Happy Horse Nutrition

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 toxins Australia: 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.

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

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 episode Leng et al. (2024) Early-life gut bacterial community structure predicts disease risk and athletic performance in horses bred for racing Scientific Reports, 14:17124 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64657-6 Park et al. (2024) Comparison of the fecal microbiota with high- and low performance race horses Journal of Animal Science and Technology, 66(2):425–437 https://doi.org/10.5187/jast.2023.e45 Vasseur et al. (2024) Fibrolytic efficiency of the large intestine microbiota may benefit running speed in French trotters: A pilot study Physiological Reports, 12(21) https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70110 Hansen et al. (2015) High nutrient availability reduces the diversity and stability of the equine caecal microbiota Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 26:27216 https://doi.org/10.3402/mehd.v26.27216 Grimm et al. (2020) Dietary composition and yeast/microalgae combination supplementation modulate the microbial ecosystem in the caecum, colon and faeces of horses British Journal of Nutrition, 123(4):372–382 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114519002824

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

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

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 matters, when high-protein feeds can become problematic, how to use these ingredients safely and why every weight-gain diet still needs to be properly balanced. Soycheck test kit for checking whether soybean products contain active trypsin inhibitor: https://cbsbioplatforms.com/Store

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 owners need a way to check whether a diet is genuinely safe and balanced. The episode finishes with musings on raw grain, stomach pH, hindgut pH, gastroscopy, omeprazole, acid rebound, and has a few classic Orla and Nerida side tracks along the way. 📲 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

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 alfalfa hay in comparison to meadow hay on the gastric mucosa in adult Warmblood horses https://pferdeheilkunde.de/files/20200105.pdf Evaluation of diet as a cause of gastric ulcers in horses https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10895901/ Risk factors associated with equine gastric ulceration syndrome (EGUS) in 201 horses in Denmark https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19927579/ 📲 For help assessing your horse’s diet and making sure you are feeding a balanced diet to prevent gastric ulcers, download the MyHappy.Horse App https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 💖 If you found this episode helpful we'd be so grateful if you would follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast and share it with a horse owning friend who is struggling with gastric ulcers. 🌟 And please leave us a rating and review, it helps us help more horse owners to find practical, science-based nutrition advice.

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 why simply providing hay does not necessarily mean your horse is eating enough, how herd dynamics and restrictive hay nets can reduce forage intake without you actually noticing, and why weighing your horse’s hay may be one of the most useful things you can do for their gastric health. Here is the link to free full text research study mentioned in the podcast: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/22/3512 📲 For help assessing your horse’s diet and making sure you are feeding enough forage to prevent gastric ulcers, 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 gastric ulcers. 🌟 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.

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 haynets to slow intake, while still keeping horses comfortable, chewing and ulcer-free. They answer a listener question about lucerne/alfalfa and whether it is actually too high in sugar for metabolic horses (spoiler alert, it's not but there are so many misconceptions!). Nerida explains why lucerne can be a useful low-NSC forage, and how it can help add protein, calcium and fibre diversity to the diet. The conversation also wanders into fasting horses for gastroscopy, soaking hay, muscle cramping, potassium, PSSM and HYPP, because one good horse nutrition question always seems to lead to five more 🙈😄. This is a fun episode with some useful info and interesting stories 💖 💛 If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast and share it with a horse-loving friend 🙏🏼 📲 For help assessing your horse’s diet, download the MyHappy.Horse app ⁠https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324⁠ . 🩺 And if you’d like to get in touch with Orla, Orla.lyons@randlab.com.au

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 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. Nerida and Belinda unpack how Allay’s microbiome changed over time, why fibre comes first when rebuilding the hindgut, how forage diversity helps support microbial diversity, and why microbiome recovery does not always happen in a perfectly straight line. They also talk about behaviour, manure, ryegrass curveballs, microbial resilience, and why feeding the microbes in the hindgut is such an important part of supporting the whole horse. If you own an off-the-track, work with them, or simply want to better understand how the gut can influence condition, health, behaviour and long-term resilience 🐎 To watch Allay's full story, see Allay: The First 12 Months 📲 For help assessing your horse’s diet and building a balanced feeding plan, download the MyHappy.Horse App and let it help you feed with more confidence https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 💖 If you find this episode helpful, please follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast and share it with a horse owning friend who is struggling with feeding their OTT. 🌟 And we'd love you to leave us a rating and review so more horse owners can find practical, science-based nutrition advice.

