EquiNourish - Independent Equine Nutrition

06/09/2026

🌱🐴 September Grass Flush – Don’t Be Caught Out!

September brings a fresh flush of grass, and while that lush growth may look fantastic, it can be a challenge for some horses and ponies.

🌿 Lush autumn grass can be higher in sugars, particularly in recent weeks, when the wet and warm conditions have encouraged rapid grass growth. Horses are generally at their fattest at this time of year which can bring heightened dangers for horses prone to weight gain or metabolic issues.

🐎 Keep an eye on:

• Body condition and weight
• Grazing time
• Amount of available grass
• Changes in behaviour or appetite
• Hoof temperature and digital pulses
• Remember to adjust any rations accordingly including; grass / forage / hard feeds.

💡 Top tip: Don’t forget that grass counts as part of the ration! Adjust additional feed according to what your horse is getting from pasture.🍂🐴

How is your horse coping with the September grass flush? Let us know below🌱👇

25/08/2026

The Scottish Government has just released its updated guidance on equine welfare 🐴

The new guidance has been developed through collaboration with industry experts, drawing on up-to-date knowledge and research. It’s a really useful resource for horse owners and carers, offering practical guidance to help support the health and welfare of our equines. 🐎

Well worth a read and sharing with others involved in horse care.

New welfare guidance has been published for owners of equines. The guidance provides information on how to care for equines and ensure their welfare and emotional needs are met.

Emphasising the importance of equine welfare, the guidance has been developed in close partnership with the equine sector, and covers everything from diet and environment to horse passports and tethering.

The guidance replaces the previous Welfare of Equidae Code of Practice published in 2009, and recognises that animal welfare knowledge, management practices and science have moved on from previous management principles.

Modern approaches now include mental wellbeing, positive experiences, the need for social interaction and the ability to express natural behaviours as well as the equines physical health.

British Horse Society
BHS Scotland
National Equine Welfare Council
World Horse Welfare

To view the new welfare guidance visit https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781807753627

05/08/2026

Watching these wild Eriskay ponies recently was a real privilege.

It's fascinating to observe what they naturally choose to forage and graze on, and the nutritional intelligence they demonstrate within their environment.

Wild ponies instinctively select a high-fibre, low-sugar diet. One of the most interesting indicators of this is their droppings 💩. They're high in fibre, relatively low in moisture, and noticeably more brown than green.

In fact, they look much more like the droppings we see from our domestic horses in the depths of winter, rather than the bright, electric green droppings that are common at this time of year. ☀️ 🍭 🌾

It's a great reminder that natural grazing behaviour and plant selection can tell us a lot about the diet horses are designed to eat. 🌿🐴🌾🐴

21/07/2026

My favourite time of year….Stubble time! 🐴 🐎🌾😁

12/07/2026

🪰 Fly season is well and truly here! 🐴

I don't mean to state the obvious, but fly season has definitely arrived!

It's never nice to see your horse irritated by flies, but have you ever stopped to watch how they naturally deal with them?

They twitch, shake, roll, swish their tails, nod their heads, stamp their feet, use their mouths, shiver their skin, or simply move to a different part of the field. These are all natural defence mechanisms that help keep those pesky insects at bay.

All of that movement burns energy. In fact, during the summer, horses can burn more calories dealing with flies than they do in winter keeping themselves warm.

This is worth thinking about when deciding whether your horse really needs a fly rug.

👉 If you're struggling to keep weight on your horse, a fly rug can be a great way to reduce stress and unnecessary calorie expenditure.

👉 But if your horse is overweight—which many are at this time of year—it may be worth considering whether the flies are actually at a level your horse can comfortably cope with using their natural defences. That extra movement will help them burn more calories throughout the day.

Of course, this isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Horses with sweet itch, skin conditions, wounds, or those that genuinely struggle with flies will benefit from the protection a fly rug provides.

Before automatically reaching for the fly rug, just pause and ask yourself:

Does my horse really need it?

As annoying as flies are—and I know this won't be a popular opinion—they do have a role to play, and our horses have evolved some pretty effective ways of dealing with them.

Every horse is an individual, so always base your decision on what is best for yours. 🐴💚

19/06/2026

✨ Feeding for Show Shine ✨

Ever wondered why some horses look like they’ve just stepped out of a salon? It starts from within.

A shiny horse = a happy, healthy horse 💫
And that comes down to the 3 Fs:
🐴 Friends – time to socialise, play & relax
🌱 Forage – a balanced, nutritious diet
🌿 Freedom – turnout & natural movement

Grass plays its part too—lush, nutrient-rich, and easily digested, helping coats bloom 🌼

For that show-ring shine, balance is everything:
✔️ Meet energy needs (without overdoing it)
✔️ Add a quality balancer for essential vitamins & minerals
✔️ Support digestion, immunity & overall health

⚠️ Remember: overweight doesn’t mean healthy
Too much condition can increase the risk of laminitis & EMS—and even weaken the immune system

⭐ Top tip: Aim for the right weight, not just a bigger one. That’s where true shine comes from.

https://www.equinourish.co.uk

07/06/2026

🌾 The Science of Soaking Hay 🌾

Ever wondered why we soak hay?

The main reason is to reduce the sugar content and digestible energy, allowing horses to enjoy their forage with fewer calories and a lower sugar intake. This is particularly important for horses that need careful weight or metabolic management.

