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Podcast #60. What really happens inside an off-the-track’s gut when you take away the racing diet and start to rebuild the horse from the hindgut up?
In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida is joined again by Dr Belinda to talk all about Allay, Nerida’s beautiful off-the-track Thoroughbred mare, and what happened inside her gut as she transitioned from racehorse life into life after racing.
Allay’s story gives us a rare look at the hindgut microbiome in real life. Over her first 12 months with Nerida, her diet, behaviour, condition and microbiome were tracked, showing what can happen when an off-the-track horse is given time, fibre, forage diversity and the right nutritional support.
Podcast #59. How much does broodmare nutrition really matter? In this episode, Dr Nerida is joined again by Jess, an equine science student from Charles Sturt University, for a practical Q&A on feeding pregnant and lactating broodmares.
They unpack the common idea of “feeding for two”, and why pregnant mares do not need large amounts of extra energy and protein from day one, but absolutely do need a balanced diet from the very beginning.
Podcast #58. Is your horse an “air fern” who seems to gain weight just by looking at grass? In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida walks you through how to feed overweight horses and good doers for safe, sustainable weight loss, without leaving them hungry, stressed, nutritionally deficient or at higher risk of problems like gastric ulcers.
Weight loss for good doers is not as simple as “feed less”. In fact, restricting forage too harshly will create serious gut health, welfare and behaviour problems. Instead, Nerida explains how to reduce calorie intake while still keeping your horse chewing, happy and with all of their nutrient requirements met.
Podcast #57. Is your horse underweight, a classic hard keeper, or one of those horses who seems to need a ridiculous amount of feed just to hold condition? In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida takes a practical, gut-first look at feeding horses for safe, effective and sustainable weight gain.
Because weight gain is not simply a matter of “just feed more”. Yes, a horse needs to eat more energy than they use in order to gain weight, but they also need to be able to digest and use that energy. And that is where so many weight gain diets go wrong.
As a horse rider, I am sure I am not alone when I say there are few things in life that make me feel more alive, more connected and more at peace than a ride where my horses and I just flow together. They are calm, I am focussed and things between us just… flow.
And I am also sure I am not alone when I say there are few things more unnerving, more frustrating or more terrifying than a horse that is hot, nervous, reactive or even downright dangerous!
Podcast #56. Do calming supplements for horses actually work? Or are we sometimes asking them to do a job they were never going to be able to do?
In this episode, Dr Nerida takes a practical, science-based look at horse behaviour, diet and calming supplements. Before diving into ingredients like magnesium, vitamin B1 and tryptophan, Nerida starts with the bigger question every horse owner should ask first: Why is my horse behaving this way?
Horses are natural grazers and there are few scenes more peaceful than watching horses with their heads down munching away at pasture. But sometimes what you may be unaware of is that some grasses will do real damage to your horse’s bones. And sadly, in far too many cases, the first a horse’s owner is aware of this danger lurking in their grass, is that their horse will suffer a broken leg, or pelvis and the only option is euthanasia. Heartbreaking.
These calcium sucking, bone destroying grasses come from the ‘warm season’ (also commonly known as the sub-tropical) group of grasses. The dangerous grasses contain large amounts of a compound called oxalate which loves calcium and will steal it from your horse, weakening their bones in the process.
To protect your horse, it is important you can recognise the dangerous grasses and correctly supplement your horse with additional calcium. This article aims to help you understand how to do both of these things so you can keep your horse safe!
Podcast #55. In this episode, Dr Nerida McGilchrist is joined by Jess, an equine science student from Charles Sturt University, for a practical Q&A on dental issues in horses and how they affect nutrition. Using Jess’s own horse as a real-life example, they explore how to feed horses with unusual or compromised teeth, why forage still matters, when soaked hay may help, and how to balance dental comfort with laminitis risk.
Podcast #54. What happens when a thoroughbred breeding farm reduces grain, increases forage diversity, and prepares yearlings with gut health in mind? In this episode, Dr Nerida is joined by Zac, a thoroughbred breeding farm manager preparing yearlings for sale, to talk about a very different approach to traditional yearling prep.
Podcast #53. Winter can be one of the biggest challenges when feeding horses. So in this episode, Dr Nerida talks all things winter feeding. You’ll learn why preparation matters, that forage is your horse’s internal heater and why body condition scoring with your hands is so important during the colder months.
Podcast #52. We talk a lot about protein in horse nutrition, especially for topline, growth, milk production and gut health, but the number on the feed bag is only the starting point.
Podcast #51. If you are spending money on joint supplements for your horse, or wondering whether that corticosteroid injection is really helping, this episode is essential listening. Dr. Nerida is joined by Renee Harbowy and Dr. Brian Nielsen from Michigan State University, two of the leading researchers in equine joint and bone health, for an honest, science-based conversation about what actually keeps horses sound for life.
Podcast #50. There is no time in horse nutrition where you need both art AND science more than when you are feeding a weanling. These funny, curious, chaotic little creatures are walking a tightrope every single day... growing fast enough to reach their genetic potential, but not so fast that they end up with bone or joint disease.
Podcast #49. In this replay episode, we are bringing back Dr Nerida’s chat with Professor Brian Nielsen on bone health in horses, because the ideas in this conversation have huge implications for soundness, durability, performance and long-term welfare.