Latest News

Forage first at the National Equine Forum

This week, Simple System's Nutrition Manager, Ellen Lincoln BSc (Hons)., MSc., attended the National Equine Forum - an event that brings together professionals from across the entire breadth of the equine industry to discuss topical affairs and concerns; what has gone well in the last 12 months, and what we need to do better in the future.

What are foal slippers?

What are foal slippers? If you have seen them, consider yourself very lucky. These strange looking things are completely normal and they play a very important part in the birthing process.

These foal slippers, or eponychium, are rubbery capsules that completely cover the hooves of the newborn foal.

Do horses always need vitamin and mineral supplements?

Do horses always need vitamin and mineral supplements?

The horse’s natural diet is forage. Their daily greens are full of vitamins and minerals, the oils they contain are high in essential omega 3 and the fibre, especially in younger plant material, is easily utilised by the amazing gut microbes.

What can I feed instead of Meadow Forage Pellets?

Providing a variety of forages to support the gut microbiome is beneficial to our horses. To increase diversity in the diet, we suggest feeding different forage types for your pellet, chop and balancer. An example Feed Plan suitable for most horses would be: Sainfoin Pellets (sainfoin), Perform & Shine (Cocksfoot and Timothy grass) and Simple Balance + (lucerne).

An important update about Meadow Forage Pellets...

Since their launch in May 2024, the popularity of Meadow Forage Pellets has exceeded our expectations. As such, we expect upcoming shortages until our new crop is harvested in late summer.

Read on for alternative product suggestions or contact the Feed Line for tailored advice on 01728 604 008.

Conditioning horse feed | Perfect partners for condition and top line...

Sometimes, our horses need a bit of a nutritional boost. Maybe they require extra during the winter, or when building up to a demanding competition season.

Time for TopGain and Perform & Shine.

Is ryegrass good for horses?

Ryegrass triggers more controversy than any other grass type.

At Simple System we choose not to use Ryegrass in our horse feeds, despite it being the most commonly used agricultural grass as it is easy to grow and very nutritious.

Calling all HayCare Horses

Calling all HayCare horses... we want to hear from you!

We're working on a little something, and whilst we can't say too much right now, we'd love to hear more about your horse's HayCare journey!

Should I soak my horse's hay?

Why soak hay for horses? Soaking hay is usually done in order to reduce sugar levels for overweight horses or those with metabolic issues such as laminitis, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) / Cushing's Disease and insulin dysregulation (IR). Soaking hay is also carried out for horses with respiratory issues such as asthma, COPD and pollen related allergies.

Does my horse need a hay replacer?

There are many scenarios in which you may be considering feeding a direct replacement for hay or haylage.

Youngsters...If your seemingly healthy youngster starts to lose condition it is quite possibly due to them experiencing dental changes.