Why Science Isn't Helping Horses - #174 The Horse's Advocate Podcast

Science relies on asking questions, testing them, obtaining answers, and questioning those answers again. Scientists never settle; their curiosity drives them to consider all possibilities, regardless of prior beliefs. There is never a final answer—only answers that are close. This approach depends on continuous inquiry and skepticism. Horse owners are not scientists, and they are not trained to perform "research." Instead, they, and in fact the scientists themselves, are people who have evolved to work towards "social acceptance" as a means to survive harsh conditions that existed for millions of years. Believing other people who appeared to know things you didn't know is a natural phenomenon - people don't want to "rock the boat." The result is the formation of a social identity that gives us stability within a group. Examples include people in horse sports such as reining, dressage, eventing, or racing. Other examples are in differing opinions about treatments or care. This podcast discusses how scientific studies have rules to prevent bias, steering researchers towards a more accurate answer to their question (hypothesis). Unfortunately, untrained people are unable to see when scientific rules are broken, making the results of studies, especially nutritional studies about horses, unreliable when reported by the press. Worse is when those magazines are funded by advertisements that support the outcomes they promote. Hopefully, through this podcast, horse owners will become aware and keep asking questions until the foundational truths about our horses' health are discovered. ******************************* #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. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University in 1984. Over the years, Geoff went from mucking stalls as a farmhand to starting his own equine practice. This journey helped him learn how to blend medical care with good horsemanship. Geoff believes in doing what is best for the horse and also in working with the horse. While at Cornell, he started the Cornell Student Horseman's Association, which organized talks with local experts, a knowledge competition called the Intercollegiate Horse Bowl, and Foal Watch at the Equine Research Park to help with live foal deliveries. Wanting to educate horse owners even more, Geoff also launched the first "I Love New York Horse Symposium," which drew 500 people from across the northeast. Geoff also spent time working at the Equine Isolation Lab with respected colleagues, including Dr. Coggins, whose name is on the well-known test. He worked both part-time and full-time at Cornell's Equine Research Park. On graduation day in 1984, while his classmates celebrated, Geoff drove his fully stocked vet truck to his first call—a sick foal. This marked the beginning of The Finger Lakes Equine Practice, which still operates today. Geoff sold the practice in 1996, worked for a short time at another clinic near Albany, NY, and then started The Equine Practice, focusing on equine dentistry. He continues this work from his base in South Florida. G