It does when we are talking particle size in feeds! A good set of molars will grind food down to around 2mm. These pieces are good for the gut lining as they act a bit like an exfoliant, helping cell renewal. It also means the gut has some substance to work on. When feeds are processed and ground to a very fine meal before being pelleted, the particle size is tiny. This may impact on palatability and could affect digestion. Small particle size has also been associated with ulcers. Read more

There are many causes of colic of which sand is just one. It occurs when ingested sand accumulates in the large intestine. It can cause altered droppings – sometimes loose, other times small and hard. If your horse is ingesting sand, some if it will come out in the droppings. A handful swilled in a bucket of water will cause the sand to sink to the bottom. Horses ingest sand when they are grazing close to the soil and it is more likely on sandy soils, but many other soils contain a proportion of sand and these coarser, heavier grains sink to the lower parts of the large colon. Your vet can help with diagnosis as there is a distinct line across the top of the sand which can show up on an ultrasound, for instance, or they may be able to hear the grains of sand with a stethoscope. Read more

We will be closing at 5pm on Monday 23rd December 2019 and will re-open at 9am on Thursday 2nd January 2020.

If you order direct by phone or through our website, please place an order by 5pm on Monday 16th December to guarantee delivery before Christmas. Read more

Our feed bags are 100% recyclable, but can also be reused before being recycled!

Whether you use them as bins, hay bags, bucket covers, boot liners, compost covers or poultices - we want to see your photos of our feed bags being reused. The best one will win a £30 Simple System Horse Feeds voucher!

Head to our Facebook page and post your photo in the comments of our competition post or send your photos via email to stacey@simplesystem.co.uk

A winner will be chosen and notified on 1st November 2019.

📷 Thank you June Scott for sending us the photo of our Timothy Chop bags being reused as seat covers. Perfect for keeping muddy paws off! Read more

I feel like I need to start this blog with an apology for not writing sooner. Whoops, we’ve been super busy and had a fantastic summer but the seasons have definitely changed and it’s time to look forward to different things. Winter is for training!

The Bomber has been up to all sorts; keeping it varied so that she doesn’t get bored with covering Ehren’s maternity leave. We were 2nd in the BE80 at Stratford Hills, have jumped round some BS British Novices at Felbridge and Cobham Manor, and have been taking advantage of the hacking and hills at Speedgate. She qualified for the Elementary Area Festival Final through Pachesham, has qualified for the Freestyle to Music Elementary Winter Regionals with great scores of 71% and 75%, and has done her first two mediums gaining around 68%. Unfortunately, the Area Festival Final at Parwood didn’t quite go to plan with her getting very overwhelmed in the arena, but she has never seen anything like it and my plans to have a practise run there were all thwarted. Moving forward I couldn’t be more pleased with how she’s going. She’s nearly got her changes both ways and I have my fingers crossed that we might try an easy Advanced Medium before the end of the year. Not bad for a funny little Irish pony that looks like she’s been built with spare parts. This time last year she was just coming back into work after a year off. She’s such a good girl and tries so hard… Read more