Equine Consulting Services

Equine Consulting Services Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Equine Consulting Services, Consulting Agency, P. O Box 3361, Dural.

Dr Caroline Foote works with leading trainers, breeders and horse owners creating optimal feeding programs designed to improve the health, performance and productivity of their horses. Equine Consulting Services provides a unique service to horse breeders, trainers and owners delivering scientifically based, nutritional advice for all phases of horse growth, development and performance. Our client

s include leading Thoroughbred breeders and trainers, Arabian, Quarter Horse and Sport Horse enthusiasts in addition to pleasure horse owners throughout Australia. Principal consultant, Dr. Caroline Foote has extensive experience in both equine research and in the equine industry with a PhD from the University of Sydney, in addition to a Masters degree in Applied Science and a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture Science with Honours.

Where there”s grain, there must be hay. 🌾The best gut protection around.
04/05/2026

Where there”s grain, there must be hay. 🌾
The best gut protection around.


Two horses for two days. Taking small feeds often next level 👍
01/05/2026

Two horses for two days.
Taking small feeds often next level 👍

I was fortunate to start my career under the influence of the late great Percy Sykes and the one thing that was drilled ...
30/04/2026

I was fortunate to start my career under the influence of the late great Percy Sykes and the one thing that was drilled into me was the importance of oat quality for racehorses.

Oat quality drives intake and consistency, supporting optimal performance 🐎

29/04/2026

“But my hay tested low sugar…”

This is one of the most common things I hear when managing horses with EMS.

And unfortunately, “low sugar” does not automatically mean “safe.”

If you really want to know whether your horse’s current diet is triggering an excessive insulin response, the answer is not just in the FeedTest report, it’s in your horse.

The most useful blood test should be carefully timed after the horse has eaten.

Why? Because insulin is dynamic.

It rises and falls throughout the day, and if we sample at the wrong time, we can completely miss the peak response.

This is especially important here in WA, where I consistently see meadow hay causing some of the highest insulin responses, despite often testing relatively low in sugar.

Why this happens is still not fully understood. Sugar content is only one part of the story. Individual genetics, microbiome differences, feeding behaviour, and forage composition likely all play a role.

This is why two horses can eat the exact same hay and respond completely differently.

This is why I’m cautious when people confidently say:

“Don’t worry, it’s low-sugar meadow hay.”

Because sometimes, that “safe” hay is exactly what is driving the problem.

Feed testing absolutely has value, but it is only one piece of the puzzle.

The result I’m often most interested in, and arguably the more important number, is:

What did your horse’s insulin do after eating that hay?

That tells us far more about laminitis risk than a hay analysis alone.

Getting the right advice matters.

✅ Our Laminitis Care Program is designed to help owners cut through the confusion, understand what’s actually driving the problem, and build a practical long-term plan that works for both horse and owner.

👀 https://avonridgeequine.com.au/laminitis-assessments/

24/03/2026

Love coming home to this boy everyday. Clevergaze, 24 yo OTT.

Hunter Valley pasture samples, dried and ready for analysis — objective data supports better decisions 🍃🔬🐎
23/03/2026

Hunter Valley pasture samples, dried and ready for analysis — objective data supports better decisions 🍃🔬🐎

Oats: a highly digestible starch source for racehorses. 🐎Quality and weight matter — every dipper counts.⚖️Checked and w...
17/02/2026

Oats: a highly digestible starch source for racehorses. 🐎
Quality and weight matter — every dipper counts.⚖️
Checked and weighed on site at Warwick Farm this morning


Tigroni feeling the love  after a terrific first up performance last week. This is what it is all about.
04/12/2025

Tigroni feeling the love after a terrific first up performance last week. This is what it is all about.

02/11/2025

There are lots of different opinions when it comes to equine nutrition, and while real life experience shouldn’t be ignored, peer-reviewed publications should form the basis of decision making where possible 👨‍🔬🤓🐎

Protein is one of the most misunderstood nutrients in high performance horse diets. It has been shown that….1. Excess pr...
02/08/2025

Protein is one of the most misunderstood nutrients in high performance horse diets.

It has been shown that….
1. Excess protein leads to increased urea in sweat and higher plasma urea levels
2. If protein replaces carbohydrate in the diet, muscle glycogen storage may decrease potentially affecting performance.
3. Increased urinary nitrogen can raise ammonia levels, posing respiratory health risks.

Protein is also one of the most expensive parts of a ration. When it comes to ration formulation, think quality over quantity!!

Address

P. O Box 3361
Dural, NSW
2158

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Equine Consulting Services posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Equine Consulting Services:

Share