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, protein and lysine can influence foal development, joint health, milk production and mare condition. The discussion also explores lactation, foal growth rates, the importance of the mare’s microbiome, and why nutrition during pregnancy may have long-term effects on the foal’s health and future performance. A must-listen episode for breeders, stud staff and horse owners wanting to give mares and foals the best possible start. 📲 Download MyHappy.Horse to help you keep broodmare diets balanced: https://apps.apple.com/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 🦠 And if you want to look into your broodmare’s microbiome, get in touch with EquiGI - https://www.equigi.com

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. You’ll learn the five key steps to feeding horses for weight loss, including remove high-energy feeds, manage access to pasture and high quality hay, use low-calorie forages like mature grass hay and straw, balance vitamins and minerals correctly, and how exercise and winter can make such a difference. This episode also covers practical tools for managing laminitis-prone , insulin-dysregulated , cresty-necked and easy keeper horses, including use of forage testing, slow feeders, track systems, controlled grazing and the importance of measuring body condition, body weight and cresty neck score over time. If you have agood doer or an overweight horse that needs to lose weight safely, this episode will help you understand how to create a weight loss diet that protects gut health, supports the hindgut microbiome and keeps your horse (and you!) as happy as possible. 📲 Download the MyHappy.Horse nutrition app to check your horse’s calorie intake and make sure your weight loss diet is properly balanced 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 getting their air fern to lose some weight!. 🌾 And here is Sammy Julliand’s work on hay assessment using the human senses https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731118003725

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. If the cause of weight loss has not been identified, the hindgut is struggling, the diet is unbalanced, or the horse is being pushed too hard with high-starch feeds, owners can end up feeding more and more, while the horse still fails to thrive. In this episode, Nerida walks through the five key steps to feeding for weight gain, starting with identifying why the horse is underweight in the first place. From there, she explains why the hindgut must become a fibre-fermenting powerhouse, why forage variety and fibre diversity matter, how to balance the diet properly, why high-quality protein is essential for building muscle and topline, and how to add high-energy ingredients like super fibres, oils and well-cooked grains safely. Nerida also talks about something every owner needs to understand before starting a weight gain diet: higher-energy diets can affect behaviour. The aim is not to create a fire-breathing dragon under saddle. The aim is to build a healthier horse who can gain condition, support muscle development, maintain better gut health and eventually hold weight without relying on huge amounts of supplementary feed forever. 📲 For help assessing your horse’s diet and building a balanced feeding plan, download the MyHappy.Horse app and let it help you feed with more confidence. https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 💖 If you find this episode helpful, please follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast and share it with a horse owning friend who is struggling with weight gain. 🌟And we'd love you to leave us a review so more horse owners can find practical, science-based nutrition advice.

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 energy” can all be signs that something deeper is going on. Too much concentrated feed, grain-based diets, raw or poorly digested grain, not enough forage, hindgut dysbiosis, gastric pain, riding on an empty stomach, mycotoxins, pain, lack of movement, lack of socialisation and unbalanced diets can all influence behaviour. Nerida also explains why forage is one of the most powerful “calmers” we have for horses, why the hindgut and brain are so closely connected, and why behaviour should always be treated as information. Then she looks at the evidence behind common calming supplement ingredients. Magnesium may help in specific situations, especially where magnesium intake or metabolism is compromised. Vitamin B1 may have a role, particularly when hindgut health is poor. But tryptophan? The research in horses does not support it as an effective calmer. If you have ever reached for a calming supplement hoping it would fix a spooky, anxious or explosive horse, this episode will help you step back, look at the whole horse, and understand what may really be driving the behaviour. Because calm does not start in the supplement aisle. 💛 Download the MyHappy.Horse app to check whether your horse’s diet is supporting calm, healthy behaviour. https://apps.apple.com/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 🎧 Follow the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast for more practical, science-based feeding advice

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 with worn teeth are so often underfed, how to think about chaff, hay cubes, beet pulp, copra and other fibre sources, and why a balanced diet is still essential when forage intake becomes complicated. A useful episode for anyone feeding an older horse, a horse with missing or worn teeth, or a horse that needs a more creative nutrition plan. 📲 Download the MyHappy.Horse nutrition app: https://apps.apple.com/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 🧮 Monitor closely for laminitis with Lami-tag, as early detection is critical - https://www.lami-tag.com 🐎 Queensland Off The Track’s Feeding the senior OTT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxXOm7_7biM 🌾 Here is the key paper behind the discussion about oaten/cereal hay, water-soluble carbohydrates and equine peripheral dental caries. This study surveyed 500 Western Australian horses and found peripheral caries in 58.8% of surveyed horses, with oaten hay identified as a dietary risk factor. Jackson, K., Kelty, E. & Tennant, M. 2018. Equine peripheral dental caries: An epidemiological survey assessing prevalence and possible risk factors in Western Australian horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 50(1), 79–84. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28707363/

