The Equine Connection Podcast

Dr. Nicole Rambo and Heather share the case of Heather’s 21-year-old Quarter Horse mare, who was diagnosed with Lyme disease and anaplasmosis after developing depression, limb swelling, and mild neurological signs during peak tick season. They discuss diagnosis, hospitalization, antibiotic treatment, and the nutritional challenges of administering medication to a horse living...

Dr. Nicole Rambo and Sarah explore what horse owners should look for nutritionally when choosing a boarding or training barn. They discuss key questions around forage quality and access, feeding schedules, pasture management, turnout policies, grain and supplement flexibility, feed room organization, and hay sourcing. The episode also highlights common red flags including poo...

Dr. Nicole Rambo and equine specialist Heather discuss a customer case in which a horse developed new white spots after a feed change, initially suspected to be dapples but identified as “bird catcher spots.” They explain that bird catcher spots are small white flecks on darker-colored horses that can appear, disappear, or multiply, are considered cosmetic and harmless, and a...

Equine nutritionist Dr. Nicole Rambo & Equine specialist Sarah explore how feeding strategies differ between aerobic horses fueled by fiber and fat, and anaerobic athletes relying more on glycogen from sugar and starch. They discuss discipline-specific nutrition, body condition scoring, and why many sport and pleasure horses thrive on lower-NSC “cool energy” diets with fa...