While seeing a healthy foal raised successfully by its dam is every breeder’s goal, unfortunately situations do arise where foals are unable to be suckled by their mothers and alternatives must be found.

Whether the foal was orphaned due to complications during delivery, the mare is unable or unwilling to raise the foal or the foal needs to be weaned early to reduce the stress placed on its dam, an alternative source of milk and maternal care must be found.

Gut health has sprung to the forefront of popular topics in the world of horse nutrition in the last decade. And the number of gut health supplements on the market has exploded.

With good reason. For gut health is THE foundation of horse health.

Your horse’s gut controls everything from feed digestion and your horse’s ability to maintain weight, right through to behaviour, immune function, muscle energy generation and hoof health, as well as a plethora of other health parameters including things as unlikely as bone and lung health!

Podcast #36. Should you feed before you ride? After? Or let your horse graze along the trail? 🐴 In this myth-busting Q&A, Dr Nerida and Orla tackle some feeding folklore that just won’t die. Learn why lucerne before exercise protects the stomach from acid splash, why water restriction after work is probably just a Black Beauty hangover, and how letting horses snack mid-ride actually supports gut health.

Podcast #35. Forage sits at the very heart of equine nutrition—yet for most horse owners, the numbers on a hay or pasture analysis can feel like a foreign language. In this deep-dive episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida sits down with Anthony Balzer and Kimberly Detmers from Feed Central and Local Ag for an eye-opening conversation about what’s really in our forage, how much it changes, and why testing matters more than most people realise.

Podcast #34. To kick off Season 2 (2026), we’re re-sharing our most listened-to Season 1 episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast — and it’s a classic for a reason. In this practical, science-backed starter episode, PhD equine nutritionist Dr Nerida breaks down what it really means to feed your horse like a horse, using evolution and gut physiology to help you understand and make modern feeding choices that truly honour your horse’s gastrointestinal physiology.

Podcast #33. To wrap up 2025, we’re resharing our most popular guest interview from Season 1 — and it’s a favourite for good reason. In this episode, microbiology expert Dr Belinda Chapman and Dr Nerida take us inside your horse’s hindgut ecosystem. Together, they look at what the microbiome actually is, why horses rely on microbes far more than we do, and how the balance between the fibre-loving “good guys” and the weedy, greedy starch-fermenters can influence everything from digestion and energy production to health, performance, and behaviour.

Podcast #32. In this last new episode for 2025, professional equine nutritionist Dr Nerida shares five ingredients she loves using in real-world diets, and five she tries hard to avoid (including a couple she’d happily see disappear from horse feeds altogether). Listen as Dr Nerida frames nutrition the way she actually practices it — like a big jigsaw puzzle. No magic ingredient, no perfect feed… just smart puzzle pieces put together in the right way to support horses and to honour the physiology of their ancient gut.

Podcast #31. When a horse presents with ulcers, colic risk, poor performance, slow healing,  unexplained weight change or a plethora of other health conditions, nutrition may be part of the story—even if it isn’t the primary cause. In this episode, Dr Nerida, PhD shares a practical, vet-friendly framework for a rapid field assessment of diet: the same fast mental checklist nutritionists run through when they first meet a case.

Podcast #30. The racing world is changing — and happily, it’s science leading the charge.

Dr Nerida and Orla return to unpack the data from Ciaron Maher Racing’s nutrition overhaul: less grain, more fibre, and a healthier, happier gut. Learn how high-fibre feeding transforms energy systems, why “the slump” after a diet change is worth pushing through, and what 12 months of microbiome testing revealed about real equine gut adaptation.

Last month, we covered the most important priorities when feeding during drought, which are; 1. to keep horses physically and mentally healthy by providing LOTS of forage in the form of hay and other types of fibre or forage; and 2. to meet your horse’s need for nutrients.

Essentially, you need to fill them up, keep them chewing and keep their weight on!

This however is only part of the picture when it comes to drought feeding. Your next priority when feeding during drought is to prevent the diseases that drought increases the risk of.

Podcast #29. When used well, strip grazing becomes one of the most effective tools for managing weight, preventing laminitis and protecting pasture. In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida walks through exactly how strip grazing works in real life, why it matters and how to tailor it to your climate, pasture growth stage and horse’s body condition.

Podcast #28. A glossy coat isn’t just about looks — it’s a window into your horse’s inner health. In this episode, Dr Nerida takes you through some of the reasons coats lose their shine — from seasonal changes and mineral imbalances to sun bleaching and plain old horse individuality. Learn why copper 🧡 and zinc ⚙️ are non-negotiables, how diet balance drives coat brilliance, and why balanced diets and good ol’ fashioned patience often outshine any supplement.

Podcast #27. Dr. Nerida and Orla are back with another Q&A episode that tackles everything from freaky behaviour on ryegrass and mycotoxin binders to a virtually unknown reason your horse might be completely off its feed, plus, how to tell if your grain is safe to feed. Whether you're managing a quirky pony or fine-tuning a racehorse’s diet, this episode will help you decode behaviour, evaluate risk, and feed with clarity and confidence.

Podcast #26. Join Dr. Nerida as she tackles a listener question about feeding "marey mares" - those behaviourally expressive, sensitive, sometimes moody, often brilliant mares. This Happy Horse Nutrition episode explores why mare behaviour issues are less commonly about specific ingredients, and almost always about gut health, feeding management and pain.

Podcast #25. Discover how Ciaron Maher Racing (CMR) is pushing the boundaries in the Australian thoroughbred racing industry and breaking away from traditional nutrition strategies. In this in-depth conversation, PhD equine nutritionist Dr. Nerida sits down with Katrina Anderson (Sports Science Lead) and Josh Kadlec-Cavanagh (Head of Data and Performance) to reveal the data-driven approach that's challenging decades of traditional feeding practices.

Our southern states are in the grip of serious drought, and while drought is a common occurrence for us Aussies, it is always a significant challenge to feed horses during drought. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can teach you that will make droughts ‘easy’, but, let me guide you on some of the most important things you should focus on when feeding your horses during drought.

Podcast #24. Join Dr. Nerida as she explores one of her favourite nutrition topics: why ingredient variety is absolutely critical for your horse's health. In this equine nutrition episode, which comes complete with Lucky the Goat 🐐 anecdotes, Dr Nerida reveals the three reasons diverse diets keep horses healthier, happier, and more resilient - and why feeding just one or two ingredients is putting your horse’s health at risk.

Podcast #23. Join equine nutritionist and Happy Horse Nutrition host Dr Nerida as she sits down with renowned nutritionist and Grand Prix dressage rider Liz Owens to discuss the FEI's ‘Be A Guardian’ initiative and the critical role nutrition plays in horse welfare.

Podcast #22. Join Dr. Nerida and Orla for a rapid-fire Q&A session (well, maybe not rapid fire, but fast moving!) tackling listener questions on omega-3 supplementation, PSSM tying up, and solving anhidrosis in hot climates. Complete with ‘Friends’ references and an ‘Irish joke’, this episode also manages to deliver some practical, science-based answers to real-life horse feeding challenges.

Podcast #21. Confused about which supplements your horse actually needs? In this comprehensive episode, PhD equine nutritionist Dr. Nerida cuts through the marketing noise to reveal what's essential, what may be useful, and what's likely a waste of money.