientists in the barn, concocting formulas. We can make it really simple — and if you’re feeding 30–35 horses, you don’t want to spend two hours in the feed room. If we can make this happen quickly, that’s key, right?

[10:13]

Scott: Honestly, that’s one of the great things about individual nutrition consultations. Some people want to be the mad scientist and mix to the milligram. Others need efficiency and have cost considerations. We’ll take that into account and say, “Here is the option for your situation,” always with the horse’s best interest in mind — what’s best for the horse in your situation.

[10:50]

Elisa: Exactly. Here it’s all about the love of the animal. Most of us who work here are horse owners or involved in the horse industry. We use the products as well — and we’ve utilized Scott to help us make our horses tip‑top.

[11:16]

Elisa: Now that we’ve covered some common deficiencies and how to balance them, what if you don’t have a hay analysis? Say you’re at a boarding facility—can we still get close without one?

[11:40]

Scott: Yes. We’ve got a big database of forage tests from different labs. Even a clear photo helps—we can judge relative maturity (seed heads, species present) and estimate composition. It’s not perfect, but it’s far better than guessing. Then we use your feedback: if a month later your horse is losing weight, we adjust—add digestible fiber like beet pulp, maybe a bit of oil—so energy intake matches need.

[12:31]

Elisa: And you have to tweak as the year goes on—aging, changes in workload, time off—things shift and the diet needs to shift too.

[12:45]

Scott: Exactly. There’s no one “forever” diet. It’s a conversation between the owner—who knows the horse—and our nutritionists, who map the changes needed to get you where you want to be.

[13:14]

Elisa: We want you to build a relationship with your nutritionist. They’re part of your team—call when anything changes. They’re at your fingertips.

[13:33]

Scott: It’s been an experiment—but it’s what we wanted to deliver. We also provide full transparency: your plan lives in our free online model (madbarnfeed.com). The NRC has a basic tool, FeedXL is paid and user-friendly—ours is free and goes deeper. You get the raw data to share with a second opinion or your vet.

[14:50]

Elisa: Let’s talk forage. What’s a “forage-first” diet?

[15:00]

Scott: It should be every horse’s diet. Horses evolved to eat forage—not just grass, but browse and a variety of plants. Forage should be the majority. Then select the right forage for the job: a maintenance horse can’t have free-choice lush cool-season pasture, or you’ll see weight gain and metabolic issues. A racehorse or 3-day eventer benefits from immature, higher-energy, higher-protein forage. Either way, we want 10–14 hours a day of eating.

[15:31]

Elisa: And it’s critical they’re constantly eating.

[15:44]

Scott: Right. A late feeding of two flakes—about 2 kg—might be gone in 60–90 minutes. Then what? Use slow-feed nets, put them outside to move and graze—create as natural an environment as possible.

[16:18]

Elisa: We see both extremes: racehorses stalled 23 hours, and “lawn ornaments” on grass 24/7. We have to manage both.

[16:31]

Scott: Some management needs to change. For stall-kept horses, add enrichment—balls, toys. A salt lick on a rope can be a toy, but not your salt program. The goal is movement, mental health, and steady intake.

[17:02]

Elisa: Speaking of salt—you taught me a simple way to know if I’m feeding enough: offer a separate pile of loose salt. If they finish it, offer a bit more next time until they start leaving some. That’s your level.

[17:21]

Scott: Exactly. Horses have an appetite for sodium; they’ll seek it out. Blocks are convenient, but not the best delivery—especially in heat or with working horses. Loose, free-choice salt lets them self-regulate.

[17:38]

Elisa: And it’s cheaper than blocks—and most horses don’t really work a block anyway.

[18:02]

Scott: Blocks have their place as toys, but you usually won’t meet needs with them in hot weather or under workload.

[18:13]

Elisa: That leads us to electrolytes.

