Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist

09/09/2026

Did you know that anyone can call themselves an equine or horse nutritionist?

'Equine nutritionist' isn’t a protected title in the UK, which means it can be difficult for horse owners to know what qualifications, experience or professional standards are behind the advice they’re being given.

This is one of the reasons I’m keen to raise awareness of BETA ENFAR.

ENFAR stands for the Equine Nutritionist and Feed Adviser Register, and it’s administered by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA).

It was created to 'raise awareness and celebrate knowledge, experience and credibility'

It gives horse owners a place to find Equine Nutritionists and Feed Advisers who have met the criteria for their particular registration category and who commit to the BETA ENFAR Code of Best Practice.

That includes things I think really matter:
> putting equine health and welfare first
> giving evidence - based or evidence - informed recommendations
> keeping knowledge up to date through continuing professional development
> working appropriately with vets and other professionals
> being transparent about qualifications, experience and employment

Importantly, ENFAR also distinguishes between Equine Nutritionists and Feed Advisers. Both have an important role to play, but they are different roles with different criteria – something I’ll explain in another post.

And because ENFAR is specifically for the equine industry, it gives you, the horse owner, a useful way of looking at who is behind the feeding advice you’re receiving.

You might also have heard of the Association for Nutrition (AfN). I’ve been an AfN Registered Nutritionist, specialising in Animal Nutrition, for many years. I see the two registrations as complementary, which is why I hold both.

Now, ENFAR isn't there to tell you that one nutritionist is “better” than another, nor does registration mean someone has expertise in every area of equine nutrition.

But in a world where anyone can describe themselves as an equine nutritionist, I think giving horse owners an equine-specific register where they can check the credentials of the people advising them is a very positive step.

Because ultimately, I think we need to be asking:

Who am I trusting with my horse's feed and nutrition? and what sits behind their advice?

Feel free to share!
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09/09/2026

If you're a horse owner interested in a healthier, happier horse, I made 21 ways in 21 days to help you navigate the truth about feeding your horse so that you can upgrade their diet and nutrition.

It's completely free.

Comment '21', you'll get a DM to a link - then I'll send #1 right away.

Feel free to share to let your friends know

Thanks!
Clare
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08/09/2026

Encouraging them to eat straw 🐴🍏

08/09/2026

06/09/2026

I was pleased to have been asked to contribute to this Vet Record article questioning the hoof trimming organisation who posted the irresponsible information about laminitis not being caused by the diet.

It's good to see this investigated and shared.

We need to stand up and speak out about information like this that compromises horse health and well-being.

Thanks to Josh and the Vet Record for this piece.

(Some of the article is blanked out due to copyright).

06/09/2026

Carrots; don't panic! 🐴🍏🥕🥕

06/09/2026

YOU ARE BEING LIED TO ABOUT GRASS LENGTH !!

Long grass is not lower in sugar and fructan for horses and ponies than short grass in terms of what they actually eat.

An attention grabbing headline?

Yes! I am getting tired of this persistent nutribaloney that short grass is bad for horses, not suitable for laminitics, not suitable for weight loss or healthy weight maintenance.

This is Simply Not True.

Even if short, overgrazed grass IS higher in sugar and fructan and lower in fibre per kilo, it is the TOTAL AMOUNT that the horse eats and the RATE they eat it that matters, not what is in the forage per kilo.

Well-or over-grazed, short grass will generally provide more suitable grazing for a good doer or EMS / laminitis prone horse or pony.

On this type of grazing they will get LESS nutrients (less sugar, less fructan, less calories) per hour of grazing compared to the longer, stemmier grass, simply because of how much they can eat.

I cannot tell you how many owners have told me that their horse or pony has piled on the pounds (gained f4t) and sadly in some cases succumbed to laminitis, when they have tried putting them on free choice longer grass.

Now, the horse on overgrazed, sprouting pasture will likely need more fibre e.g. from a strip of the longer stemmier grass and/or supplementary forage like soaked hay BUT! grazing very short grass is sometimes the only way to keep a good doer slim and healthy (if they don't wear a grazing muzzle).

