Rethinking Yearling Prep: Less Grain, More Gut Health

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 Harris, a thoroughbred breeding farm manager preparing yearlings for sale, to talk about a very different approach to traditional yearling prep.

For years, many sales yearlings have been fed high-grain diets, often with limited forage diversity, in an effort to maximise growth, muscle and sale-ring presentation. But what if there is a better way?

Zac shares what happened when he changed the feeding program, focused more on forage and fibre, and paid closer attention to the horses’ appetite, manure, behaviour and overall wellbeing.

This is a hands-on conversation for anyone feeding young horses, preparing yearlings for sale, managing thoroughbreds, or simply wanting to better understand the link between diet, gut health and behaviour.

🌟 If this conversation made you think differently about feeding young horses, we’d love you to follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast

🙏🏼 Please share this episode with someone who works with yearlings, thoroughbreds, or any horses that could benefit from a happier, healthier gut.

💛 And for more information about what we do here at MyHappy.Horse, go to https://www.myhappy.horse/