[18:17]

Scott: Day-to-day, the big gap is sodium—salt. Diets usually have plenty of potassium and calcium; a balanced program covers magnesium. Use commercial electrolytes purposefully to support hydration and performance during and after work. Year-round, especially in winter, salt drives water intake—one of the simplest, least expensive colic-prevention strategies is feeding enough loose salt. If needed, sodium bicarb can help too, but salt is the cornerstone.

[22:35]

Elisa: No, no—this is all good stuff. So a common deficiency we find is salt. Is there anything else that always pops up?

[22:41]

Scott: Yeah—selenium would be right up there. We could do a whole podcast about selenium. Not today, but my (incomplete) PhD work is almost all on selenium.

[23:01]

Elisa: We could call it Selenium: The Myth, The Legend. There’s a lot of bad mojo around it we have to explain.

[23:12]

Scott: Toxicity is the number-one concern people raise, but the bigger problem is actually deficiency. Think iceberg: toxicity is the tip; deficiency is the big part underneath that we don’t recognize.

[23:43]

Elisa: People in western Canada have different selenium issues than here in Ontario, right?

[23:49]

Scott: There are selenium maps. In the U.S. Midwest, some soils are very high—toxicity can be a concern. Near the coasts, deficiency is common, so it needs to come from supplements. Also, I think the official selenium requirement for horses is too low, and vitamin E too high; over time I expect that to get corrected.

[24:20]

Elisa: And for folks watching in the States—we’re not just in Canada.

[24:33]

Scott: Right—we’ve got PhD nutritionists in Kentucky now. The Bluegrass State!

[24:39]

Elisa: More questions are popping up. And yes—madbarn.com in the U.S., madbarn.ca in Canada. (Not a commercial, promise!)

[25:10]

Elisa: Julia asks: What about water quality—hard water, iron content, etc.?

[25:17]

Scott: Great question. We overlook water quality, even though horses drink a lot—especially in heat. Hardness isn’t a big concern; iron is. Many barns on wells have high iron or sulfur. Simple in-line filters—RV-style or dedicated iron filters—can remove a good chunk. Also watch bacterial contamination in troughs; keep things clean and test well water periodically.

[26:51]

Scott: Signs help: orange staining suggests iron; sulfur you can smell. And if you’re filtering barn water, consider your house water too. You don’t need an expensive system—RO is the high end, but simple filters help.

[27:02]

Elisa: If someone has their water tested, can they send us the results so we can balance accordingly?

[27:09]

Scott: Absolutely. We’ll estimate daily intake, calculate iron from water, and factor it into balancing—usually by adjusting zinc and copper. Iron in water is more bioavailable than iron in feed, so it matters.

[27:46]

Elisa: Speaking of iron, Nicole asks: “I have high iron in my water and soil. Should I avoid iron in my supplements?”

[28:05]

Scott: Yes—avoid supplemental iron. It’s extremely rare a horse needs added iron. If you see “ferrous sulfate” or “iron oxide” on a label, I’d pass. You may still see iron listed on tags (including ours); that’s incidental—iron is ubiquitous in ingredients (e.g., calcium phosphates can carry some), and in Canada we’ve often been required to list total iron even when none is added. Feed-iron bioavailability is low; water-iron is higher. The old “feed iron for red blood cells” idea is outdated physiology.

[30:13]

Elisa: There you go—no iron for you, Nicole.

[30:19]

Elisa: All right, Pauline — we’re gonna go back to Pauline. She was our first person to ask a question, so hopefully she’s still sticking around. She’s probably on her second or third glass of wine.

[30:24]

Scott: Speaking of which, I think that’s a good idea, right?

[30:31]

Elisa: Yes — next time. We’re doing that next time.

[30:37]

Elisa: Questions for 50-mile endurance horses — these are pretty cool horses. This endurance stuff is amazing.

[31:06]

Elisa: I do have to interject here — this is one of my favorite sports. I was really introduced to the endurance world — I mean, the care for the horses is phenomenal. From what I’ve experienced, mainly the Ontario group, the horse is number one.