✅ What soaking does:

Leaches out water-soluble sugars, including sucrose, fructose, fructans, and glucose.
Reduces digestible energy (calories).
Does not significantly change the protein content of the hay.

💧 How does it work?
Soaking softens the plant cell walls, allowing sugars to escape into the water. The more effectively the cell walls are softened, the more sugars can be removed.

🌡️ What's the best way to soak hay?
Research shows that soaking hay for just 1 hour at 16°C can remove more sugars than soaking in cold tap water for 16 hours.

Why? Because 16°C is the ideal temperature for softening plant cell walls, helping sugars leach out more efficiently.

❄️ Using cold water?

Soak for a minimum of 6 hours to begin effectively reducing sugar levels.
Avoid soaking for more than 12 hours, as bacterial growth in the water can increase.

🔄 Top tip: Stir the hay once or twice during soaking to encourage even more sugar removal.

⚖️ Remember...
While soaking reduces sugars, it can also wash away some valuable nutrients. Feeding a suitable balancer alongside soaked hay is important.

📏 Did you know?
Effective soaking can result in up to 20% dry matter loss. This means you can increase the weight of soaked hay fed by around 20%.

For example:
➡️ 10kg of dry hay = approximately 12kg of soaked hay

Small management changes can make a big difference to your horse's health and wellbeing. 🐴💚

31/05/2026

Feeding ROR Thoroughbreds: Keep It Simple 🐎

One of the questions I'm asked most often is how to feed ex-racehorses. Having owned both racing and non-racing Thoroughbreds, two things have become clear:

✅ Every Thoroughbred is an individual.

✅ Feeding them after racing doesn't need to be complicated.

Like all horses, Thoroughbreds are designed to thrive on fibre.

Fibre supports gut health and provides a slow, steady source of energy. However, many Thoroughbreds can be more sensitive than native breeds, often showing stress and environmental changes through weight loss, behaviour, or both.

When condition starts to drop, it's easy to reach for high-energy feeds. The problem is that many of these are also high in sugar and starch, which can contribute to sharp, reactive behaviour and digestive upset.

Undigested starch can alter the hindgut environment, disrupting the balance of beneficial microbes and impacting overall gut health.

The gut-brain axis— is the connection between digestive health and behaviour. A settled gut can help support a calmer, more focused horse, particularly those that are naturally anxious or reactive.

My preferred approach is simple:
🌾 Prioritise fibre
🌾 Support gut health
🌾 Use a quality feed balancer to cover vitamin and mineral requirements
🌾 Add condition through fibre and oil rather than excessive sugar and starch

Feeds such as Alfa-A, alongside oil and a suitable balancer, can provide excellent levels of energy and protein while remaining fibre-rich and supportive of digestive health.
Whether you use chaffs, cubes, mashes, or a combination of all three, building the diet around fibre is often the key to maintaining condition while encouraging a more settled temperament.

Simple feeding, healthy gut, happy Thoroughbred. ❤️🐴

24/05/2026

Balance is key! 🔑

A visit to Robocop the mechanical horse at SRUC yesterday taught us more about balance and weight transfer in riding than nutrition for once! 😂

Fascinating to see exactly where your weight goes in the saddle… and safe to say I may need a riding physio! 🐴

19/05/2026

🌿 Seasonal Changes = Feeding Changes
(But No Need to Panic!) 🌿

As the grass becomes richer in calories, sugars, fructans, and nutrients, we can reduce—or even stop—supplementary feeding 🌱

Wild horses evolved to walk 25–30 km daily, consuming large amounts of fibrous, low-energy forage 🚶‍♂️🌾

Our domesticated horses, however, are far more sedentary due to limited space, and our modern pasture is high in energy, sugar, and easily digestible nutrients.

Much like in human diets, food has become richer and easier to consume—and, just like us, horses can become “hooked” on sugar 🍭
It may taste good but laminitis certainly doesn’t ⚠️

This time of year is one of the most challenging when trying to prevent it—and prevention is always better than cure.

So when you’re:
⚖️ Weighing and soaking hay
🐴 Watching your horse turn away from the grazing muzzle
🌱 Extending your strip grazing inch by inch
🔧 Untangling fencing for a track system

👉 Remember: it all matters.

Winter may be over, but for owners of good doers, laminitis-prone, and EMS horses, the real work is just beginning 💪

Consistency and discipline are key to preventing weight gain and, ultimately, laminitis.

Horses on restricted grazing still need to eat, groom, and express natural behaviours—so keep these essentials in mind:

🥣 Feed a balancer – Restricted horses won’t get all necessary nutrients.

🌾 Use straw wisely – Think of it as the horse equivalent of celery:
longer chewing, slower digestion, helps them feel fuller
(can make up to 50% of their daily ration)

💧 Soak hay effectively – Using slightly warmer water (~16°C) can remove up to 4× more sugars, fructans, and starch

⚖️ Weigh forage –
• 2% body weight for maintenance
• 1.8% for weight loss

😌 Manage muzzle use – Remove regularly to allow grooming and natural behaviours (never 24/7!)

🏃‍♂️ Encourage movement – More movement = more calories burned
Riding, in-hand walks, lunging, long-lining… it all helps (and boosts your step count too!)

It’s hard work—but it’s worth it 💚