Nutritional wisdom could be summed up as knowing what you need to eat, and eating it. This might be the basic needs of nutrition in terms of calories, protein and so on, or it could be knowing what is needed to support good health.
This is common Birdsfoot trefoil, although it is sometimes referred to as 'eggs and bacon'. It's an attractive wildflower, native to the UK, and one that can be of benefit to horses...
We do bang on about ragwort! It is an excellent plant for pollinators and the main food source for the caterpillars of the cardinal moth. It has a long flowering period, which means it is supplies nectar for a lot of insects, for a long time. Although it is poisonous, it is not palatable, so why are horse owners so keen to get rid of it from their pastures?
We are increasingly aware that ultra processed food is bad for us and that we should eat seasonal, fresh and local food. But what about our horses? They too will have reduced health when they have ultra processed food.
Owners of metabolic horses and ponies (those with EMS, IR, ID or PPID]) and those prone to laminitis, are well versed in keeping the diet low in sugar and starch. Most will work towards a cut off of 10% combined sugar and starch, often referred to as the Non-Structural Carbohydrate or NSC level.
We are frequently asked, “What is Sainfoin?’ - whether it be out of interest’s sake, having come across it on our website, heard it mentioned on BBC Countryfile, or whether it has been specifically recommended for your horse. Sainfoin offers a wealth of benefits and is a unique forage type we are very proud to champion here at Simple System.
Rain coming after a prolonged dry spell can be a shock, welcome or otherwise. The grass will readily welcome the rain and with decent rainfall, the grass reawakens and begins to grow again – sometimes very rapidly.
Long, hot, dry weather may be wonderful for us during our leisure time, but the driest spring on record has had some serious implications for all connected with the land - including our horses. The dry spell looks likely to continue into drought. Read on to see how you can help manage your horse during this time.
For the second consecutive Sunday, presenter Adam Henson has discussed the use of sainfoin during Countryfile. Those that know Simple System well, know that sainfoin is one of our favourite forages for horses - and that we offer an extensive range of sainfoin feeds.
With anthelmintic resistance on the rise, horse owners worry about parasitic worms in their horses and most of us have a variety of strategies to control them. If we can understand the worms’ life cycle, we can be more effective at managing them.