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rain after drought and effects on grazing

Rain after drought, what happens to your horse's grass

Rain coming after a prolonged dry spell can be a shock, welcome or otherwise. The grass will readily welcome the rain and with decent rainfall, the grass reawakens and begins to grow again – sometimes very rapidly.

How does drought affect grass growth for horses

Lack of rain in the UK and how this can affect horses

Long, hot, dry weather may be wonderful for us during our leisure time, but the driest spring on record has had some serious implications for all connected with the land - including our horses. The dry spell looks likely to continue into drought. Read on to see how you can help manage your horse during this time.

Sainfoin for horses and sustainable farming

Sainfoin - a BBC Countryfile favourite forage?

For the second consecutive Sunday, presenter Adam Henson has discussed the use of sainfoin during Countryfile. Those that know Simple System well, know that sainfoin is one of our favourite forages for horses - and that we offer an extensive range of sainfoin feeds.

Parasites in Horses - Understanding Worms

With anthelmintic resistance on the rise, horse owners worry about parasitic worms in their horses and most of us have a variety of strategies to control them. If we can understand the worms’ life cycle, we can be more effective at managing them.

Feeding the broodmare and foal

''Feed the mare to feed the foal'' - wise words from many an experienced breeder. In nature, foals would usually be born in the spring - the time of year where the grazing offers the most nutrition. In the UK, many breeders try to emulate this in order to give their foals the best possible start.

Dry ground, short grazing and an increased risk of sand colic

Independant equine vet, Dr Anna Michelle (Shelley) Cook, of Little Rock Equine Vets in Staffordshire, tells us more about sand colic in horses, ponies and donkeys, and importantly, how feeding can help prevent it.

Vaccinating against strangles - a video diary from Simple Systems Nutrition Manager

Strangles is the UK's most common infectious equine disease. This week is Strangles Awareness Week (SAW) and Simple System's Nutrition Manager, Ellen, along with her rescue horse, Redwings Indigo, are proud campaign ambassadors.

How can you help hedgerows in your horse's environment

Horses love hedges! They have many benefits, from providing shelter, to offering environmental enrichment and dietary supplementation.

Itchy horse sweet itch mallenders sallenders

What is making your horse itch?

There are lots of reason why horses itch and scratch. Diet can be a factor, whether the cause in an inherited condition or a reaction to certain feeds. Inherited conditions, such as sweet itch, mallenders and sallenders, for instance, will never go away, but can be less impactful with adjustments to diet and management.

What is good equine welfare Simple Systems

What is good equestrian welfare?

My niece came home from primary school with a work sheet about animals. A picture of a horse looking over a stable door was captioned “I am a horse. I live in a stable and I eat oats and hay.’’ Oh dear! Whilst for many horses this is a sad reality, it is very far from delivering good welfare.