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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.

Understanding: Sand Colic

There are many causes of colic of which sand is just one. It occurs when ingested sand accumulates in the large intestine. It can caaltered ain 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.

Understanding: Laminitis

Despite being well into the summer months, laminitis cases are still high and we have been speaking to a number of concerned owners who are experiencing laminitis for the first time. The warm and wet weather we have forecast is likely to trigger further flushes in grass growth and so monitoring overweight or metabolic equines is essential. a weigh tape daily and record readings to quickly spot changes.

A history of sainfoin

Sainfoin is an ancient legume that has been grown by farmers across the world for hundreds of years. It is native to South Central Asia and was introduced into Europe in the 15th century. There is a record of sainfoin being imported into England from France in 1652. The name Sainfoin comes from the French saint foin or sain foin meaning "healthy hay". It was known that animals fed on sainfoin were healthier and put on weight more rapidly than on other forage. In the days when working horses were commonly used in agriculture, sainfoin was grown as a hay crop to provide high quality forage which would power the heavy working horses. In the south of England, one in seven fields used to be covered with sainfoin and it is still widely grown in northern Spain, Italy, Armenia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

Hemlock or Cow Parsley?

Hemlock, a highly toxic plant, appears to be growing in abundance this year. Hemlock and cow parsley look similar. Although cow parsley is safe and tasty for our horses, hemlock is very poisonous and can be fatal even in small quantities.

There are some differences between the two plants, and hemlock can be identified in a few different ways.

Mares and their seasons

Mares are in season for around 6 days every 3 weeks from spring until autumn. Some mares will cycle all year. When they are cycling, their hormones are fluctuating and, in many mares, will trigger changes in behaviour. This is perfectly natural and something we should try to understand, not criticise her for. Mares are as entire as stallions, the difference being that their drive is periodic, not constant.

Weight gain for older horses

Autumn is with us, even if it is a bit uncertain! Horses are now well into their winter coats, the grass is going off and whilst this is a good time to let the weather take weight off our fatties, some horses are not fatties and need extra feed now to ensure they are able to go through winter without getting positively poor. Older horses, thin skinned ones and growing youngsters can all come into this category.

When can we start using 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.