Dr. Thunes is also available for collaboration both in person and via video conferencing with veterinary practices seeking nutritional support for their patients.
With extensive experience as a consulting nutritionist to international feed and supplement companies, Dr. Thunes is a valuable asset in any phase of development
Dr. Clair Thunes is a dynamic speaker and educator dedicated to empowering horse owners with the knowledge to make sound decisions when it comes to feeding their herd
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Amino acids are one of those topics that come up frequently when I’m formulating diets for horses. There is a lot of information out there about amino acid supplements, topline, muscle development, and protein quality, but it’s important to understand what your horse actually needs before adding another supplement to the feed room. On this week’s episode of Scoop & Scale, we dive into amino acids. We had a great conversation about the role they play in the horse’s diet and what we actually know about amino acid requirements in horses. If you’ve ever wondered whether your horse needs an amino acid supplement, I think this is a great episode to listen to. 🎧 www.facebook.com/share/p/1T3p7abwfn/🚨NEW EPISODE - AVAILABLE NOW🚨
What are amino acids, why do they matter, and does your horse actually need an amino acid supplement? In this episode we break down the science behind amino acids, protein quality, muscle development, and the many claims surrounding equine amino acid supplements.
You’ll learn: -The difference between essential and non-essential amino acids -What a limiting amino acid is and why lysine, methionine, and threonine are important -Why amino acids matter for muscle, hooves, hair, and more -How to evaluate amino acid supplements and what meaningful doses actually look like -What BCAAs and leucine can really do for muscle -How much we actually know about amino acid requirements in horses, and more!
If you’ve ever wondered whether your horse needs more protein, an amino acid supplement, or a product marketed for topline and muscle development, this episode will help you understand what the research supports and what may be more marketing than science.
Important research being carried out by the vets at UC Davis in the impact of wildfire smoke inhalation on equine respiratory health. ... See MoreSee Less
We spend a lot of time thinking about what our horses need every day; nutrition, training, turnout, veterinary care, and all the little details that support their health and well-being. But some of the most important decisions we make for our horses happen long before we ever need them.
Preparation isn't about expecting the worst. It's about giving yourself options when circumstances change quickly and making sure you're in the best position to keep your horses safe. This week's episode of Scoop & Scale is a reminder that a little planning today can make a big difference tomorrow.
Have you taken any steps this year to update your plans for your horses? We'd love to hear what's on your checklist.
When a wildfire, flood, hurricane, or other disaster threatens your horses, every minute matters. In Part 2 of our disaster preparedness series, we walk through what a real horse evacuation looks like...
While we know to keep lids on our grain bins and the feed room door locked, we don't always think about hay barn/loft access. If you have a hay loft with stairs you may want to consider putting a gate on it! ... See MoreSee Less
You probably have a feeding plan for your horse. But do you have an emergency plan?
Most horse owners spend a lot of time thinking about nutrition, health care, training, and daily management. Yet very few have a written plan for what happens if they have to evacuate due to a wildfire, flood, tornado, hurricane, or other natural disaster. The reality is that emergencies don't wait until it's convenient. Taking a few hours to prepare now could save you days, weeks, or even months of stress later and may make a critical difference for your horse's safety and wellbeing. Our latest episode of Scoop & Scale explores a topic every horse owner should think about, even if you hope you'll never need it.
Have you created an emergency plan for your horses? We'd love to hear what's on your preparedness checklist. www.facebook.com/share/p/1BGDvPLuU7/📣𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭! You will want to share this one far & wide to help horse owners prepare.
Every year, natural disasters force horse owners to make critical decisions with little warning. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we cover the essential steps you can take now to prepare your horses, property, and support network before an emergency happens.
In this episode, we discuss: • Why every horse needs permanent identification and up-to-date records • Building an emergency support network and connecting with local resources before disaster strikes • Creating an evacuation plan, including destinations, routes, and transportation logistics • Preparing emergency supplies, feed, medications, and essential paperwork for your horses • Why practicing trailer loading and emergency procedures can make all the difference when time is limited
Whether your risk is wildfire, flood, hurricane, tornado, derecho, or another natural disaster, the best emergency plan is the one you create before you need it. This episode will give you the tips you need to get that done.
Iron in feeds and forages gets a lot of negative attention. The National Research Guidelines for horses states that the iron requirement for a 500kg (1100lb) horse doing no work is 400 mg with a safe upper tolerable limit of 500ppm in the diet.
500 ppm means mg per kilogram so not more than 500 mg per kilogram of feed. To calculate that you have to know all the iron coming from everything being fed, calculate the number of kilos your horse is eating each day and then divide the number of mg of iron being consumed by the number of kilos of feed consumed.
Owners can become concerned if they receive hay analysis with high iron numbers like the results below for 2024. But here is what is interesting, why did the iron values drop so much from 2024 to 2025 and 2026 when it's the same field and nothing was changed about its management?
What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and we will share the answer tomorrow.
