Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist

Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist Nutrition isn't everything; but there's nothing without it... Nutrition Consultancy and an extensive online resource, The Equine Nutrition Learning Centre
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Are you on holiday and missing your horse?Want to stay connected to your passion for learning about how to make sure you...
19/07/2025

Are you on holiday and missing your horse?

Want to stay connected to your passion for learning about how to make sure your horse has the very best?

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.

Thanks!
Clare
🐴🍏

WHY SO MUCH DISAGREEMENT IN NUTRITION?Sadly, extremism sells. Human nature makes us feel comfortable when our tribe is u...
19/07/2025

WHY SO MUCH DISAGREEMENT IN NUTRITION?

Sadly, extremism sells.

Human nature makes us feel comfortable when our tribe is unified by feeling right and everyone else/the other tribe is wrong.

The irony is that the reality is usually somewhere in the middle.

So little good scientific evidence exists for much of our knowledge in equine nutrition that extreme views are usually not founded in much if any science, proof or truth.

Personally I think respectful disagreement is a good thing, because it keeps us open-minded and learning, but when it becomes rude or an opinion is presented as fact, then I think that’s worrying for both owners and horse health and welfare.

I try to ignore the polar views and take a more balanced approach, forming my advice from a foundation of evidence - and where that isn't available - good sense and experience.

Whilst I may lack the fanatical following of some of the more extremist views, I'm ok with that because I'm passionate about being a source of truth and good sense for horse owners.

If you want authenticity, then you'll get on well here.

If you prefer a tribe with extremist views then you're probably best to look elsewhere.

Here's to balance and good horse-sense,

🐴🍏⚖️

ps if you like my content- 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. Just comment '21'

18/07/2025

I'm buckling in.

Think I'm going to need it.

I've a feeling I am going to get some hate and lots of bullying (trying to get me to change my mind) on this topline debate.

To be honest, this makes me realise it's even more important than ever for a deep dive into the evidence to be carried out.

I'm going to be updating myself on current muscle assessment techniques, and getting information and ideas from relevant people who are being respectful about the subject,

It seems to be harder than ever nowadays, to seek out the truth and not be swayed by the majority (or loud minority!) opinion.

All this started when I mentioned in passing that it was easy to confuse topline fat with topline muscle, something I regularly chat to clients about, and have done for many years!

If you've reached out to me with information or your expertise - thank you for your patience. I'm a busy practitioner and have a big caseload so these extra projects can take a little time.

If you read this and would like to contribute, please can you email me with your information - clare@equinenutritionist.co.uk and please include:
> your qualifications, your experience, any good evidence you have, and your thoughts. But please make your email succinct or I may not be able to read it all!

(Please see my last post on this subject for more info).

Thank you very much!
(currently getting my social media armour on and tightened up, with extra seat belt option 😄)
🐴🍏

18/07/2025

I've just had another brilliant session (last night) with my members in my Zoom 'Feed Room'

The owners who get to join me in there are either on the Confident Horse Nutrition Program or in my Equine Thrive membership.

The reason a brilliant Feed Room makes me so happy is:

😊 I'm now getting asked great questions, showing the learning and developing in nutrition understanding which is happening! (my raison d'etre is to upgrade horse owners' understanding of and confidence in nutrition and feeding, so that their horses and ponies' health and welfare benefits, and they can relax and stop worrying about it)

😊 the vibe is relaxed and comfortable.. no pressure for anyone to perform/to come across as having everything worked out/never any silly questions... and we have some great discussions

😊 nutribaloney is being spotted and shared with me! my members are sniffing out the bad marketing and incorrect info being shared online

😊 some have been with me for a long time now (you know who you are.. thank you for your loyal support) and they make everyone else feel so welcome

😊 and..... they're just all delightful people!

The aim with my Feed Room was exactly that - a safe place for learning, Q&As, sharing wins and challenges, and discussing nutrition/health/fitness and welfare.

We even have the odd dog or cat who joins in (I'm not sure if last night's cat was actually listening as she was too busy cleaning her face 🐱😄)

When I started my online nutrition learning and support platform, I wasn't sure how it would go, but to be honest, I absolutely love it, and it seems to attract such lovely horse owners.

I can honestly say, that my Feed Room has become the favourite part of my Thursdays!

Big love,
Clare
🐴🍏
ps if you want more details of how to join us, drop me a WhatsApp!

WEIGHT LOSS RELIES ON A CALORIE DEFICIT Not just a low sugar diet (which may not provide a calorie deficit).Weight loss ...
18/07/2025

WEIGHT LOSS RELIES ON A CALORIE DEFICIT

Not just a low sugar diet (which may not provide a calorie deficit).

