Nutrition with April - Independent Equine Nutritionist MSc ANutr

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Nutrition with April - Independent Equine Nutritionist MSc ANutr

Independent registered equine nutritionist (AfN), passionate about supporting horses to optimal health and performance.

I offer unbiased, evidence-based advice tailored to your horse’s needs to help them thrive and build a solid foundation for success.

09/11/2025

Let’s talk about laminitis and why diet absolutely does matter! 🍏🌱

Recently, I saw a post circulating that claimed laminitis isn’t caused by diet, and that it’s due to bad confirmation causing the P3 bone to rotate. Unfortunately, this is not factually correct, and it worries me to see misinformation like this continuing to be shared, especially when it could influence how horse owners feed and manage their horses.

Laminitis is a serious, painful, and potentially life-threatening condition. In severe cases, it can result in the need for euthanasia. Suggesting that diet has no role in laminitis isn’t just wrong, it is dangerous.

Here’s what the science actually tells us:

Laminitis is the inflammation and damage of the laminae - the tissues that connect the hoof wall to the pedal bone (P3). When these tissues weaken, P3 can rotate or sink. That rotation is a result, not a cause.

🥕 Diet-induced laminitis is well-documented in research. High intakes of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), e.g. sugars, starch, and fructans, can trigger laminitis in susceptible horses and ponies.
• Laat et al (2012) showed that excessive NSC intake (could be from bucket feeds or forage) leads to metabolic and inflammatory changes in the hoof’s laminae.
• Horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or PPID (Cushing’s) are at particularly high risk, as they can have an exaggerated insulin response to high-sugar feeds or rich grazing.

Management and diet go hand in hand. Controlling pasture intake, providing low-NSC forage, using balanced vitamin/mineral support, maintaining a healthy weight, and regular trimming of the hooves to keep them balanced are proven, evidence-based strategies for preventing laminitis.

So please be cautious with online advice. The wellbeing of horses depends on us basing decisions on science, not opinions.

If you ever feel unsure about your horse’s diet or laminitis risk, speak with an independent equine nutritionist or your vet. It’s always better to prevent than to treat ❤️🐴

08/11/2025

Even overweight horses need their vitamins and minerals! 🌱Forage alone isn’t balanced, especially with soaked hay or restricted grazing. A balancer or vit & min supplement can help because they have low calories with the amount fed and big benefits. Need help choosing the right one? Drop me a message!

30/08/2025

Which Supplement is Best?

One of the most common questions I get asked is: “What’s the best supplement for joints / hooves / coat / digestion… but it also needs to be cheap?”

Here’s the thing… I completely understand wanting to keep costs down. Horses are expensive (sometimes painfully so!) but when it comes to nutrition, cutting corners can actually end up costing more in the long run. Why? Because poor-quality products or the wrong supplement can cause nutritional imbalances and simply won’t give you the results you’re hoping for.

The dose is key. Think about how we take medications ourselves, we’re always told the correct amount to take. Too little, and it won’t work. Too much, and it could be harmful. For example, with paracetamol, there’s a safe and effective amount that we know will actually relieve pain.

It’s exactly the same with supplements for horses. For joint health (and other conditions), there’s a minimum amount of the active ingredient that research shows is needed for it to be effective. Unfortunately, not every company puts enough of that ingredient into their product. Sometimes you’d need to feed several times the suggested daily amount just to reach the effective level and this is expensive but also dangerous in case you feed too much of another ingredient in the tub.

That means if the dose isn’t high enough, you could be feeding your horse an expensive powder that isn’t actually doing anything at all.

My advice? Always look beyond the shiny marketing and check the label. Ask yourself:
• Does this contain the right ingredient in the right amount?
• Is it backed up by independent research?
• Is this product actually worth feeding, or am I throwing money away?

At the end of the day, supplements can be fantastic tools but only if they’re used correctly, in the right context, and at the right dose. Otherwise, your money is far better spent elsewhere in your horse’s diet.

💬 Have you ever been surprised when you looked closely at a supplement label? Drop your experiences below – I’d love to hear them!

Feel free to share 🐴

29/08/2025

Just because a horse is carrying extra weight doesn’t mean their nutrition should be cut out completely!

Overweight horses often get their calories from forage alone, but forage rarely provides all the essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids they need for health. That’s where a balancer comes in, giving them the goodness without lots of calories, or for even less calories try a vitamin and mineral supplement!

Feel free to share 🌱

31/07/2025

Here is how to weigh your horse feeds so you know exactly how much you are feeding each day!

17/07/2025

WEIGHT CHECKING YOUR HORSE🐎

Weight gain or loss in horses can happen gradually and often go unnoticed without objective monitoring. Visually assessing a horse’s weight isn’t always reliable, especially with thick coats, muscle changes, or even just seeing them daily. That’s why regular weight checks are an essential part of managing your horse’s health and diet.

📉 Why it matters:
Sudden weight loss can be a red flag for dental issues, parasites, illness, or poor nutrition. Gradual weight gain increases the risk of laminitis, insulin dysregulation, and obesity-related conditions, especially in native breeds and easy keepers.

How to track weight accurately:
- Use a weighbridge if possible. This is the gold standard.
- If that’s not available, use a weight tape or a formula-based estimation with a measuring tape. While less accurate, these methods are useful for spotting trends over time.
- Combine this with body condition scoring (BCS) for a fuller picture. Studies show BCS is a reliable method for identifying over- or under-conditioning (Henneke et al., 1983).

How often?
At least monthly but more frequently is recommended for horses who are likely to fluctuate in their condition for closer monitoring. Record the results to notice trends and adjust feeding accordingly.

🧬 The science:
Obesity is increasingly recognised as a major welfare issue in domestic horses, with studies showing up to 50% of UK leisure horses are overweight (Wyse et al., 2008; Thatcher et al., 2012). Regular monitoring helps you catch weight creep before it becomes a health problem.

Want help getting started with weight tracking or condition scoring? Drop your questions below.

Feel free to share 🍏

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http://www.nutritionwithapril.co.uk/

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