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Happy Horse Nutrition: Daily Summaries Delivered
by MyHappy.Horse
The Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast with Dr Nerida McGilchrist makes horse nutrition make sense. A PhD equine nutritionist with more than 25 years of experience feeding horses, Nerida shares practical feeding advice, explains the science in plain English, and interviews leading experts in horse health, welfare and nutrition. From gut health and supplements to performance feeding and common mistakes, each episode helps horse owners, breeders and trainers feed with more confidence.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today55 min
73. Horse Nutrition, Old Habits & the Science of Change with Dr Katherine Goldberg - Part 1
Why is it that we can be told something is better for our horse... and still find it incredibly hard to change what we do?In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Dr Nerida is joined again by Dr Katherine Goldberg, veterinarian and social worker, to turn the microscope away from the horse for a moment and onto the humans making the decisions.Because improving horse welfare and horse nutrition isn’t always as simple as giving people better information. Human behaviour is messy. We have habits, beliefs, identities, fears, practical limitations and social pressures, and sometimes the benefits of staying exactly where we are feel bigger than the benefits of changing, even when the science is telling us otherwise. Dr Katherine walks us through the psychology of behaviour change, including readiness for change, decisional balance and why some people simply aren’t ready to hear a new message yet. And then there’s information overload: the vet says one thing, the trainer says another, Facebook says something else again, and suddenly doing nothing feels easier than working out who to believe.If you’ve ever wondered why you or the horse people around you resist change, why better information isn’t always enough, or why knowing better doesn’t automatically mean doing better, this episode is for you.Part 2 continues next week.Connect with Dr Katherine GoldbergDr Katherine works with horse owners through Horses First Stewardship, helping people navigate horse care, feeding, track systems and those tricky situations where you know something needs to change, but you’re not quite sure what to do next. Pasted textWebsite: https://www.horsesfirststewardship.com Email: horsesfirststewardship@gmail.com
- 1 weeks ago50 min
72. When a Horse’s Gut Health Goes Wrong: Bentley’s Story
Bentley had been a healthy horse for years, until an injury, prolonged antibiotic treatment and a cascade of gut problems changed everything. Persistent colic, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, gastric ulcers and gas eventually led us to look more closely at his hindgut microbiome.In this episode, Dr Nerida shares Bentley’s roller-coaster ride case study, from microbiome testing and low microbial diversity, through increasing dietary fibre diversity and two faecal microbiota transplants (FMT), to the gradual return of a comfortable, happy horse. We also look at free faecal water, faecal pH, vitamin B2, fibre-fermenting bacteria and what Bentley’s before-and-after microbiome results might tell us about equine dysbiosis, gut health and colic risk. It’s a brilliant example of just how complex the horse hindgut is, and how much we still have to learn about rebuilding a disrupted microbiome. Have a listen and be sure to hang on for the highs and the lows of Bentley’s story ❤️Big thanks to Bentley's beautiful owner Saskia for allowing us to their incredible story! 🙏🏼🥰
- 2 weeks ago49 min
72. Rethinking Performance Horse Nutrition: Forage, Grain and the Dual Fuel Tanks
When it comes to fuelling performance, muscle glycogen and grain feeding get most of the attention, but that’s only half of the story.In this episode, Dr Nerida breaks down the dual fuel tank theory of performance horse nutrition: the finite store of muscle glycogen used for speed and high-intensity work, and the continuous supply of energy in the form of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) produced via fibre fermentation in the hindgut.We explore how these two fuel systems work together, how forage is an essential performance fuel, how the VFA acetate contributes directly to working muscle energy, and why overfeeding grain can undermine the hindgut fuel system that helps horses conserve glycogen for when they really need it.If you feed a racehorse, eventer, polo horse, endurance horse or other high-level athlete, this episode offers a different way to think about the way you structure your diets around forage and grain, to maximise muscle glycogen, gut health and performance.This episode is proudly brought to you by EquiGI's microbiom eanalysis, order a test kit at https://www.equigi.com 📲 Download the MyHappy.Horse nutrition app to check your horse’s energy intake and build better, more balanced performance horse diets https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 💛 Follow the podcast for more practical, science-based horse nutrition. And we’d love you to share this episode with a fellow performance horse owner or trainer to help them feed for better performance.
- 3 weeks ago43 min
70. Is Perennial Ryegrass Changing Your Horse’s Behaviour?
Has your horse suddenly become anxious, spooky, reactive or unpredictable... despite being normally calm and sensible?In this episode, Dr Nerida explores how perennial ryegrass mycotoxins can affect horse behaviour, coordination and performance. Learn about lolitrem B and ergovaline, the toxins associated with ryegrass staggers, tremors, hypersensitivity, exaggerated startle responses, heat intolerance and dramatic behavioural changes.We also look at when perennial ryegrass pasture and hay pose the greatest risk, how quickly horses may improve once exposure stops, and whether mycotoxin binders can actually help.If your horse seems to have had a sudden “personality transplant”, their pasture or hay may be worth a closer look and this episode is definitely worth a listen!Testing pasture or hay for perennial ryegrass toxinsAustralia: Southern Scientific Services, Hamilton VIC – pasture toxin testing including lolitrem B and ergovaline. Phone 0408 363 061. Contact the laboratory before collecting/sending samples for current sampling instructions.USA: Oregon State University Endophyte Service Laboratory – quantitative testing for lolitrem B and ergovaline in pasture, hay and feed. https://emt.oregonstate.edu/endophyte-lab 📲 For help balancing your horse's diet, download the MyHappy.Horse App https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 💖 If you found this episode helpful, please follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast and share it with a horse owning friend who is struggling with their horse's behaviour.🌟 And we'd love you to leave us a rating and review, it helps us help more horse owners to find practical, science-based nutrition advice.
