About this Event
Beyond the Bale: Forage Intelligence and Equine Nutritional Resilience for a Sustainable Future
A free lecture about the practical feeding of horses in line with our changing climate.
The first event in our 2026 lecture series will take place on Wednesday 25 February 2026 from 6pm (doors open at 6pm with the lecture starting at 6.30pm) to 8pm in the Boutflour Hall at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU).
The lecture, entitled Beyond the Bale: Forage Intelligence and Equine Nutritional Resilience for a Sustainable Future, will be delivered Dr Simon Daniels, Associate Professor of Equine Science at the RAU, and Professor Meriel Moore-Colyer, Professor of Equine Science at Hartpury University, and will consider the practical feeding of horses in line with the UK's changing climate.
Last year’s weather has led to a forage shortage within the equine industry and this shortage has had a knock-on effect on the cost of conserved forage (hay and haylage). While conserved forage is the mainstay of the horse’s diet, little consideration is given to understanding, or analysing, the nutritional profile of forage fed to horses.
There is currently a focus in the horse industry, as with many other sectors, on sustainable practices for horse management, and a greater understanding of our forages, as well as the ability to test forages and novel feeds for horses, is essential to be able to manage horses sustainably into the future.
This lecture will explore the current research around forage and feed analysis approaches alongside horse owner understanding of forage feeding. We will also explore how, going forwards, we can test novel forages for horses that might be more suitable within our evolving climate.
The speakers:
Dr Simon Daniels has been involved with horses for more than thirty years - his childhood hobby developed into a career centred on equine gut health and nutrition.
After completing his undergraduate degree, he worked as an equine nutritionist in the horse feed industry before joining the University of Liverpool’s School of Veterinary Medicine where he helped design and deliver a parasitology diagnostic laboratory service. This led him to undertake a part‑time PhD at the University of Surrey, investigating the efficacy of equine anthelmintics and their effects on intestinal health.
Following completion of the Liverpool diagnostic project, Simon moved fully into academia in 2012 at Hartpury University and, in 2014, he joined the RAU in Equine Management and Science. His core research remains focused on the health and function of the equine gastrointestinal tract, with particular emphasis on nutrition, forage quality, and sustainable parasite control.
Professor Meriel Moore-Colyer holds a personal chair in Equine Science and is a SFHEA and BHSII. She is currently the strategic lead for REF Unit 6 at Hartpury University.
Since completing her PhD in Equine Nutrition at the University of Edinburgh, she has specialised in fundamental digestive physiology and feeding systems for promoting health in stabled horses.
Meriel has published more than120 scientific articles, four text books, and numerous media articles, is a registered Animal Scientist with the Royal Society of Biology, and chair of the European Workshop for Equine Nutrition Association.
As a keen horsewoman, Meriel is committed to the translation of equine science research to the horse industry and to this end has helped numerous feed companies in UK and Ireland develop new products and feeding systems. She regularly gives talks at international conferences and industry CPD days across the Globe.
Come along to learn more about sustainable feeding practices for horse management.
Location: RAU Cirencester
Date: 25 February 2026
Time: 6pm to 8pm (doors open at 6pm with the lecture starting at 6.30pm)
Tickets and parking are free.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