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/

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. Nerida also covers winter weight loss, feeding good doers, choosing forage quality, fibre diversity for hindgut health, water and salt intake, balanced diets, vitamin and mineral support, protein quality, and why laminitis-prone horses still need careful management in winter. Whether your horse is an older horse, an off-the-track Thoroughbred, a hard keeper, a broodmare, a growing horse, a good doer, or a horse prone to laminitis, this episode will help you stay one step ahead before winter feeding problems show up. 📲 Download the MyHappy.Horse app to check whether your horse’s diet is meeting their energy, protein, lysine, vitamin and mineral needs this winter: https://apps.apple.com/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 💖 If this episode helps you, we’d love you to follow the podcast and share it with a horse-loving friend that has a horse who struggles through winter.

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. Two feeds can both say 16% protein on the bag, but they may not support your horse’s body in the same way. In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida explains protein quality in horses and why the crude protein percentage on a feed bag only tells part of the story. You’ll learn how amino acids work, why essential amino acids matter, and why lysine, methionine, threonine and the branched-chain amino acids are so important for muscle, topline, bone development, milk production, tissue repair and gut health. Nerida also explains why protein source matters, using examples like soybean meal, whey protein, cottonseed meal, sunflower meal and forage quality, and shows how two feeds with similar crude protein levels can provide very different amino acid value to your horse. Whether you have a growing horse, broodmare, performance horse, off-the-track Thoroughbred, senior horse, or a horse needing more topline or gut support, this episode will help you ask a better question: not just “how much protein is in this feed?”, but “is this protein good enough for the job I’m asking my horse’s body to do?” 📲 Download the MyHappy.Horse nutrition app to check your horse’s crude protein and lysine intake and build better, more balanced diets with confidence https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324 🐎 Queensland Off The Track Nutrition Hub is here https://www.racingqueensland.com.au/animal-welfare/off-the-track/nutrition-education-hub 💖 And you can find the story of Allay's first 12 months here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KttwjBii2HY ⁉️ If you'd like help with interpreting your feed label's list of ingredients, email it to us, hello@myhappy.horse or ask Dr Nerida AI https://www.myhappy.horse/nerida-ai 💛 Follow the Happy Horse Nutrition podcast for more practical, science-based horse nutrition, and we’d love you to share this episode with a horse-loving friend who wants to feed their horse with more clarity and confidence.

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. Renee shares the findings from her recently published research study examining whether glucosamine and chondroitin supplements improve lameness in horses with osteoarthritis, and what the results mean for every horse owner standing in front of a wall of joint supplements at the feed store. From there, the conversation covers equine joint health from the ground up. In this episode you’ll learn: What osteoarthritis actually does to joint tissue and why understanding this changes how you manage it Why movement is non-negotiable for cartilage health, and what happens to joints when horses are stalled The research on pastured versus stalled horses and what it means for how you manage your horse day to day Why nutrition from conception onwards is the foundation of lifetime joint soundness The trace minerals most commonly deficient in horse diets and why deficiencies during development cause problems that show up years later Dr Brian’s research on bone strength and the surprisingly small amount of exercise needed to maintain it The five things Renee considers most important for long-term joint health The truth about corticosteroid injections; what they actually do, and the risk of masking pain in performance horses Early warning signs that your horse’s joints may be struggling before obvious lameness appears Practical, actionable strategies for joint health regardless of your horse’s age, breed, or living situation Whether you have a young horse you are bringing up right, a performance horse in hard work, or an older horse starting to show their age, this conversation will change how you think about joint health and what you can actually do to help your horses have a long, sound, happy life! 🧪 Renee's full research paper can be found here (and it is well worth the read, beautifully written and a brilliant piece of science!): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13113781/ 🌟 If this episode helps you look at joint health a little differently, please follow the podcast so you don’t miss what’s coming next. 💛 And we'd love you to share it with a horse friend, especially someone with a young horse, an older horse, or a horse already struggling with joint issues. These are the conversations that can genuinely change how we manage horses for the better. 📲 And if you want help getting the nutrition side right, download the MyHappy.Horse app . It’s like having a practical, science-based equine nutritionist in your pocket, helping you feed with more confidence and less second-guessing. ⁠https://apps.apple.com/au/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324⁠