Lori Yearwood -- aka "SKODE"
I am the founder and president of Skode's Horse Treats Inc. I am also a a Pulitzer-Prize nominated journalist who specializes in asking people around the world important questions about horses. The treats that I create and share with you, as well as the articles on this website, are all a result of consulting and interviewing with top equine experts -- including veterinarians, equine nutritionists, certified herbalists, farriers, trimmers and others.
There is an old saying: "Being an expert in everything makes one an expert in nothing." More than 20 years of journalism at big-city newspapers has honed my ability to discern fact from fiction as well as given me the
wherewithal, courage and humility to approach the people who could quickly and accurately make sense of the massive amounts of information continually coming my way. In the horse world, these skills helped me save my horses' lives.
Just a bit of my story: When my horses were ill and I first began the journey of learning about Insulin Resistant and Cushings, their lives depended on me being able to discern which expert simply wanted my money and who could truly help. Thankfully, I found and began working with Dr. Eleanor Kellon, D.V.M, equine nutritionist and expert in the field of Insulin Resistance and Cushings. Our work together resulted in a complete overhaul of my horses' diets. In the midst of all those changes, I searched -- first in local feed stores and then on the global Internet -- for guaranteed low sugar and low starch treats. I couldn't find a single treat without ingredients like molasses, artificial flavorings, oils and wheats! So with the initial help of Dr. Kellon, I created my own.
My horses loved them. They even did tricks to beg for more. Harley nickered deeply. Sunny stretched his neck out like a turtle. Vashka bent his body in half like a yogi. The rest as they say, is history. Skode's Horse Treats Inc. -- the first specialty low sugar/starch carbohydrate treat company in the world -- was born in 2006.
When you come to this website to find information or to buy a treat, please know that I have put my personal passion for horses, as well as my professional skills as a communicator, into sharing the most cutting edge information I can access, and the absolute best products available. I do not ask you to trust my word or my expertise. I ask you to notice the research, the lab analysis and the lists of top-notch ingredients -- then to understand that when Skode's creates a treat, we hire respected experts who have devoted their entire lives to the health of horses. Not a few months or even a few years. Their entire professional lives.
Our most recent collaboration is with esteemed Australian herbalist, Catherine Bird, author of A Healthy Horse The Natural Way. Together, Ms. Bird and Skode's have launched a truly innovate herbal horse treat called Herbal Terrain Hay Mixers. For the first time ever, herbal blends are based upon the actual terrains wild horses travel to forage for herbs!
Skode's does not offer the cheapest herbal or homebaked specialty treats on the market. What we do offer are the most thoroughly researched, highest-quality and absolute healthiest treat available. Bar none.
That is why we truly are "The Worry Free Treat."
"SKODE"
P.S. Four years ago, when I made a 28-day move from Southern Florida to Southern Oregon, my horses first began to display the tell-tale signs of Insulin Resistance. Click here to read our story.