- 4 weeks ago50 min
69. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Starch in Clover, Protein, Gut Health & Fibre Diversity
How high can the starch content of clover really get? Can lupins be too high in protein? And does adding lots of different fibre sources actually help your horse’s hindgut microbiome?In this Q&A episode, Dr Nerida and Orla unpack a mix of practical horse nutrition questions, including clover and insulin dysregulation, faba beans and resistant starch, high-protein diets, gastric ulcers, and why even a skinny horse can still be metabolically at risk.They also explore one of the biggest emerging areas in equine nutrition: forage diversity and the gut microbiome and how much ingredient variety may be enough to make a meaningful difference to the microbiome.Plenty of practical feeding advice, a few fun rabbit holes on human and ruminant nutrition, and one genuinely scary clover statistic! 📲 To check your horse’s diet and KNOW you are feeding right, download the MyHappy.Horse app https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324💛 We’d love if you would leave us a rating, follow the show and share this episode with a friend, it truly helps us get this information in front of more horse owners.🩺 And if you’d like to get in touch with Orla, Orla.lyons@randlab.com.au
- Sep 1, 202648 min
68. Gut Health: How Your Horse’s Hindgut Microbes Affect Performance
Did you know the microbes living in your horse’s hindgut may be influencing how well they perform?In this episode, Dr Nerida explores research linking hindgut microbiome diversity, fibre fermentation and performance in horses. We look at studies in Thoroughbreds and trotters showing that higher microbial diversity and greater fibre-fermenting capacity are associated with better racing performance, while greater starch fermentation is linked with poorer performance.You’ll also learn practical ways to support a healthier, more diverse microbiome through forage, fibre diversity and smarter grain feeding.Whether you own a racehorse, performance horse or simply want to support better gut health, this episode may leave you in a state of mind-bogglement… which will make perfect sense once you listen. 😂💛Research mentioned in this episodeLeng et al. (2024)Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racingScientific Reports, 14:17124https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64657-6Park et al. (2024)Comparison of the fecal microbiota with high- and low performance race horsesJournal of Animal Science and Technology, 66(2):425–437https://doi.org/10.5187/jast.2023.e45Vasseur et al. (2024)Fibrolytic efficiency of the large intestine microbiota may benefit running speed in French trotters: A pilot studyPhysiological Reports, 12(21)https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70110Hansen et al. (2015)High nutrient availability reduces the diversity and stability of the equine caecal microbiotaMicrobial Ecology in Health and Disease, 26:27216https://doi.org/10.3402/mehd.v26.27216Grimm et al. (2020)Dietary composition and yeast/microalgae combination supplementation modulate the microbial ecosystem in the caecum, colon and faeces of horsesBritish Journal of Nutrition, 123(4):372–382https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519002824
- Aug 25, 202642 min
67. Laminitis & Spring Grass: How to Keep Your Horse Safe
Managing a laminitis-prone horse through spring can feel like a full-time job! Especially when pasture non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) levels can change dramatically with the weather.In this episode, Dr Nerida and Orla talk through the practical realities of managing horses with laminitis and insulin dysregulation, including why frosty nights and sunny days can make spring pasture particularly risky, when grass is likely to be safest to graze, and how grazing muzzles, strip grazing and low-NSC hay can help.They also discuss clover, forage testing, nitrate risk, exercise and insulin sensitivity, and the challenge of keeping horses eating enough fibre while still controlling calorie and sugar intake.A useful follow-up to our conversation with Dr Luke Wells-Smith, for anyone navigating laminitis and spring pasture with a metabolic horse or pony.🤖 If you have questions about laminitis, or any other feeding and nutrition related question, give Dr Nerida AI a go: https://www.myhappy.horse/nerida-ai 💛 And to really look in detail at your horse’s diet, download the MyHappy.Horse nutrition app: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324
- Aug 18, 20261h 23m
66. Horses, Laminitis & Hoof Health with Dr Luke Wells-Smith
In this episode, Dr Nerida is joined by Dr Luke Wells-Smith, dual qualified equine veterinarian and farrier, for a unique perspective on laminitis.Dr Luke unpacks what’s happening inside the hoof during laminitis, the early warning signs horse owners can watch for, insulin dysregulation, digital pulses and hoof growth rings. Nerida and Luke also get into nutrition, misleading “grain-free” feed labels, beet pulp, the microbiome, and why identifying and controlling the underlying cause of laminitis is so critical.A fun and practical conversation for anyone wanting to better understand laminitis and protect their horse’s hooves.You can find Dr Luke Wells-Smith at the Motion Equine Centre:https://www.motion-equine.com.au/Telehealth consultations with Dr Luke Wells-Smith:https://motion-equine.com.au/telehealth
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About Happy Horse Nutrition
The Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast with Dr Nerida McGilchrist makes horse nutrition make sense. A PhD equine nutritionist with more than 25 years of experience feeding horses, Nerida shares practical feeding advice, explains the science in plain English, and interviews leading experts in horse health, welfare and nutrition. From gut health and supplements to performance feeding and common mistakes, each episode helps horse owners, breeders and trainers feed with more confidence.
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