Nikita has worked as an Equine Nutritionist in New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore for over 10 years. In 2016, alongside Equine Veterinarian, Dr. Petra Hazlitt, she developed New Zealand’s first Veterinary and Nutritional integrative consultancy - Veterinary and Nutritional Integration LTD (VANI).
Nikita recognised a need for a holistic, integrative approach to horse wellness and nutrition and for independent, expert advice that was backed up by Science, and so VANI was born. She is passionate about providing sound feeding advice to her clients, and helps to take the guesswork out of feeding for horse owners all over New Zealand.
As well as working directly with her own clients, she also works as a consultant nutritionist for Poseidon Equine and FeedXL in New Zealand.
Nikita obtained her Masters in Animal Science (Equine Nutrition) and undergraduate degrees from Massey University in New Zealand. Her research interests and areas of expertise include gastrointestinal health, the growing and breeding horse, mineral nutrition and performance and racehorse nutrition and has presented and published her work in New Zealand as well as overseas.
Nikita has a wealth of experience in field based feeding trials, with a focus on improving gastrointestinal health including ground breaking research for reducing the prevalence of gastric ulcers and improving hindgut health through improved nutrition and feeding management.
She works closely and collaboratively with Veterinarians in New Zealand to diagnose and correct gastrointestinal disorders and provide support for specialist cases including horses recovering from colic surgery, growing horses with developmental orthopedic concerns and horses suffering with Laminitis and Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfuction, formally known as Cushings syndrome.
One of Nikita’s greatest passions is educating horse owners about the importance of nutrition and she loves a challenge or a difficult case, where the horse owner was often at a loss and scratching their head but with a few small tweaks to their feeding and management routine they are able find success and improve the health of their horse.
Happy horses result in Happy Horse Owners!