[31:30]

Elisa: It is. I took a call the other day — it was really funny. I said, “Oh, is it a racehorse?” She said, “Oh yeah, it’s a racehorse; it’s going into a 20-mile race next week.” And I said, “What kind of racehorse is that?” And then — of course — endurance. It’s an amazing sport. Might be one we could take up down the line!

[31:52]

Scott: That’s a loaded question — there’s a lot in here. Topline, muscle development, vitamin E, and boosting energy — so let’s break it down.

[32:02]

Scott: The protein question does come up for topline. You can’t feed just a supplement and make muscle — resistance and work develop muscle; nutrition supports it. We need to ensure adequate protein and the right amino acids.

[32:08]

Scott: If anyone lifts weights, you get it — training builds the muscle; then you supply the nutrients so it can happen. That’s why we built the model: to balance essential amino acids against your forage and total diet.

[32:21]

Scott: Knowledge of exact amino acid requirements in horses is limited, but we use the data we have and comparative species to get close.

[32:41]

Scott: Ideal protein sources: soybean meal is excellent (amino acid profile and level). There are concerns for some folks about GMO, etc., but nutritionally it’s strong.

[33:36]

Scott: We’re also experimenting with black soldier fly larvae; some results are coming. Yeast proteins are another very high-quality option. Milk proteins work too — horses digest them fine — though some owners prefer not to use them.

[34:00]

Scott: You can also use lower-protein ingredients and supplement with synthetic amino acids to hit the limiting ones — that lets you run lower total protein while keeping the balance right.

[34:06]

Scott: But for that you want accurate forage numbers; the less precise your inputs, the more you’ll tend to overshoot for safety.

[34:18]

Elisa: For Pauline — honestly the best next step is to fill out the diet evaluation form on the site and let us help you dial it in.

[34:42]

Scott: Agreed — that’s the best option for everyone. You’ll get as accurate a formulation as possible for your horse.

[35:01]

Elisa: Next question was vitamin E — how much?

[35:08]

Scott: Great question. For endurance horses we generally go higher: I like a minimum of 4 mg selenium per day and ~2000 IU vitamin E. If you’re on a very high-fat diet (e.g., elite 100-miler), push vitamin E higher for oxidative stress and selenium to 6–7 mg/day.

[35:15]

Elisa: So you’d be looking at our Vitamin E & Selenium and the W-3 oil?

[35:21]

Scott: Those are good options.

[35:44]

Elisa: W-3 is great for energy, and you’re getting vitamin E at the same time.

[35:50]

Scott: Exactly — and you may still need additional calories beyond W-3 depending on the horse and workload.

[35:55]

Elisa: If Pauline has six to eight weeks before a 50-mile, now’s the time to implement those changes, right?

[36:01]

Scott: Yes — you want the horse adapted to the higher-fat diet (think 6–8 weeks), plus your conditioning block.

[36:09]

Scott: For ride energy through the final trot-outs: conditioning is king, then diet supports it. Soluble fiber + fat are our go-tos; tweak carbs with, say, a bit of oats if you need a quicker punch — that’s where a nutritionist helps you fine-tune.

[36:22]

Elisa: So yes — start now.

[36:30]

Scott: Some are at end of season, but many ship to Florida. Adapt the diet ahead of work blocks; keep the program consistent.

[36:47]

Scott: It doesn’t have to be complicated: great forage base, beet pulp, flax, and oil can be plenty.

[37:03]

Elisa: Like you just said — simple works.

[38:06]

Elisa: Elise asks: “What are your thoughts about beet pulp? I feed Amino Trace, W-3 oil, spirulina, and jiaogulan. I soak with 1 cup alfalfa pellets and 1 cup beet pulp — simply as a filler to mask everything else. Should beet pulp be rinsed after soaking to remove iron, even if it’s only a small amount?”

[38:21]

Scott: For most, unnecessary. If a horse is very IR, sure — rinse. Otherwise, a small amount of beet pulp does not need rinsing; just soak and feed.

[39:14]

Elisa: Recap: she’s feeding Amino Trace, W-3, spirulina, jiaogulan, soaked with alfalfa pellets and beet pulp — that’s a pretty complete setup.

