44. Species-Appropriate Horse Keeping & Why Track Systems Work

Track systems (perimeter grazing systems) can look deceptively simple… but when they’re designed well, they deliver things horses are wired for: friends, freedom, and forage… with extra movement built in.

In this episode, Dr Nerida is joined by the wonderful Dr Katherine Goldberg (DVM, LCSW), a veterinarian and clinical social worker, to unpack what “species-appropriate husbandry” actually means in the real world, and why track systems aren’t just a “weight loss tool” for good doers, but a way we can help horses to live in a way that truly honours their needs.

Dr Nerida and Dr Katherine talk about the concept of horses being behaviourally starving even when obese, the two welfare rules Katherine won’t budge on, and how meeting these basic needs changes behaviour, safety, gut health, and the horse–human relationship.

You’ll also get practical, immediately usable setup guidance on track width, why varying widths can create natural movement patterns, and how separating resources (water, hay, shelter) encourages that nomadic, forage-and-walk lifestyle horses evolved for.

Dr Katherine is the most beautiful human, driven by the desire to help us all create better, happier, more species-appropriate lives for our equine friends in which our horse-human relationships and horse goals, whatever they may be, can flourish! If you’d like to get in contact with Dr Katherine, you can find her at horsesfirststewardship@gmail.com

And if you would like more information on what we do here at MyHappy.Horse you can find us over at https://www.myhappy.horse

Thanks so much for being here 💖💛

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Episoder(67)

67. Laminitis & Spring Grass: How to Keep Your Horse Safe

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66. Horses, Laminitis & Hoof Health with Dr Luke Wells-Smith

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18 Aug 1h 23min

65. My Favourite 5 Weight Gain Ingredients for Horses

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11 Aug 43min

64. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Insulin Sensitivity, Muscle Building and Misleading Feed Labels

Join Dr Nerida and Orla as they discuss how exercise can improve insulin sensitivity. Plus they talk feeding for muscle development, and how whey protein, soybean and leucine play a role.They also div...

4 Aug 46min

63. Preventing Gastric Ulcers in Horses: Nutrition Strategies Beyond Forage

Preventing squamous gastric ulcers takes more than just feeding enough forage. In this episode, Dr Nerida explains four additional nutrition strategies: feeding a balanced diet, controlling grain and ...

28 Jul 42min

62. Preventing gastric ulcers: The top 3 things you must do for your horse

Gastric ulcers are incredibly common in horses, but before changing feeds or reaching for an ulcer supplement, there are three far more important foundations to get right.In this episode, Dr Nerida ex...

21 Jul 38min

61. Horse Nutrition Q&A: Gravel in the Gut, Lucerne Myths and Haynets

Orla is back on the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, and this time she and Dr Nerida are answering listener questions, sharing stories from the behind the gastroscope, and chat themselves down a number ...

14 Jul 37min

60. Rebuilding a Horse’s Gut After Racing - Allay's Story

What really happens inside an off-the-track’s gut when you take away the racing diet and start to rebuild the horse from the hindgut up?In this episode of the Happy Horse Nutrition Podcast, Dr Nerida ...

7 Jul 1h 22min