How does the Simple System work?
The horse receives its nutrition from forage sources. Feeds are bulkier, ideally soaked and will take the horse much longer to eat. Extra nutrients for harder work, for instance, can be supplied by switching to a forage with a higher energy level and increasing the nutrient density with Simple System Ltd Instant Linseed. Forages naturally have higher levels of vitamins and minerals than, say, cereals such as wheat or oats, or pulses such as peas or beans. Where additional vitamins and minerals are needed, these are from natural sources, such as Simple System Ltd Pure Ocean Seaweed or Traditional Brewers’ Yeast. Our dried green forages come from two main sources, Lucerne and Grass.

Lucerne, called Alfalfa in America, is a deep rooting legume with high levels of nutrients, but is very low in sugars. It is an especially good source of digestible fibre, protein and calcium, with high levels of carotene. This is the precursor of Vitamin A and an important anti-oxidant. It is a suitable feed for most equines, but is most valuable when building muscle and condition.

When horses arecoming back to work after a rest or illness, it provides all the right nutrients for developing muscle, but does not cause any hotting up, due to low sugar levels. This makes it particularly useful for laminitics, horses prone to tying up and horses tending to get filled legs. It is also ideal for breeding stock and growing youngsters. Natives, Arabs, Warmbloods and Veterans all do well on various forms of Lucerne.

Grass is what we all think of as horse food! The nutrient value varies over a wide range, being highest when the grass is in its early stages of growth, and lower after it has seeded. All our grass feeds are made from chopped, flash-dried grass. Grass has useful levels of phosphorous, and calcium. Carbohydrate and protein levels are highest in young grass and lower in older grass, which has higher fibre levels. Generally, the higher carbohydrate levels and useful iron levels make grass feeds ideal for horses in harder work. Breeding stock without access to pasture, Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods all do well on grass feeds.

Unmolassed Beet Pulp is not strictly a forage, but is an excellent source of digestible fibre and as it is fed soaked, makes a succulent addition to the feed. Being unmolassed, it is unlikely to cause scouring, so can be fed in generous amounts.