Spring grass, summer grass, mature grass - is it all the same?
At Simple System we think grass can be great for all horses, but before those with lamineits stop reading let’s clear up some common misconceptions...
Target Feeding
With the competition season in full swing you may be looking for ways to improve your horse’s performance. Offering a Target Feed may just be the ticket...
Lucerne chops
At Simple System, we use the British term lucerne for this amazing forage others also use the American term, alfalfa. As our lucerne is entirely GM free and produced specifically for horses, we feel it has different properties from that grown in America.
Chops / chaffs for variety in the horses diet
Variety in the diet is important for horses - just as it is for humans! When choosing your chop / chaff, consider the whole of the diet. For example, if your horse has predominantly grass feeds, such as hay or soaked grass pellets, choose a lucerne chop for variety to support those good gut microbes.
Is lucerne / alfalfa good for horses with ulcers?
Lucerne (known as alfalfa in America) is an amazing forage, known in different languages as ‘Prince of Feeds’ and ‘Best of the Best’. Lucerne has been grown for horses for around 5,000 years so has stood the test of time. It works really well for horses with ulcers for many reasons...
Showcase your UK rare breed!
Help us to showcase our UK Native breeds. This week the Rare Breeds Survival Trust published the 2024-25 Watchlist. To the surprise of many the Section B Welsh Pony was added to the 'At Risk' category due to a decline in stud book registrations. We are lucky to have such a diverse and versatile range of natives in the UK and it is a real concern to have another breed added to the already extensive 'At Risk' and 'Priority' watchlists.
Feeding young horses
Young horses rarely follow the theoretical growth curves. They have growth spurts which can coincide with spring grass coming through, or coincide with nothing in particular! Spring grass is great for supporting growth but when there is not the high quality of grazing available to support them, growing young horses can suddenly look very scrawny. They will need additional feeding, but especially with growing horses, it is important to keep sugar and starch levels low, as these can be associated with developmental issues in bones and joints. Plenty of protein and calcium are really important and forage sources will ensure good levels of quality fibre to support gut health.
Diversity
It is said that variety is the spice of life and certainly the more we look, the more evidence we find that diversity and variety is good in all sorts of ways.
Horses evolved on a very diverse diet, with a wide range of grasses, legumes, forbs and herbs available, not to mention shrubs and small trees to browse on as the need arose. Their natural diet varied from season to season and even day to day. Choice, they had aplenty! Once we came along and the grazing and hay became predominantly ryegrass and the “short” feed the processed by-products of the human food industry, it must all have seemed pretty poor by comparison. Taped off paddocks with no access to hedges and over-grazed grass is a very limited substitute for plains abundant with diverse plant forms.
Atypical Myopathy in horses
Sycamore saplings have started springing up. They can be extremely dangerous for horses and ought to be removed from horse paddocks. Ingestion of any part of the sycamore, even seemingly dead looking 'helicopters' or leaves, can cause atypical myopathy - a disease that is often fatal to horses.
Whilst there are fewer sycamore saplings than in 2023 - where they were more widespread than we have ever noted before - they ought to be removed promptly as ingesting even just a small number can have devastating effects. We recommend fencing off affected areas, or better still remove your horses altogether. Even if you don't have sycamore trees in and around your paddocks, we would encourage you to give them a thorough checkover before you allow your horses to graze.
Easter Bank Holiday Opening Hours
Our office, warehouse and delivery service will be closed on the following dates:
- Good Friday
- Saturday 30th March
- Easter Sunday
- Easter Monday
Orders can be placed online throughout at www.simplesystem.co.uk