OEP 36: Is Your Horse Surviving or Thriving? with Stephanie Carter, NTP

What this episode covers

In this episode, Tamara sits down with Stephanie Carter, founder of Indigo Ancestral Health and a veterinary technician with over 23 years of clinical experience. Stephanie shares how her time working in conventional veterinary medicine — across small animal, large animal, and mixed practices — ultimately led her away from the traditional model and toward equine functional nutrition, an approach centered on species-appropriate, nutrient-dense, real foods and the bio-individuality of every horse.Stephanie breaks down what sets functional nutrition apart from conventional equine nutrition, why population-level guidelines like the NRC fall short for individual horses, and how quality and sourcing of feed ingredients plays a bigger role in long-term health than most people realize. She also explains why she uses hair tissue mineral analysis and microbiome testing alongside traditional bloodwork to get a fuller picture of what's really going on with a horse — and why bloodwork alone can miss a lot.The conversation gets into some deeper territory too, including how chronic stress and emotional trauma show up as physical health problems in horses, the connection between the gut microbiome and whole-body health, and Stephanie's perspective on conditions like Cushing's and insulin resistance as layered, systemic issues rather than single problems to be managed with medication alone.Tamara and Stephanie also touch on the importance of the owner's role in their horse's health, the value of collaboration between functional and conventional practitioners, and why prevention will always beat crisis management.Stephanie also shares details on her two books — Managing Muscle Mayhem and her newest release, Equine Functional Nutrition: Understanding Root Cause to Restore Vitality.You can follow Indigo Ancestral Health on Facebook, Instagram or visit stephaniecarterntp.com to learn more about her work.Don't Forget To Follow, Subscribe, and Rate Optimized Equine Podcast! Stay Connected at TamaraLeeBarrett.comChapters00:00 Introduction to Equine Functional Nutrition06:43 Understanding Osteopathic Veterinary Medicine11:20 The Importance of Individualized Nutrition16:10 The Role of Forage in Equine Diets26:12 Understanding Trauma and the Microbiome in Horses36:01 The Role of Emotional Well-being in Horse Care41:36 Exploring Stephanie’s New Book on Equine Health and Vitality46:30 Wishes for Horses and Humanity

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