38. Danger in the Grass: High-Oxalate Pastures, Calcium Deficiency & Bighead Disease in Horses

38. Danger in the Grass: High-Oxalate Pastures, Calcium Deficiency & Bighead Disease in Horses

In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida tackles a pasture risk that catches many good horse owners out: high-oxalate warm-season grasses that can block calcium absorption, slowly weaken bone, and set horses up for nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (Bighead disease).

You’ll learn the simple physiology behind it (the “bone calcium bank” concept), why blood calcium can look normal even when bones are being depleted, and the real-world signs that are easy to misread; shifting lameness, sore or grumpy behaviour, odd gait, skull changes, loud breathing noise under work, dental issues and poor hoof quality.

Nerida walks you through practical pasture ID tips for the big culprits—kikuyu, buffel, couch/bermudagrass, and the high-risk one: setaria! And explains how oxalate levels and risk change with growth stage and location (including cooler regions in summer).

Finally, she outlines prevention: targeting a calcium: oxalate ratio of at least 0.5:1, keeping calcium balanced with phosphorus and magnesium, why lucerne/alfalfa helps on multiple fronts, and when it’s smarter to use a properly formulated balancer or get expert help… especially if setaria is involved.


✅ Want help checking whether your horse’s diet is actually balanced for these pastures (without doing the maths)? Download the MyHappy.Horse app: https://apps.apple.com/app/myhappy-horse/id6633422324


❤️ If this episode helped, please follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts/Spotify and share it with a horse owner in warm, wet coastal regions (or anyone feeding teff or bermudagrass hay).

🕖 Until next time… go have a quick paddock walk! Your feed room decisions should always start with your grass. 🌱🐴

Episoder(47)

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30. Horse Nutrition Q&A: How racehorses are thriving on more fibre, less grain

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29. Strip Grazing for Horses: How to reduce pasture intake safely and support weight control

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1 Des 202532min

28. Feeding your horse for an amazing coat

28. Feeding your horse for an amazing coat

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24 Nov 202540min

27. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Ryegrass Staggers, Mycotoxins, Grain Processing & Faecal pH

27. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Ryegrass Staggers, Mycotoxins, Grain Processing & Faecal pH

Dr. Nerida and Orla are back with another Q&A episode that tackles everything from freaky behaviour on ryegrass and mycotoxin binders to a virtually unknown reason your horse might be completely off i...

17 Nov 202545min

26. Feeding ‘Marey Mares’: What to Feed and Avoid for Behaviourally Challenging Mares

26. Feeding ‘Marey Mares’: What to Feed and Avoid for Behaviourally Challenging Mares

Join Dr. Nerida as she tackles a listener question about feeding “marey mares” — those behaviourally expressive, sensitive, frequently moody, often brilliant mares. This solo Happy Horse Nutrition epi...

10 Nov 202528min

25. Breaking the Horse Nutrition Mold: How Ciaron Maher Racing are Challenging Status Quo in Australian Thoroughbred Racing

25. Breaking the Horse Nutrition Mold: How Ciaron Maher Racing are Challenging Status Quo in Australian Thoroughbred Racing

Discover how Ciaron Maher Racing (CMR) is pushing the boundaries in the Australian thoroughbred racing industry and breaking away from traditional nutrition strategies. In this in-depth conversation, ...

3 Nov 20251h 12min

24. Ingredient Variety and Why it Matters in Horse Nutrition

24. Ingredient Variety and Why it Matters in Horse Nutrition

Join Dr. Nerida as she explores why ingredient variety is absolutely critical for your horse's health. In this episode, which comes complete with Lucky the Goat 🐐anecdotes, Dr Nerida reveals the thre...

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