Latest News

High praise for HayCare at BEVA Congress 2023

At Simple System we are always keen to expand our knowledge and professional network. Recently we attended the three day British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in Birmingham.

We manned a trade stand and had some wonderful discussions about using Simple System Horse Feeds in a clinical setting as well as all of your typical day-to-day feeding conundrums: old horses, metabolic horses and those prone to ulcers. Our HayCare Care Packs were well received.

There was a wealth of information to be gained from attending the lectures which covered a broad range of topics again, ulcers featured quite heavily with a particular focus on Equine Glandular Gastric Disease (EGGD) and there was an interesting discussion on the effects anthelmintics are having on the environment, encouraging "dung beetle friendly" paddock management.

Autumn Laminitis - is your horse at risk?

Autumn can be a tricky time for horses and ponies prone to laminitis. Horses and ponies that are overweight, older or have existing metabolic issues will be more at risk. It is important that your horse not be allowed to gain too much weight - cresty necks and fat pads on other parts of the body are an indicator that the balance of hormones is getting out of kilter and the risk of laminitis is greater.

Grazing needs to be timed carefully and the weather forecast monitored.  As it is sunlight that triggers sugar production, dull days will be "safer". Grazing may need to be restricted, either by strip grazing, using track system and/or grazing muzzles.

Understanding the risks of Ergot

Ergot is a fungus that contains poisonous alkaloids. It mostly grows on rye and is usually associated with rye in Eastern Europe where it can contaminate bread. It is being seen increasingly here, and it is not confined to cereal grains - it can also infect grass, especially ryegrass.

The ergot fungus appears as a little outgrowth, looking a bit like a mouse dropping, on the ear or seed head of the infected plant. Some years it is more of a problem than others and is most likely after a cold winter followed by wet weather then hotter conditions

Organic September

We are delighted to be celebrating #OrganicSeptember. With more of us seeking to make choices that minimise our impact on the planet, organic offers a simple, trusted way to be more sustainable in our daily lives. All Simple System feeds are GM free and minimal inputs. Our range of organic feeds are certified organic by the Soil Association.

Sainfoin on Countryfile

Did you watch Countryfile this week? It was great to see sainfoin feature, alongside the benefits of feeding a forage diet to horses (and polo ponies!). You can watch the "Hay Time" episode of Countryfile on BBC iPlayer. Look out for sainfoin - it is easily identified by its distinctive pink flowers. We have worked hard with our growers to make this beneficial forage available for horses.

NEW Timothy Chop bag size

We are pleased to announce that Timothy Chop is now in a 15kg bag, which means less plastic and more product for your horse. The new bags are more efficiently packed and we can fit more bags on a pallet, allowing us to reduce our plastic and distribution costs. We are passing these cost savings on to you, our customers. We feel it is important to make our natural forage feeds as affordable as possible so that we can help as many horses as we can.

Feeding new hay

When old hay is running low, or is not very good quality, we will want to start on the new hay as soon as possible. But when can we start using new hay? Newly made hay continues to under-go changes even after it is baled. Traditionally, new hay was never fed to horses until Michaelmas at the end of September - when it was termed old hay! In practice and under pressure of supplies, do not feed new hay until it has been baled at least 6 weeks and even then, keep a close eye out for any signs your horse is not happy with it. This could be loose droppings, bloated and gassy or even colicky. Not all horses are affected by new hay, but it is not worth risking a gassy colic.

Preparing for Pony Club camp?

Ponies often work harder than usual at camp and so their feeding requirements will increase. Target Feeding is ideal. A Target Feed is given directly before work to provide energy and stamina for the work. This can be made up of your pony's normal feed, or if your pony needs additional energy Blue Bag Grass Pellets are ideal. Horses and ponies are also likely to perform (and behave!) better when not allowed to go hungry. Target Feeding will make the pony more comfortable in the stomach during work as it prevents acid splash.

Congratulations Kilimazing Kwanza Eastern Connemara Supreme Champion

Simple System was delighted to sponsor the Eastern Counties Area Connemara Show 2023 at The Suffolk Equestrian Centre, Bury St Edmunds.

The sun shone and a good day was had by all. We were even more delighted to discover that the Supreme Champion of the show was a Simple System customer! Our congratulations go to Kilimazing Kwanza (Daisy) who is owned by Sarah Baker, ridden by Emma Last and presented in hand by Justin Hollis. 11 year old Daisy is fed Organic Lucie Stalks, Lucie Fibre Cubes, Total Eclipse, MetaSlim and Lucie Brix. Bred by Mrs Tango Fawcett, Daisy is by Eastlands Banker out of Kilimazing Dubh.

Understanding: Ragwort

The dreaded ragwort is flowering now and is easy to spot. It is also starting to go to seed, so any not promptly removed will spread through its wind-borne seeds. The safest way to remove ragwort from horse pastures is to pull or dig it up, hopefully getting all the roots at the same time. Wear gloves and a face mask to protect yourself from the sap and pollen. Gather it into re-used feed bags and put the plants flowers down, roots up, to avoid inadvertently spreading seeds. Put pulled plants straight into the bags - don't carry them around as this risks spreading seeds.