Weight loss from body fat reduction relies on a calorie (energy) deficit.

The only way to get a reduction in body fat is to ensure that more energy (calories) are needed than go in via the diet.

If you can get your horse or pony to go into calorie deficit, they will use up body fat stores to fuel their body. Obesity is an excessive store of body fat.

Lots of factors including the type of diet, the amount, the individual, exercise (or not) will affect how this happens BUT on a practical level, if you can get the calorie deficit to happen then you will have body fat loss (and the same applies to humans).

Calorie (energy) deficit = fat loss

Please share 🐴🍏

17/07/2025

I'm currently writing some articles on body composition in horses, with a focus on 'topline'.

This has peaked my interest because I believe there might be some confusion between body fat and muscle in horses when assessing their topline, all the way through from horse owners to practitioners.

From my sports science and exercise phys days, I learnt that you assess muscle from functional tests, not by looking or feeling, unless you are assessing the change in an individual.

Endurance training does not lead to hypertrophy (increase in muscle size, usually via fibre size). Therefore to expect hypertrophy in elite event horses indicates a misunderstanding of the type of exercise they are doing.

Furthermore, good endurance training (which would ensure a horse could safely complete an elite level cross country round without excess fatigue) may actually cause a reduction in muscle size compared to the same horse trained for sprint or explosive sport!
..which means, we may well WANT smaller, flatter muscles in our elite eventers!

I wonder if we are throwing around the word 'atrophy' (which describes a weakness in function, as well as reduced size) where we might be seeing a very low body fat covering coupled with a sports horse who has been trained for endurance, and may have a higher number of type 1 muscle fibres ('stayers') (and type IIa), which are typically smaller in size than those with a high number of type 2 muscle fibres (type IIx and IIb) ('sprinters').

Muscle atrophy (a decline in muscle size but also in strength/stamina) causes exercise intolerance, weakness and a lack of stamina. Atrophy - as the word is defined - cannot be present without weakness.

I would propose it would be impossible for a horse to complete a 5* horse trials cross country track, jumping the final fence and landing in balance, with (actual) atrophy in their back muscles.

It just doesn't make physiological sense. So I'm delving into this properly !

?? Anyone up to date with human sports science assessment, either endurance, S&C or both ?

?? Or involved in human or horse (athlete) body composition assessment, or functional muscle assessment?

I'd be pleased if you could get in contact - either by DM or email (see comments).

As all of you who follow me know, I like to dig right down to the truth of the matter, thinking long and hard about it, looking into the evidence, and not being content with confirmation bias and sloppy thinking.

And, I'm particularly fascinated with muscle, something that was borne from my sports science studies.

Just because someone says something, does not mean it is true 😄

Thank you!
🐴🍏

17/07/2025

🤷‍♀️ "I'm not sure I'm feeding correctly. I doubt my horse's diet" is something I hear horse owners say almost daily.

Nutrition can be confusing nowadays.

Recently I was helping an owner who had a relatively new horse🐴and she feeding what the horse came with, but she was worried about the diet 😖 and wanted to change it but didn't know what was best ❓. She had got really confused with lots of conflicting advice from friends, livery yard colleagues and all the other owners who had given her 'advice' 🥴

I had another owner who had tried three different types of supplements for her horse's loss of condition, and none worked at all ❎. She had done lots of research online, studied lots of options, and then gone with a supplement company's recommendations. After several week of trying each one, months had passed and her horse was still underweight and under-muscled 😔

The stress and second-guessing of what on earth to feed can take the joy out of caring for your horse😢

🙋‍♀️If you’ve felt like this, you’re not alone! It can be such a minefield trying to work out what to feed your horse… working out what is trustworthy and what is nutribaloney – because sadly there is more and more of this around nowadays.
There are many ways to feed well, but also many ways to feed badly and some products that are a waste of money and will not give your horse a correct, healthy diet.

Nutrition is the cornerstone of good health and well-being and our horses and ponies rely on us to make the right choices for them🐎

👉If you’re struggling with how or what to feed your horse, how to work out which forage is best, how much grass access they need, and then the big question of which feed or supplement to choose, you need to know where to start, and which brands to trust and which are talking nutribaloney.

In my horse feed check service, I advise you what and how to feed your horse.

✅ Comment ‘feed advice” below to learn more about my horse feed check service.

Here’s what you’ll get👇:
🐴 a personalised feed plan and nutrition advice for your horse
🍏 leave guesswork or worrying about what you’re feeding behind
🐴 delivered in a video message sent straight to your phone (WhatsApp): easy and fuss-free
🍏 peace of mind that you’re feeding correctly for your horse’s optimal health, happiness and well-being

This horse feed check service is perfect for busy horse owners who want nutrition advice quickly, and who don’t need a full 1 to 1 consultation package right now. After I receive your horse information form (an easy, online form you complete) I assess your horse’s diet and make recommendations, which are delivered to you via WhatsApp.