[39:30]

Elisa: For anyone unfamiliar: Amino Trace is our mineral for insulin-resistant/metabolic horses.

[39:42]

Scott: It was formulated for that, yes, but it’s useful beyond IR as well.

[40:00]

Elisa: Sister product to mention too.

[40:06]

Scott: The original — the OG — is Omneity.

[40:20]

Elisa: It comes in at a lower cost, too.

[40:25]

Scott: Both are great. Differences: Amino Trace uses natural vitamin E and a very low-iron phosphorus source to minimize incidental iron. That raises cost a bit but helps in high-iron contexts.

[41:06]

Elisa: I feed Omneity — all our broodmares get it in Kentucky; my show horse gets it here. I love it — big difference in topline, too.

[41:38]

Scott: One overlooked point: mineral deficiencies don’t just impact the horse — they impact gut microbes. Adding a good mineral can boost hindgut activity, which can improve bloom and topline via more VFAs absorbed.

[42:19]

Elisa: Elise also asked about beet pulp “as forage.”

[42:26]

Scott: My approach: start with the forage base. If energy’s still short, add beet pulp — it ferments like forage (hindgut) at almost oat-level calories, without starch/sugar load. It doesn’t give long chew time like long-stem hay, but it’s a great energy add-on.

[43:28]

Scott: Timothy/alfalfa cubes are fine too — remember they’re mechanically processed, so they eat faster than long-stem. Straw boosts chew time a lot (Europe uses it more) — useful if you need to reduce calories but keep them busy.

[44:50]

Elisa: Oh my goodness — so many questions! Becky asks: Is there a ballpark for horse hay — % protein, etc.?

[45:02]

Scott: Great question. Ballparks depend on workload, but in general as hay matures: energy ↓, protein ↓, fiber (NDF) ↑. For a maintenance horse, you want more mature hay; for a hard-working horse, less mature.

[45:08]

Scott: Low-quality/mature hay: ~8% crude protein, ~60% NDF, DE ~1.8–1.9 Mcal/kg. Higher-quality/less mature hay: ~12–14% CP, low-40s NDF, DE ~2.2–2.3 Mcal/kg (species dependent).

[46:41]

Scott: For context: an ~1100-lb horse might need ~16–18 Mcal/day at maintenance and 30–32 Mcal/day in hard work. At 1.8 Mcal/kg hay, ~10 kg DM hits maintenance; at 2.3 Mcal/kg, you still may be short for hard work, so you add calories elsewhere.

[47:30]

Scott: We make up the gap with things like oil (very energy-dense).

[47:46]

Elisa: With horses in competition or heavy work, what are the main things to add? We’ve said oil for energy — what else?

[48:06]

Scott: Oil + soluble fiber. We want hindgut fermentation doing the heavy lifting (VFAs), and we minimize starch/sugar where we can.

[48:53]

Elisa: And the diet changes across the season as workload ramps up, then lets down.

[49:04]

Scott: Right. If you really want the last 1%, weight is the biggest drag on speed/performance. Gut fill is a big part of weight — you can reduce water-holding feeds pre-competition (without upsetting the gut). Fat is great: dense calories with little added weight.

[49:58]

Scott: For 98% of people, keep it consistent: ramp up logically and stay steady. If you’re chasing that top 1%, do it under tight guidance — don’t freewheel it.

[50:18]

Elisa: Actually — here’s a question that’s an easy answer and we get it all the time…

[50:24]

Elisa: Becky Wright’s asking: “Have Mad Barn’s supplements been approved for FEI use?”

[50:30]

Scott: You don’t really get “approved” for FEI use — FEI doesn’t approve supplements per se; you just ensure you don’t include banned ingredients.

[50:37]

Scott: So, no — we don’t use anything that’s banned by the FEI.

[50:44]

Scott: People ask the same thing for racing: “Can I use these products during racing?”