ANSWER: It is quite possible that the high iron was the result of the grass being cut to close to the ground and the bales having dirt in them. However, the probe used to sample this hay in 2024 was rusty. In 2025 and 2026 the end of the probe was sanded to remove all the rust before being used to take the sample. This is one reason we recommend that probes used to sample hay be made from stainless steel. Always check the probe for contamination before sampling. ... See MoreSee Less
Amino acids are one of those topics that come up frequently when I’m formulating diets for horses. There is a lot of information out there about amino acid supplements, topline, muscle development, and protein quality, but it’s important to understand what your horse actually needs before adding another supplement to the feed room. On this week’s episode of Scoop & Scale, we dive into amino acids. We had a great conversation about the role they play in the horse’s diet and what we actually know about amino acid requirements in horses. If you’ve ever wondered whether your horse needs an amino acid supplement, I think this is a great episode to listen to. 🎧
www.facebook.com/share/p/1T3p7abwfn/🚨NEW EPISODE - AVAILABLE NOW🚨
𝐄𝐩. 𝟖𝟐: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐀𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐬: 𝐋𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 & 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞
What are amino acids, why do they matter, and does your horse actually need an amino acid supplement? In this episode we break down the science behind amino acids, protein quality, muscle development, and the many claims surrounding equine amino acid supplements.
You’ll learn:
-The difference between essential and non-essential amino acids
-What a limiting amino acid is and why lysine, methionine, and threonine are important
-Why amino acids matter for muscle, hooves, hair, and more
-How to evaluate amino acid supplements and what meaningful doses actually look like
-What BCAAs and leucine can really do for muscle
-How much we actually know about amino acid requirements in horses, and more!
If you’ve ever wondered whether your horse needs more protein, an amino acid supplement, or a product marketed for topline and muscle development, this episode will help you understand what the research supports and what may be more marketing than science.
🎧 Listen here or on your favorite podcast app 👉 scoopandscale.com/ep-82-horse-amino-acids-lysine-methionine-threonine-more/ ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Important research being carried out by the vets at UC Davis in the impact of wildfire smoke inhalation on equine respiratory health. ... See MoreSee Less
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
We spend a lot of time thinking about what our horses need every day; nutrition, training, turnout, veterinary care, and all the little details that support their health and well-being. But some of the most important decisions we make for our horses happen long before we ever need them.
Preparation isn't about expecting the worst. It's about giving yourself options when circumstances change quickly and making sure you're in the best position to keep your horses safe. This week's episode of Scoop & Scale is a reminder that a little planning today can make a big difference tomorrow.
Have you taken any steps this year to update your plans for your horses? We'd love to hear what's on your checklist.
🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts or click on the link below.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1DhqsTndPf/ ... See MoreSee Less
Ep. 80: Horse Emergency Preparedness: What Happens When Disaster Strikes - Scoop & Scale
scoopandscale.com
When a wildfire, flood, hurricane, or other disaster threatens your horses, every minute matters. In Part 2 of our disaster preparedness series, we walk through what a real horse evacuation looks like...1 CommentsComment on Facebook
While we know to keep lids on our grain bins and the feed room door locked, we don't always think about hay barn/loft access. If you have a hay loft with stairs you may want to consider putting a gate on it! ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
You probably have a feeding plan for your horse. But do you have an emergency plan?
Most horse owners spend a lot of time thinking about nutrition, health care, training, and daily management. Yet very few have a written plan for what happens if they have to evacuate due to a wildfire, flood, tornado, hurricane, or other natural disaster. The reality is that emergencies don't wait until it's convenient. Taking a few hours to prepare now could save you days, weeks, or even months of stress later and may make a critical difference for your horse's safety and wellbeing. Our latest episode of Scoop & Scale explores a topic every horse owner should think about, even if you hope you'll never need it.
Have you created an emergency plan for your horses? We'd love to hear what's on your preparedness checklist.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1BGDvPLuU7/📣𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭! You will want to share this one far & wide to help horse owners prepare.
𝐄𝐩. 𝟕𝟗: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬
Every year, natural disasters force horse owners to make critical decisions with little warning. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we cover the essential steps you can take now to prepare your horses, property, and support network before an emergency happens.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Why every horse needs permanent identification and up-to-date records
• Building an emergency support network and connecting with local resources before disaster strikes
• Creating an evacuation plan, including destinations, routes, and transportation logistics
• Preparing emergency supplies, feed, medications, and essential paperwork for your horses
• Why practicing trailer loading and emergency procedures can make all the difference when time is limited
Whether your risk is wildfire, flood, hurricane, tornado, derecho, or another natural disaster, the best emergency plan is the one you create before you need it. This episode will give you the tips you need to get that done.
✅Listen here or on your favorite podcast app!
scoopandscale.com/ep-79-horse-emergency-preparedness-evacuation-planning-before-disaster-strikes/ ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
Iron in feeds and forages gets a lot of negative attention. The National Research Guidelines for horses states that the iron requirement for a 500kg (1100lb) horse doing no work is 400 mg with a safe upper tolerable limit of 500ppm in the diet.
500 ppm means mg per kilogram so not more than 500 mg per kilogram of feed. To calculate that you have to know all the iron coming from everything being fed, calculate the number of kilos your horse is eating each day and then divide the number of mg of iron being consumed by the number of kilos of feed consumed.
Owners can become concerned if they receive hay analysis with high iron numbers like the results below for 2024. But here is what is interesting, why did the iron values drop so much from 2024 to 2025 and 2026 when it's the same field and nothing was changed about its management?
What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and we will share the answer tomorrow.
ANSWER: It is quite possible that the high iron was the result of the grass being cut to close to the ground and the bales having dirt in them. However, the probe used to sample this hay in 2024 was rusty. In 2025 and 2026 the end of the probe was sanded to remove all the rust before being used to take the sample. This is one reason we recommend that probes used to sample hay be made from stainless steel. Always check the probe for contamination before sampling. ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook