simple system feed, advice please

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phoenix26

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Im looking into simply system feed for my mare, last winter I struggled to keep weight on her when she was on allen and page calm and condition, with unlimited haylage. I have seen a few reviews for them I am just after anymore highs or lows before I make the change for this winter. Thanks
 
Hi don't want to put you off but I too struggled last winter and with the SS feed you had to feed so much to have any effect it was costing me a fortune and I was adding to it - if she is sensitive to hard feed have you tried Rowan Barbarry - I am currently using it and her coat is fantastic, just fine tuning the quantities atm!
 
I've fed various combinations of SS feeds over the last few years and love it. I have Tb's and I've often used it to put weight on. I've never had to feed stupid amounts and I like the fact it's just fibre, ie what horses are designed to eat.

OP - what type is your horse and what SS feed are you planning to feed?
 
Can't speak for their other feeds, but do be careful if you decide to feed what they call their "balancer". It is extremely low in selenium, so would not provide anywhere near enough of this vital anti-oxidant unless you were in one of the rare areas where there isn't actually a selenium deficiency in the soil/forage (around 70% of the UK is believed to be deficient according to one survey).

I would only opt for that balancer if I'd checked the full analysis with a full forage analysis, and compared with NRC recommendations, and found a good match. For me, it would be totally unsuitable.

Sarah
 
Scarlett said:
I've fed various combinations of SS feeds over the last few years and love it. I have Tb's and I've often used it to put weight on. I've never had to feed stupid amounts and I like the fact it's just fibre, ie what horses are designed to eat.

OP - what type is your horse and what SS feed are you planning to feed?
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I was looking at the blue bag grass pellets. She is a dutch warmblood, 17hh ish. She does well in the summer at just grass but dropped a lot last winter.
 
I tried to feed this, as I really like the philosophy behind it, however to my amazement, my horse wouldn't eat it, he did at first, and then just turned his nose up at it.

I'm feeding baileys endurance mix now as it is a lot lower in starch than their conditioning cubes and he loves that.
 
ApacheWarlord said:
I tried to feed this, as I really like the philosophy behind it, however to my amazement, my horse wouldn't eat it, he did at first, and then just turned his nose up at it.

I'm feeding baileys endurance mix now as it is a lot lower in starch than their conditioning cubes and he loves that.
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I found the same at first. I kept on with it and now they can't get enough. If we put a new horse on it I'm used to them rejecting it then coming round. I have to say that I'm very pleased with the results, and recommend these feeds.
 
I feed it and have been very pleased - horse 1 is a 19 year old TBxID good doer with Cushings, so am extra careful: he has a little Green Gold, a small scoop of Lucie Pellets (just winter)and Total Eclipse once a day and looks fab.

Horse 2 is a new boy - 8 year old TB who arrived 6/7 weeks ago underweight and cribbing. Have sorted out the cribbing by electric fence round the field, 24 hr turnout on good grazing and made the top of his stable door too large for him to grip. He's no longer cribbing, on Green Gold, Lucie Pellets, Total Eclipse and TopNosh twice a day, has put on 30 kgs and looks great too.
 
I use SS feeds for my 2 horses and can truthfully say its the cheapest I've ever fed. Both are 17hh and in great condition.

My 20year old IDxHan lost a lot of condition 2 years ago and I struggled to get weight back on him despite huge buckets of conditioning nuts and cooked cereals. After talking to SS I put him on blue grass nuts and lucerine nuts with greengold. He gradually put the weight on and last winter held it well. He is going into this winter looking the best he has in a few years.

My other is a 5 year old IDxBwb who is allergic to lucerine so I struggled to find suitable feed that could keep him with enough energy for working and build up his topline. He is fed blue grass nuts and their timothy grass chop.

Both look great on their non cereal/molasses diet and a little of the food goes a long way once its soaked. A bag of blue grass nuts does me about 3 weeks and the lucie nuts does about 6 weeks ( only 1 on them tho).

Buckets can look big but designed to last horse longer due to the fibre nature of it. My old horse has a huge bucket so he only eats half at a time, but always finishes it of an hour later. Did have problems at the start with both turning their noses up at it but persevered and added apple juice for a while to tempt them. Now they scoff it no problems.
 
I feed both my 22 year old and 20 year old on Lucie Nuts; both have oodles of energy and look amazing. I soak half a scoop in the evening and they have it the next day without any problems. One bag lasts me 2 months :)
 
Pale Rider said:
I think a lot of horses reject this food at first as they are looking for the sugar in the hard feed. Of course there is none in SS so they reject it.
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All mine are fed SS feeds as they are ponies so naturally lami prone! Had a sugar addict youngster come to me this year who refused to eat it. Ended up building up starting with literally a cup of Purabeet only per feed for about 3 weeks. Took 2 months but she loves it now and will happily lick the bucket and floor clean, like the rest of them.

Small tip, if you want to use linseed, Charnwood milling are much cheaper than SS linseed.
 
Dianchi, SS was the first change we made just before the shoes came off ours. I wanted the diet right before the transition hopefully to make it quicker and easier. SS is probably one of the best feeds for barefoot, some go on to develop their own feeds to save money, and you can mix and match of course.
If you get a chance to go to a Jane Van Lennep lecture do go, very informative.
 
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