[50:51]

Scott: Sodium bicarb is a great ingredient, but—

[50:58]

Scott: —we don’t include bicarb in products because of racing thresholds—

[51:04]

Scott: —some push the line on how much bicarb they feed before a race—

[51:09]

Scott: —and we want to avoid that situation.

[51:15]

Scott: If you’re going to feed it, it has to be exactly measured.

[51:21]

Elisa: Curious to know more about—oh, sorry, skipping ahead. Is it true excess iron can create heart issues?

[51:26]

Elisa: My mare just had a cardioversion surgery—

[51:34]

Elisa: —and the vet mentioned high iron can create atrial fibrillation?

[51:40]

Scott: That’s too bad.

[51:47]

Scott: It’s really outside this conversation—

[51:53]

Scott: —excess iron comes back to how much is actually absorbed—

[51:59]

Scott: —and that’s a gray area in equine nutrition.

[52:05]

Scott: I won’t say one way or the other; I’d find it unlikely—

[52:11]

Scott: —it would have to be quite high to cause that—

[52:18]

Scott: —and it’s impossible to say for sure. Wishing her a smooth recovery.

[52:28]

Elisa: Next question from Nicole: more about yeast protein — is that brewer’s yeast or Yea-Sacc?

[52:34]

Scott: Technically Yea-Sacc is brewer’s yeast—

[52:40]

Scott: —though “brewer’s yeast” usually means the spent, inactive yeast from brewing.

[52:45]

Scott: There are lots of good nutrients in brewer’s yeast.

[52:51]

Scott: The “yeast protein” I’m referring to is different: yeast have a thick cell wall—

[52:57]

Scott: —companies fractionate the wall to modulate the immune system and bind toxins—

[53:03]

Scott: —we use those fractions in a lot of our products.

[53:10]

Scott: What’s left after fractionation are the cell contents—rich in nucleotides and very high-quality protein.

[53:15]

Scott: So it’s a specific product; not just brewer’s yeast or Yea-Sacc.

[53:21]

Scott: Those include the whole wall plus contents; here we’re using separated components.

[53:26]

Scott: You’ll also see it in human foods as a flavoring.

[53:33]

Scott: Because producers make so much cell wall for specific uses, the contents become a byproduct—

[53:39]

Scott: —and we can use it in animal feeds as a high-quality protein source.

[53:45]

Scott: You won’t usually find it alone on a store shelf.

[53:52]

Scott: We include it in products like ODH and Visceral—

[53:58]

Scott: —for gut-modulating effects as well.

[54:05]

Elisa: Before Jill’s question, Nancy asks: when using salt, can we just use normal table salt?

[54:14]

Scott: Yep — plain table salt works.

[54:20]

Scott: Feed-grade salt usually isn’t iodized—

[54:27]

Scott: —but if you’re using a good mineral/vitamin like Omneity, no worries.

[54:32]

Scott: Bulk table salt is fine.

[54:39]

Scott: Avoid fancy “special” salts — if someone’s marketing you salt, I’d run the other way.

[54:45]

Elisa: Jill would like your thoughts on MSM — often associated with seniors, but I’ve seen it used with young, growing horses too.

[54:51]

Scott: Young horses have inflammation as well.

[54:58]

Scott: There’s good research on MSM for helping control inflammation and general joint health.

[55:03]

Scott: It’s not a cure-all, but it’s relatively low-cost and easy.

[55:11]

Scott: It’s a great sulfur source, too.

[55:18]

Scott: We don’t often see sulfur deficiency — sometimes water is high in sulfur—

[55:25]

Scott: —but occasionally diets are low, and MSM covers that.

[55:32]

Elisa: We recommend MSM with W-3 for horses with arthritis and joint issues.

[55:38]

Scott: Absolutely — biggest bang for your buck.

[55:44]

Scott: There’s decent research on glucosamine/chondroitin, but the cost–benefit isn’t as strong—

[55:49]

Scott: —so I’m not convinced you should add those by default.

[55:55]

Elisa: What’s best for an insulin-resistant horse?

[56:02]

Scott: Exercise.

