Loading...

PODCAST

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.

kids & family pets & animals

All Episodes

00:55:31

73. Horse Nutrition, Old Habits & the Science of...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/10/05

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,

en

00:50:03

72. When a Horse’s Gut Health Goes Wrong: Bentley’s...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/09/29

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

en

00:49:27

71. Rethinking Performance Horse Nutrition: Forage,...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/09/22

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

en

00:43:53

70. Is Perennial Ryegrass Changing Your Horse’s...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/09/15

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

en

00:50:32

69. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Starch in Clover, Protein,...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/09/08

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

en

00:48:28

68. Gut Health: How Your Horse’s Hindgut Microbes...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/09/01

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

en

00:42:11

67. Laminitis & Spring Grass: How to Keep Your Horse...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/08/25

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

en

01:23:09

66. Horses, Laminitis & Hoof Health with Dr Luke...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/08/18

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

en

00:43:43

65. My Favourite 5 Weight Gain Ingredients for Horses

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/08/11

What are the best ingredients for helping a horse gain weight safely?In this episode, PhD equine nutritionist Dr Nerida explains why lucerne (alfalfa), full-fat soybean, lupins, sugar beet pulp and copra meal are five of her favourite horse weight-gain ingredients. Discover how each ingredient supplies energy, fermentable fibre or quality protein, and how the right combination can help horses build body condition and muscle without simply relying on more grain.You’ll also learn why hindgut health

en

00:46:48

64. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Insulin Sensitivity, Muscle...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/08/04

Join Dr Nerida and Orla as they discuss how exercise can improve insulin sensitivity. Plus they talk feeding for muscle development, and how whey protein, soybean and leucine play a role.They also dive into digestive enzymes, why they are being added to more feeds, and how enzymes may help some horses digest starch more efficiently when grain-based feeds are used. This leads into a bigger discussion about diet analysis, nutrient deficiencies, toxicities, misleading “grain-free” labels, and why horse

en

00:42:11

63. Preventing Gastric Ulcers in Horses: Nutrition...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/07/28

Preventing squamous gastric ulcers takes more than just feeding enough forage. In this episode, Dr Nerida explains four additional nutrition strategies: feeding a balanced diet, controlling grain and starch intake, supplying high-quality protein, and using lucerne or alfalfa strategically. Plus she covers why grain is not automatically the problem, how key nutrients support stomach repair, and why lucerne is so valuable for gut health. Here are some of the papers referenced:Effects of feeding

en

00:38:17

62. Preventing gastric ulcers: The top 3 things you...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/07/21

Gastric ulcers are incredibly common in horses, but before changing feeds or reaching for an ulcer supplement, there are three far more important foundations to get right.In this episode, Dr Nerida explains why forage is central to preventing equine squamous gastric ulcers and reveals the three practical steps every horse owner should prioritise: feeding enough forage, minimising the time horses spend without something to chew, and feeding hay before, and ideally after, exercise.You’ll also learn

en

00:37:42

61. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Gravel in the Gut, Lucerne...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/07/14

Orla is back on the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, and this time she and Dr Nerida are answering listener questions, sharing stories from the behind the gastroscope, and chat themselves down a number of rabbit holes.In this (very 😂) relaxed Q&A episode, Nerida and Orla talk about sand, gravel and soil in the gut, when psyllium may be useful, and why forage and fibre are so important for helping horses move dirt through the digestive tract. They also discuss the tricky balance between using

en

01:22:56

60. Rebuilding a Horse’s Gut After Racing - Allay's...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/07/07

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 daughter'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

en

00:55:16

59. Feeding Pregnant Mares & Why Balanced Nutrition...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/06/30

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 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.Nerida explains how nutrients such as copper, iodine, calcium, phosphorus,

en

01:11:10

58. Feeding horses for Weight Loss and Why “Just Feed...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/06/23

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

en

01:08:32

57. Feeding Horses for Weight Gain and Why “Just Feed...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/06/16

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

en

01:04:18

56. Do Calming Supplements for Horses Actually Work?

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/06/09

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?Spookiness, tension, anxiety, reactivity, unpredictability and “too much

en

00:41:48

55. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Feeding horses with dental...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/06/02

What do you feed a horse that can’t chew properly?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.Nerida also explains why old horses

en

00:45:11

54. Rethinking Yearling Horse Sales Prep: Less Grain,...

Happy Horse Nutrition ·

2026/05/26

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

en

73 results

Similar Podcasts

Who Smarted? - Educational Podcast for Kids

Atomic Audio

Storytime for Kids

Storytime for Kids

Doxology Go

Matt Doan

Big Fat Positive: Pregnancy and Parenting (BFP)

Laura Birek, Shanna Micko

Plugged In Entertainment Reviews

Focus on the Family