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How much linseed is safe to feed my horse?

"How much linseed can I feed?" is a question we are often asked. Start with 25g per 100kg of the horse's ideal weight, for example 125g for a 500kg horse. If needed you can increase up to three times this amount. Build up gradually, taking up to 4 weeks to increase to this level. 

Instant Linseed is nature's finest source of plant derived, essential omega 3. It is high quality with 42% oil compared with 38% in other sources of linseed. It is always a great addition to the feed, but especially with hay or haylage, as omega 3 is lost in these. During the autumn moult, additional Instant Linseed aids and hastens moulting, ensuring a healthy, shiny coat. As a natural anti-inflammatory, it is helpful in any inflammatory condition.

Back in stock | Red Bag Grass Pellets

HayCare Ingredient Spotlight: Timothy Grass

HayCare, is our best selling hay replacer for horses - made from premium high fibre Timothy grass. HayCare is 100% Timothy grass, with nothing else added. This means, like all Simple System's Feeds, it is free from molasses, straw, cereals and their by-products, soya, additives and preservatives.

Native to Europe, Timothy grass (Phleum pratensis) can grow over 1m tall and is distinctly characterised by its long flowerhead. It flowers from June until September, turning a purple colour as it matures.

Timothy grass has excellent nutritional value for horses and is commonly used to make hay. The Timothy used to make our HayCare is grown specifically for us. It is tested to ensure that sugar levels are suitably low and the feed value correct. Through careful management of harvesting date and time, our grower is able to achieve naturally low sugar and starch levels, making HayCare suitable for all horses, including those with metabolic issues.

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.