[56:08]

Scott: Get them moving — same as humans.

[56:14]

Scott: Yes, get the diet right, but exercise has a profound impact.

[56:19]

Scott: You can essentially reverse insulin resistance with increased exercise.

[56:26]

Scott: If there’s active laminitis, exercise may be limited—

[56:33]

Scott: —so control calories and balance minerals/vitamins.

[56:39]

Scott: Keep NSC (starch + sugar) under ~10%.

[56:46]

Scott: Ensure adequate forage and balanced minerals/vitamins.

[56:51]

Scott: But I can’t emphasize exercise enough—

[56:59]

Scott: —include some higher-intensity work, build the horse up—

[57:06]

Scott: —you’ll see profound health changes.

[57:11]

Elisa: We’ve got great IR articles on our website—

[57:16]

Elisa: —click the search icon and type what you want to know.

[57:23]

Scott: They’re all peer-reviewed and fully referenced.

[57:29]

Scott: If anything looks off, email me and we’ll fix it.

[57:35]

Scott: We’re committed to evidence, not sensational marketing.

[57:41]

Elisa: Okay—

[57:48]

Elisa: —next topic.

[58:00]

Elisa: How much W-3 would you give to a foal?

[58:06]

Elisa: How old a foal are we talking?

[58:11]

Scott: Start with the mare.

[58:16]

Elisa: Right—

[58:22]

Scott: Feed the mare W-3 about 2–3 months prior to foaling—

[58:27]

Scott: —and add ODH as well.

[58:34]

Scott: There’s good research showing increased IgG in colostrum—

[58:39]

Scott: —which is critical for foal health.

[58:44]

Scott: I wouldn’t feed W-3 directly to a foal until ~6 months old—

[58:51]

Scott: —let the DHA transfer via milk/colostrum first.

[58:57]

Elisa: What about yearlings — sales are coming up?

[59:03]

Scott: For yearlings, start around six months—

[59:09]

Scott: —30–60 mL/day and keep them on it.

[59:15]

Scott: It supports brain development and bloom.

[59:22]

Scott: If you want extra shine at ~12 months, go up to ~100 mL.

[59:27]

Elisa: Our broodmares and foals look fantastic on it.

[59:34]

Elisa: You can towel them off and they gleam.

[59:41]

Elisa: Especially blacks and chestnuts.

[59:47]

Elisa: Nancy says her foal is four months old.

[59:52]

Scott: If weaned and on feed/hay, you can start—

[59:57]

Scott: —keep it modest, ~30 mL.

[1:00:04]

Scott: Don’t leave it on the ground—

[1:00:10]

Scott: —dogs love W-3 and it’s fine for them in small amounts.

[1:00:15]

Scott: Introduce slowly like any supplement—

[1:00:21]

Scott: —or your dog might need some extra outdoor time.

[1:00:27]

Elisa: Next one from another Nancy—

[1:00:38]

Elisa: For horses in work, add the right oil: calories plus DHA. Not all oils are equal. Love W-3.

[1:00:44]

Scott: You’re right — oils differ in fatty acids.

[1:00:51]

Scott: Energy is similar, but health effects differ.

[1:00:58]

Scott: DHA — long-chain omega-3s — are key.

[1:01:04]

Scott: MCTs (e.g., coconut) have specific benefits too—

[1:01:10]

Scott: —not our focus, but valid.

[1:01:15]

Elisa: There’s a huge supply of W-3 in the back.

[1:01:22]

Scott: More coming — massive vats.

[1:01:28]

Elisa: Feels full circle from selling small amounts out of car trunks—

[1:01:33]

Elisa: —to a warehouse full of product.

[1:01:39]

Elisa: Becky says her cat likes W-3 too — small amount okay?

[1:01:45]

Scott: Sure — shiny coats for dogs and cats.

[1:01:51]

Scott: Dogs/cats get a lot of calories from fat—

[1:01:57]

Scott: —a forage-only horse is ~2% fat intake.