The key is to monitor the individual horse or pony and adjust their grass access from their bodyweight and condition, and any signs of metabolic disturbances or laminitis.

Some take home tips:
> always monitor your individual horse or pony and adjust their grass access accordingly - check their weight & condition, any signs of laminitis, their gut comfort and droppings
> never assume that long meadow grass is safe for your horse or pony prone to weight gain & laminitis
> over-grazed pasture with supplementary forage (if out 24/7) is a method used successfully by thousands of owners of good doers and laminitis-prone horse and pony owners
> if you have no option but to graze bottle-height grass (about 3" or 10cm) for overweight horses or ponies, good doers or those prone to laminitis, I recommend using a grazing muzzle (and potentially strip grazing as well)

Feel free to share!
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05/09/2026

WATCH OUT for misleading 'scientific' references!

I'm seeing a worrying increase in information online where writers make statements about a supplement ingredient like a herb having proven effects in the horse, and then list scientific references that are not actually relevant.

An example was a specific herb that was reputed to help laminitis healing or help prevent laminitis because of its effects on the vascular system (the blood and lymph vessels) - written as if there is research that actually proves this.

But then when you go and look into the references they give, basically they've taken 'in vitro' (laboratory/not in the horse's body) research of herbal components or constituents, and made the inaccurate 'pseudoscience' jump to that effect in the horse's actual body (this would be 'in vivo' research).

This is a serious error.

By using references with fancy names and terms, it's quite easy to make a reader think that the statement about the herb or supplement having that effect is actually true.

But I keep reading cases where it isn't true because when you look at the references, they're just in vitro or in a different species or a tiny insignificant effect. There is no actual good quality evidence of that material having that effect on the actual horse.

I've also seen it relating to specific supplements for EMS. But just because a supplement happened to have some effect on the way laboratory rodents utilise fat versus carbs in a diet does not mean to say it's going to work in a horse's body in the same way.

Mice and rats have a very different metabolism to horses.

We need to be very careful making these jumps and even more so we need to be very careful as readers that we don't believe something just because it has a scientific reference included.

Just because something has some scientific references attached doesn't mean that the statement in the article is actually backed up by the information in that paper.

This is really important because it can be very easy, as an owner, to think that these things are true because 'they must be - they've got scientific papers proving it'.

We need to check that the information in the scientific paper actually proves what the statement in the article, advert or piece of content says.

Because I've seen many cases recently where it doesn't.

As always it's buyer beware.
Don't believe everything you read.
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04/09/2026

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard! Hazel Wester, Melanie Burman, Annette Longland, Anne MacAulay, Cheryl Forbes, Наталія Воронянська, Christian Jones, Linda Hurford, Liz Watts, Peter Crozet, Shuna Cameron, Delphine Whately, Danny La, Sally Jones, Louigi Powell, Andrew Hollins, Charlotte Waybourne, Jackie Powell, Sara Henderson, Lorraine Terry, Christina Kingham, Amanda Smith, Jack Shoulder, Annabella Rose, Elizabeth Undrill, Alison Kennedy, Sarah Fox, Lisa Turfitt, Ellie Mak, Polly Byrne, Copse Farm, Mel James, Helena Bottrill, Abi Bellamy, Jane Lawson

04/09/2026

Shout out to my newest followers! Excited to have you onboard!

Hazel Wester, Melanie Burman, Annette Longland, Anne MacAulay, Cheryl Forbes, Наталія Воронянська, Christian Jones, Linda Hurford, Liz Watts, Peter Crozet, Shuna Cameron, Delphine Whately, Danny La, Sally Jones, Louigi Powell, Andrew Hollins, Charlotte Waybourne, Jackie Powell, Sara Henderson, Lorraine Terry, Christina Kingham, Amanda Smith, Jack Shoulder, Annabella Rose, Elizabeth Undrill, Alison Kennedy, Sarah Fox, Lisa Turfitt, Ellie Mak, Polly Byrne, Copse Farm, Mel James, Helena Bottrill, Abi Bellamy, Jane Lawson