STUDYING abroad might not appeal to everyone, but for Cavan-born Clare Hawthorne, it was a brave move that later earned her a permanent position as feed advisor with Krafft Swedish Horse Nutrition from her base in Wijchen, the Netherlands.

Krafft is the most popular horse feed company in the Nordic states and is quickly gaining attention across mainland Europe, thanks to Hawthorne and her colleagues, who are constantly on the road meeting and greeting potential new clients.

For students still undecided on a career path as they sit their Leaving Certificate this week, the 26-year-old shares with us her background in horses and a variety of jobs before going to college, settling in the Netherlands and then finding her true calling in equine nutrition.

“When I was growing up, my mother Deirdre kept a few horses. I started getting riding lessons at Ross House Equestrian Centre from the age of six. My parents eventually got me a pony when I was eight. I was a member of the Irish Pony Club and later got into dressage and eventing. I had a good 148cm pony called Beezies Minty (bred by the late Julia Hession) and later had a horse called JBF Riverfield Rebel. A few years ago, I purchased a Connemara mare, Kilmaine Millie, and have enjoyed eventing with this fantastic Irish-bred abroad.”

Hawthorne’s love of horses continued throughout her school years, and she gained further experience with short stints at the Army Equitation School and with Irish international show jumper Alexander Butler, when he was based in Kildare.

As she was preparing for her Leaving Certificate in 2018, she knew deep down she wasn’t quite ready to move to third level that autumn. “Everyone was asking me what I wanted to do. The Irish education system pushes you with the CAO, but I knew I wasn’t ready to go studying just yet. I didn’t feel like that was my calling, so instead I started applying to top event riders for a job.

“I said to my parents one evening ‘I’ve a job interview with event rider Karin Donckers in Belgium. I’m going to fly over for a week and see if I like it, and if so, do a gap year’. The week went well and I got offered the job for a year, so I came home and sat my exams and, when they were finished, I packed up and moved over. I was only 17 and there was a level of naivety I suppose.”

Based in Belgium

“Karin is a seven-time Olympian and accepts nothing but perfection. I got to travel as a groom, and we had lots of highs and lows, but I learned so much there. I committed to the year, but then I was at a crossroads. I didn’t know if I wanted to keep working or to study, so I came home to look into my options for equine science.

“From the academic point of view, some of the courses in Ireland looked fantastic, but I needed the practical side of it too. I had also checked out courses in the UK the year before I sat my Leaving Certificate, but the sheer cost was enormous.

“Then I came across Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in Arnhem, in the Netherlands. I was delighted when I was accepted to study for a Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry, specialising in equine sports and business.”

Hawthorne started the course in August 2020, but with Covid still in the air, many of her classes were held online. “This reduced my fees by 50%, and in fact it costs around €2,000 a year normally, which is a lot cheaper than Ireland. I don’t think a lot of people in Ireland know about these courses.

“Through my study, I got a foot in every corner of the industry. We learned a lot from exercise physiology, anatomy and nutrition to marketing, sales and event organisation. It was a very well-rounded course, taught by field experts, that prepares you for every aspect of the equestrian professional world. Courses in Ireland are very academic, but we had two practical internships and an Erasmus semester. Initially, there was a placement of 10 weeks. I decided to do two five-week placements, the first with two-time Olympic event rider Merel Blom. I then went to the world-renowned dressage yard of Coby and Marlies van Baalen.”

In the summer of 2023, Hawthorne spent time as an intern at the Equine Functional Motion Center in North Brabant and gained immense experience working with its founder, Veronique Swagemakers. Following this, she completed another internship with the Dutch-based Havens Horse Feed before returning to the EFM Center to work and complete her main thesis. She had already completed a mini thesis on sustainable horse feeding in the Netherlands.

Completing her thesis

“My main thesis was ‘The Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) on the Performance Results of Young Dressage Horses’. NMES delivers electrical impulses to the nerves via a whole body suit (EQUERY) to generate muscle contractions and, as a result, stimulate muscle growth. We used six horses for the pilot study. Such a study had never been done before, and it showed very positive effects on the performance results of the horses. The paper was later published, and I received a very good grade from it. I graduated in September 2024.”

The EFM Center works in partnership with Krafft and Hawthorne was thrilled to be offered a position with the feed company in January 2025. “It has been fantastic,” she said of her post, which has given her the opportunity to share her expertise in equine nutrition at some of the most spectacular yards in Europe specialising in dressage, eventing and show jumping.

“Krafft has been producing horse feed for 40 years now. It is owned by Lantmännen, which is a farmers’ co-operative. They invest a lot in research and ingredients are backed by research papers. The traceability of raw materials is extensive.”

Hawthorne is well versed in her field, but says with all honesty that owners still have a lot to learn. “Through my experience working with horses from the bottom up to the high level, there’s definitely a lack of understanding and knowledge.

“For instance, we do hay analysis over here, which is not very common in Ireland. Forage should make up ideally 80% of the horses’ diet, but commonly I see low protein values, high sugar and mineral imbalances. It is incredibly important to know what is in the hay on a nutrient level. Once you know that, you can build the concentrates around it. This should be 20% of their diet.

“Most horses need a low starch diet rich in varied fibres. Hay does most of the work for acid buffering and feeding the microbiome, yet a huge percentage of horses, ranging from 60% to 90% depending on discipline, have gastric ulcers.”

Hawthorne also sees her fair share of colic and laminitis. “Colic is complicated. There are several forms of it - spasmodic, impaction, sand colic, displacement and strangulation - and it is one of the leading causes of death in horses. We also see many cases of laminitis even in winter. Nutrition is one of the key aspects of managing a horse prone to laminitis.

“The horse has evolved over the years, but the digestive system hasn’t changed. Some people will spend thousands upon thousands on their vet bills, but not on their hay supplier or their feed company. Prevention is often better than cure, but that starts with education and knowledge.

“Professional riders are incredibly busy, and they need to pass off some aspects of the business to knowledgeable experts in their fields to ensure optimal performance. Every horse is an individual and a lot of what we do is education based, working with clients, retailers etc.”

Recently, Hawthorne teamed up with former world number one Swedish show jumper Henrik von Eckermann and Dutch-based Irish international show jumper Eoin McMahon for a panel discussion called ‘Powering the Podium’, where guests could get exclusive insights into what it takes to feed and manage horses on the top level. Both riders are sponsored by Krafft.

“I have also done talks at Hartpury and Writtle agricultural colleges in the UK and would love the opportunity to do the same back in Ireland sometime.

“For younger readers thinking about college and careers in the equine world, I would encourage them to look outside the borders of Ireland and to expand their horizons. You never know what opportunities lie ahead!” she concluded.