No. 357. Dr Nerida McGilchrist - The Importance of Gut Health in Overall Wellness

Dr. Nerida McGilchrist (formerly Richards) is a world-renowned equine nutrition specialist from Australia, holding a Bachelor's Degree in Rural Science with First Class Honours and a Ph.D. in Equine Nutrition. In 2004, Nerida founded Equilize Horse Nutrition and began consulting for leading equine feed and supplement companies globally. Her expertise has led to the research and development of a bunch of world-leading feeds and supplements, earning her a top-notch reputation in the industry. In 2008, Nerida launched FeedXL, an online horse nutrition platform where she served as lead nutritionist, educator, and software feature designer until 2022. More recently, Nerida collaborated with Racing Queensland and their Queensland Off-The-Track Program to develop a first-class equine nutrition education video and eBook series, available to everyone on the Queensland Off-The-Track Nutrition Education Hub. Nerida's roles have had her extensively "on the ground" at breeding farms and stables around the globe. She has spent countless hours walking and testing pastures, analysing manure, and poring over diets to find the best ways to optimize equine health and performance. Her favourite projects are those that take her to Japan, where horse farms and racing stables are eager to stay on the cutting edge of nutrition research. Nerida is particularly passionate about enhancing performance through gut health, and in particular preventing gastric ulcers and maximising microbiome diversity through correct forage and grain feeding practices. Currently, Nerida is developing My Happy Horse, the world's first virtual equine nutritionist, set to launch as an app later in 2025.