For this episode, Jec interviews Dr. Doug Thal of Thal Equine in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I first started talking with Doug a year or more ago. He came highly recommended by Katrin Silva as someone personable and knowledgeable on all things horses and vets. And boy isn’t he. Thal created Horse Side Vet Guide, a free online resource for equine medical questions. Oh and this news, hot off the press: Dr. Thal will present at the 2022 Best Horse Practices Summit in Kentucky this October. In this conversation, Jec and Doug discuss the relationship, the skills, and the communication that must exist between horse, owner, and vet. It is something we have written recently here and here. Having good rapport with your horse and your vet might be the most important element of your ownership. When a crisis comes along – and that’s a when not an if – it’s essential that you get along with both your horse and vet. Of course, both vet and owner need to have essential skills around handling and treatment. Doug and Jec talk about that, too. Hubris, it seems, is the frequent ill of so many interactions. There are so many take-aways from this conversation and it’ll be great to visit again with Dr. Thal down the road. But for now, remember to stand up for your horses, make sure you can handle them well in all sorts of situations, and know when to say, ‘this isn’t working.’ We thank Lucerne Farms for their sustaining sponsorship. Lucerne is a forage company based in Northern Maine. Forage is chopped hay, an excellent option when you can’t have your horse on pasture or when you need to add calories and nutrients to your horses’ diet. We’re also thrilled to welcome back Redmond Equine to our sponsorship family. Redmond rocks and other offerings come straight from their mine in Redmond, Utah. We think it’s way more sustainable and affordable than salt from a Himalayan company 8000 miles away. We thank Kate’s Real Food and Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Did you know that all ya gotta do is comment or suggest a podcast topic or send us a training question at besthorsepractices.com/podcast and you’ll be automatically qualified for our monthly Patagonia WorkWear giveaway? Buy some rocks from Redmond Equine and check out our favorite flavor, dark chocolate mint, at Kate’s. Please follow these brands and buy their stuff as they support us and what we’re doing.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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