Horses doing little or no work may not need shoes, but newly unshod hooves may need a bit of support to keep strong and healthy. Help harden the outsides with Organic Cider Vinegar, diluted 50:50 with water and swabbed or sprayed onto clean, picked and brushed soles, frogs, white line, bars and clefts. Support from the inside with one of our forage balancers containing seaweed, such as Total Eclipse (most economical as fed in small amounts) or Simple Balance + which is a very palatable, pelleted forage balancer. Or add Pure Ocean Seaweed at the rate of 10g per 100kg of ideal weight.

Horses that are turned away may need very little care other than regular checks but a small daily feed will ensure that they are keeping well, don’t turn feral and is an excellent guide to health – one of the main indicators of being unwell is lack of appetite. And it is a nice thing to do, helping maintain a bond with your horse Read more

You must avoid social contact;
There is currently no Government guidance that we are aware of in relation to riding, so it is down to you to decide whether this is necessary;
Don’t ride your horse if it is young, unreliable, very spooky – we don’t want to burden the health service with our broken bones!
Don’t gallop, jump or face your horse with extra challenges for the same reasons;
Lungeing, in-hand work and turn-out are good alternatives to ridden exercise Read more

Before the grass starts growing too vigorously, it is a good time to reseed patches in your pasture that have been denuded over winter. A little extra grass seed spread in early spring can make a big difference to your grazing. There is not often any need to plough up and reseed from scratch – it is expensive, time consuming and can take even years to establish a strong turf. Paddocks in need of a spruce up should be grazed down then harrowed to loosen the surface and iron out lumps or bumps. New seed can then be broadcast by hand, or drilled very shallow. Then, ideally, roll to establish good contact with the soil. Keep the horses off it for at least 6 weeks, until there is good growth. March and April are good months to do this but by May and June, weeds and other grasses will be growing so vigorously as to shade out new growth. If you miss the spring time to reseed, there is another window in August and September, but avoid periods of dry weather. Read more

We hope you and your horses are well in these uncertain times.

At Simple System we are still open and delivering feed as normal.

Our delivery vans and drivers are currently delivering 7 days a week. To protect yourself and our drivers, we will be leaving feed in a safe place at your home or yard. Please ensure you give clear instructions on where to leave feed when placing your order. Our drivers are currently working long hours, please ensure the drop off point is as convenient as possible for our drivers. Read more

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is creating uncertainty for many of us in our daily lives. We'd like to reassure you that here at Simple System we are running as normal and have taken a number of precautionary steps to protect our staff, our customers and our horses.

These measures include:
• Issuing a clear policy to all our staff that follows the latest guidelines given by HM Government.
• Issuing our drivers with sanitary hand gels and wipes.
• Asking our drivers to use hand gel to cleanse their hands between each delivery. Read more