You get the nutrition advice you need to ensure that your horse gets the diet they need 🐴✅.

I’ve worked with thousands of horses and owners over more than 2 decades and I know that what I share will work to give you clarity about how to feed your horse well, for long-term health and happiness 🥳🐴.

Comment ‘feed advice” below to learn more about this new service to get nutrition advice and a feed plan for your horses.

(Just to let you know - spaces are limited: this is a real live service, not bot-generated, so I have to limit availability!).

Enjoy your horses
Clare 🐴🍏

FAT IS FAT; STOP FLUFFING ABOUT NONSENSE!!'You might find your Shetland is lymphatic, not fat' (whatever that is meant t...
17/07/2025

FAT IS FAT; STOP FLUFFING ABOUT NONSENSE!!

'You might find your Shetland is lymphatic, not fat' (whatever that is meant to mean?! ). 'It could easily be bloating from a poor hindgut as well'

No. Nope. Nay.

I posted this a while ago but similar nutribaloney has been coming up lately, so I wanted to share again.

The pony in the picture is unhealthily fat (and credit to the owner for posting about it and asking for help).

He has simply overeaten the amount of calories he needs (from ad lib hay on a track system.....yep, another one) and those excess calories have been stored as body fat.

It' s very clear he is fat - there is no sign of his withers or his shoulder bones, both of which are buried underneath fat.

Regardless of what's going on with his lymphatics or his hindgut.

These may well be relevant to his health, but fat is fat and with it comes a risk of a number of health problems including laminitis.

The ridiculous crazy comment was in response to the post.

Not only is it ridiculous but it is cruel to the pony and unfair to the owners, who knows her pony is unhealthy and wants to make improvements for him.

Don't be deluded. It's simple at least in theory - large fat stores. It's not easy to get them to lose it but it is possible.....

With a calorie deficit. Not hindgut herbs, not lymphatic drainage or any other fluffy nonsense.

Stay strong against the fluff & nutribaloney nonsense!!

Please do not take advice from who-knows-who on the internet, who probably knows less than you (and in this case, makes up fairy stories as well).

And share away, please... 🐴🍏

If you're a horse owner interested in a healthier, happier horse, I made 21 ways in 21 days to help you navigate the tru...
16/07/2025

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
🐴🍏

It may be my calvanistic tendencies (being a Highlander!), but I find it difficult to share good reviews... despite the ...
16/07/2025

It may be my calvanistic tendencies (being a Highlander!), but I find it difficult to share good reviews... despite the fact I love my work and I'm truly enthusiastic about the results I know owners and their horses get!

I've been told I need to share more reviews, because I'm doing a disservice to horse owners if they don't know about my services.

So here we are....

Thanks for your feedback Karen, and it was my pleasure working with you and your lovely pony
🐴🍏

LAMINITIS? PLEASE TAKE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE! Please take care when taking advice from other horse owners on forums. There...
16/07/2025

LAMINITIS? PLEASE TAKE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE!

Please take care when taking advice from other horse owners on forums.

There are - sadly - many examples of bad advice on forums (I often get asked by someone sharing something, not sure if it's good advice or not!).

With some cases of laminitis around, I wanted to share this one again:

Someone on a forum advised free movement and ad lib hay for a pony who had just contracted laminitis and was on box rest until seen by the vet.

Letting a pony out and feeding ad lib hay could be absolutely disastrous, if the feet are unstable and the hay is high in WSC (sugar and fructan) plus the pony has EMS.

Once the feet have stabilised (and started to heal) then yes, controlled exercise will help, and yes, ad lib very low energy and low WSC forage is ideal but such hay is almost impossible to find in practice.

And you can actually cause laminitis by ad lib nutritious hay (I've worked with several owners where this has happened, with no grass intake at all).

Generally, for laminitis associated with EMS or high insulin (hyperinsulinaemia) (HAL), hay will need to be soaked and limited in amount (avoiding any more than a 4 hour fast). Exact amounts will depend on body fat level and insulin.

I thought this was a good example of a small amount of knowledge being a dangerous thing, and the lack of understanding of an individual case.

Please share to raise awareness; thank you 🐴🍏

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Nutrition isn’t everything, but there’s nothing without it

Independent, unbiased advice from a qualified, experienced and friendly Equine Nutritionist. I also have my own horses so I truly understand the challenges you as owners have in feeding your horses, managing their routines, and negotiating your way through the huge amount of available information and products.