[1:02:04]

Scott: So a little oil can have big benefits.

[1:02:11]

Scott: With IR horses it can seem counterintuitive—

[1:02:16]

Scott: —but the right oil sometimes helps (DHA-rich).

[1:02:21]

Scott: It can aid satiety and gut time.

[1:02:27]

Scott: Diets can get very low in fat—

[1:02:33]

Scott: —so a little supplemental fat is useful.

[1:02:40]

Scott: Not too much — keep calories in check—

[1:02:48]

Scott: —but specific fatty acids like DHA are beneficial.

[1:02:54]

Elisa: Jill says she loves W-3 for her two-year-old and her senior.

[1:03:01]

Scott: Works at any age—

[1:03:07]

Scott: —just adjust the amount.

[1:03:13]

Elisa: We’re at the hour — awesome questions and comments.

[1:03:19]

Elisa: Our inaugural run!

[1:03:24]

Elisa: Name ideas: “Crazy Good Podcast” or “Grain on the Brain.”

[1:03:31]

Elisa: Next time we remember the wine.

[1:03:37]

Scott: Wine and cheese — yes.

[1:03:43]

Elisa: Maybe invite everyone in-studio.

[1:03:48]

Scott: When you get a car—

[1:03:54]

Scott: —you get W-3. That’ll work.

[1:03:59]

Elisa: Do you have thoughts on teff hay vs. timothy for metabolic horses — is either superior?

[1:04:05]

Scott: It comes down to maturity at harvest and actual nutrient content—

[1:04:11]

Scott: —not the species per se.

[1:04:19]

Scott: For metabolic horses, aim for low NSC.

[1:04:28]

Scott: If you have an IR horse, cut hay first thing in the morning — sugars are lowest—

[1:04:33]

Scott: —and as it lays out and respires, sugars drop further.

[1:04:38]

Scott: Species matters less than NSC/protein/maturity.

[1:04:45]

Scott: Exception: some IR horses don’t seem to tolerate alfalfa well.

[1:04:50]

Scott: Lots of theories — I don’t think they’re all right; needs digging.

[1:04:56]

Scott: Between teff and timothy, pick low-NSC, appropriate protein, appropriate maturity.

[1:05:01]

Scott: I don’t think one is strictly better.

[1:05:07]

Elisa: Great — and that wraps our first podcast.

[1:05:12]

Elisa: You were amazing as always.

[1:05:18]

Elisa: We’ll do these regularly.

[1:05:24]

Scott: Thanks to everyone — and to our customers.

[1:05:30]

Scott: This is a dream come true—

[1:05:36]

Scott: —and it supports our research program.

[1:05:42]

Scott: There’s a great YouTube video by Dr. Emily Leishman—

[1:05:47]

Scott: —talking about our foundational work.

[1:05:55]

Scott: Thank you for being here; reach out anytime.

[1:06:02]

Scott: I do my best to respond.

[1:06:08]

Elisa: He’s busy — he has to coach basketball too.

[1:06:13]

Scott: I’ll leave that to the experts.

[1:06:18]

Elisa: If you have ideas for topics or guests, tell us.

[1:06:25]

Scott: Road show? Florida in winter — we’ll be there.

[1:06:33]

Elisa: “More products please — my horses love your products.”

[1:06:39]

Elisa: Ours do too — they’re our kids, for many of us.

[1:06:46]

Elisa: Keeping them healthy matters.

[1:06:52]

Elisa: Thanks, Scott — and thanks, Joe.

[1:06:58]

Elisa: We’ll announce the next one on Facebook and social media.

[1:07:05]

Elisa: Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

[1:07:11]

Scott: Thank you.

[1:07:17]

Elisa: Thanks for joining us.

[1:07:23]

Scott: Thank you.

[1:07:29]

Elisa: See you soon.

[1:07:35]

Elisa: We’ll let you know the next date.

[1:07:40]

Elisa: Watch our social channels.

[1:07:46]

Elisa: Thanks for joining us.

[1:07:54]

Scott: Thank you.