We are frequently asked, “What is Sainfoin?’ - whether it be out of interest’s sake, having come across it on our website, heard it mentioned on BBC Countryfile, or whether it has been specifically recommended for your horse. Sainfoin offers a wealth of benefits and is a unique forage type we are very proud to champion here at Simple System.
A quick history lesson to begin…
Sainfoin is a legume forage with ancient roots (quite literally!) having been grown by farmers across the world for hundreds of years. It is native to South Central Asia and was introduced into Europe in the 15th century with records showing it was imported into England, from France, in 1652. The name Sainfoin comes from the French ''saint foin'' or sain foin meaning "healthy hay".
Historically it was grown by farmers as a hay crop, providing high quality forage to power heavy working horses. In the south of England, one in seven fields used to be covered with sainfoin but when tractors took overM and new strains of higher yielding crops were introduced, the use of sainfoin started to decline. With reduced need for horses to work the land as well, its use as a feed ingredient nearly stopped altogether. However, with increasing interest in sustainable farming there is renewed interest in sainfoin with it providing benefit for not only the animals it feeds but also the land it grows upon.
… And now a lesson in farming too!
Sainfoin thrives on alkaline soils, provides its own nitrogen and needs very little phosphate. Sainfoin has a deep tap root, making the plant highly drought resistant and hardy through the winter. These roots are also able to draw up minerals from well below the top soil, making it a highly nutritious and mineral-rich forage for our horses.
Farming with sainfoin has excellent environmental benefits and is known to be largely self-sufficient as a plant. Before the use of artificial fertilisers, sainfoin was commonly used to add fertility to the soil as it absorbs nitrogen from the atmosphere and transforms it into nutrients that other plants can make use of. Cattle fed sainfoin produce lower levels of greenhouse gases, helping to reduce the carbon footprint and our own sainfoin is often grazed by sheep in the winter – this sustains them nutritionally through the harder months but also acts as a natural and chemical free way of managing weeds and ensuring new spring growth which we harvest for our horses.
Sainfoin is a firm favourite for bees / pollinators and is commonly used in "pollen and nectar" mixes for headlands in arable farming, where it provides a great food source for insects. Government grants also exist encouraging farmers to grow crops such as sainfoin to promote soil health.
So, which horses is Sainfoin beneficial for?
In short – a wide array of horses can benefit from the addition of sainfoin to the diet. Sainfoin is a typically palatable forage, well suited to the fussier horse and at Simple System Horse Feeds we have found it very well suited to those that are allergy prone or itchy types, often suffering with their skin. Its typically high nutrition levels make it ideal for those in work, used for breeding or older/poorer doing horses.
More specifically its high protein level (and high-quality protein content) lends itself to promoting a gentle gain in muscle and topline, ideal for the poorer doing horse or those with increasing work or breeding demands. Coupled with its high calcium levels, it is also promoted for supporting musculoskeletal development in youngstock and you should see a gentle gain in their growth over time – rather than the rapid growth often associated with cereal based feeding that can be detrimental to joint health longer term.
Sainfoin can also be very beneficial for the better doing horse simply to increase forage variety. A varied forage diet is known to promote and encourage a more diverse range of gut microflora that will better support the horse digestively but may also benefit immune response and even cognition.
Sainfoin is often recommended for horses struggling with hindgut function and protein absorption as its condensed tannin content is thought to aid the transport and breakdown of protein in the digestive tract*. We often recommend sainfoin to horses that have been unwell or are recovering from gastrointestinal illness to promote a gentle gain of condition during rehab - as many will drop muscle tone whilst on box rest.
*This has not been studied in horses specifically but has been proven in livestock
What makes Simple System sainfoin so special?
Simple System Horse Feeds have been producing sainfoin for horses since 2016. Our Sainfoin is grown especially for us to our exacting standards and we work closely with trusted growers – even visiting the crop in the field to monitor its growth - so that we harvest at the right time for optimum levels of nutrition.
Did you know? That Simple System were involved with the 'Healthy Hay Project', which helped kick start the resurgance in interest in sainfoin as a sustainable farming crop. This detailed research project, initiated by Dr Irene Mueller-Harvey and run by Legume Plus, covered numerous aspects, including animal nutrition. To learn more about the projects findings, click here.
All of our Sainfoin products are cereal free (including free from by-products), free from pulses and soya, molasses, additives, preservatives and GM-ingredients. Our Sainfoin Pellets and Sainfoin Brix are straight sainfoin, with the Sainfoin & Shine having only a light linseed oil coating added - a functional and beneficial ingredient for horses.
If you are looking to include sainfoin in your horse’s diet, we have the following options:
Sainfoin Pellets – a medium energy 6mm pellet designed to be fed soaked as mash, ideal for those in harder work or needing weight gain. This is the most popular sainfoin feed for horses.
Sainfoin & Shine – a medium energy sainfoin chop with a light coating of cold-pressed linseed oil. A great time-consuming chew for the fussier horse or for adding extra nutrition for harder working Cobs or Native breeding stock.
Sainfoin Brix – compressed forage blocks containing 100% sainfoin for use as a boredom buster when stabled, convenient and palatable feeding away from home or just increasing forage variety.
Meadow Forage Pellets – a mixed ley of meadow fescue, tall fescue, sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil and chicory to replicate natural meadow grazing, in a bag and increase variety in the diet
Calm Balance + - a balancer for the more tense, anxious or reactive horse.
Veteran Balance + - a balancer and joint support in one for the older horse or those in hard work.
If you would like to discuss this unique forage type with us further, please get in touch with the Simple System Feed Line on 01728 604 008, or by email to info@simplesystem.co.uk. For a free, comprehensive Feed Plan from the Simple System nutritionists, you can also complete our online form here.