Our mission is Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World™

The overarching goals are to:

• help the horse by honoring them as a species. They are NOT humans.
• provide a safe and healthy place for horses to live.
• provide economical and efficient solutions for horse feeding and care.
• provide understanding of the horse’s body organs and systems.
• provide information without any commercial agenda.

Horses and humans have coexisted for about 4000 years according to historians. Until the use of cars, trucks and railroads, horses needed to remain healthy and sound. In the 1940’s, tractors replaced field horses. In the 1960’s cars and trucks were given the paved interstate roads. In the 1980’s the distribution of horse feed and materials became abundant. Suddenly the horse became a “beast of recreation” rather than a “beast of burden” in all developed countries. Yet there are still tens of millions of horses, asses and mules in the world where the equid is still the primary tool of work (Ethiopia has the largest population of equids per capita in the world).

Dr Tucker has been with horses since 1973 and has experienced the transition in America of horses from a requirement to an option. This has included the horsemanship used, the feeding, the care and the structures used to maintain them. There is no going back in the size of the farms or barns we can afford to house them in. However, in the cleverness of humans, we have found millions of ways to make their lives “better” that in many ways parallel the improvements in our lives. But are these ideas really “better?”

This website is dedicated to looking at guiding you through the maze of theories, products and services all trying to make your life better but not always the lives of our horses better. It looks at the housing of and care for horses that honor the horse. Through understanding the physiology, the physical and mental requirements and the psyche of horses, we all can make the lives of our horses better as they still meet our current needs. These ideas apply to all breeds, sport and all areas of the planet because the species called Equus is similar genetically and physically worldwide.

The mission of Helping Horses Thrive In A Human World™ includes the following:

1. Provide information based on science and not on a product or service. There will be product and service endorsements because there is a need for them to help horses that are no longer living in the wild. I will offer these only if they are in the best interest of the horse given the situation they are living in now.
2. Provide information based on decades of successful use or experience and not a gimmick that would appear to work.
3. Provide medical guidance based on thorough understanding of the medical literature, experience or both. This information will continue to dig deep to understand the root cause rather than remain superficial to give a treatment. Prevention always is prioritized over treatment and convenience. Proper treatment is prioritized over improper treatment.  Proper nutrition is prioritized over nutritional fixes.
4. Provide a visual tour of thousands of farms where you can take advantage of their ideas and apply it to your own farm.

Some Notes About This Website

1) This website will be an ongoing work in progress with material added or updated constantly. Become a member of The Horse’s Advocate to receive notifications of these additions.

2) There are no comments on any post. This will be overwhelming. To make a comment or to supply additional information or to counter with your opinion, please become a member.

3) The contents of the website, including articles, text, graphics, images, demonstrations, presentations, links and other material contained on the site or any supporting material (for example, our newsletters and books) are for informational and educational purposes only. The content and products on this site should not be considered a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Your veterinarian should always be consulted with any questions you may have regarding a diagnosis, medical condition or treatment. The use of the website and its content is a choice that you have voluntarily made, and The Equine Practice, Inc assumes no liability for your use of the website. Reliance on the website and any of its materials is at your own risk. Our website and forums do not supply medical care or medical services. For medical services or medical emergencies, please call your veterinarian immediately.