Simple Systems/ Pure feeds-experiences, good +bad please!

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

as title-anyone who has tried either of the above, can you give me your thoughts, ta

(if it makes any diff, horse is an OK doer, for a TB, in med work and although not fussy, isnt a *big* eater/greedy etc)

 

[CBAnglo]

I tried SS for my TB about 5 yrs ago. They are very helpful, you can ring/email them and they will tell you what and how much to feed.

I found the quantities they suggested were too much for my boy, and only fed him half and even then it was a huge amount of feed (you need to soak it and it triples in volume). The idea is that they graze on it over a longer period of time, which is good for digestion etc but my boy just got bored with it after a week and ended up painting his stable with it. I tried varying the amount of water, making it sloppier/drier etc but he just wasnt interested.

Also, depending on what they suggest, there are various soaking times and as I was on livery, it was a bit of a pain to have one horse where certain things had to be soaked for 20 mins and others for 12 hrs etc but fine if you can do it yourself.

I ended up going back to regular Hi fi lite, spillers fibres cubes and speedi-beet and he licks the bowl clean. I feed hi-fibre diet as he has a history of stomach ulcers, so thought the SS with the no-added sugar etc would be good for him. He isnt particularly fussy, but again I dont feed him huge amounts, he has ad lib hay, grazing and I feed him small feeds (2 or 3 times a day depending on if I ride, when he has a small feed just before to avoid splash ulcers).

 

[LCH611]

Very good experiences for some difficult to feed special needs neddies!

 

[BID]

A very good selection of products to suit any horse, great products and customer service, great nutrition & product advise available from them also.

 

[SpottedCat]

Pure feed company stuff is amazing. I swapped from topspec balancer, mollichaff high fibre alfalfa and speedibeet to Pure Feed Company (currently event at PN on Pure Easy) and the horse looks fabulous, has been ultra consistent this season, it suits him because of the ulcer history, it is half the price per month compared with what I was spending, and his coat is amazingly shiny. People keep commenting on his coat! I love the stuff, it really does work well, and what I like is that because the Pure Working is virtually the same as the Pure Easy in terms of base ingredients, when I need more energy I can swap on to it and not need to phase in/out.

Mine became really fussy after the ulcers, and he loves this stuff, licks the bowl clean. I was feeding it at half the recommended rate (they said vit/min wise that was ok) and am about to go back up to the full recommended rate.

I am a total convert - they even have a pic of my horse on their website in the testimonials bit.

 

[horselover522]

Used SS a few yrs ago as my old mare was having trouble keeping any weight on despite being pumped full of conditioning feeds. SS + a vit/min supplement made an amazing difference, she put weight on living out in the middle of winter.

Since then have never looked back, and although I don't feed SS products anymore I follow the same principles and only feed fibre + top spec

 

[criso]

Don't know anything about Pure feeds but know people who have had very good experiences with the Simple Systems stuff for TBs.

My own personal view is that is is quite an expensive way to follow some simple basic principles. Unmolassed sugarbeet and alfalfa pellets are things I feed anyway and their brewer's yeast and linseed are very expensive compared with getting them directly from Charnwood.

 

[PooJay]

Used Simple Systems about 5-6 years back, can't really remember what i used though as for old mare.

Excellent customer services and extremely knowledgable company - although biased obviously!

The horse i used it for was an extremely fussy eater though and stopped eating it after a while. The products i fed (although can't remember exactly what they were, i just know they came in large pellets (hockey puck sized) and had to be soaked (as did everything else) and were mostly lucerne (alfa) which in the end, didn't suit my fussy mini beast and can send some sparkly horses into orbit.

If i had trouble feeding i would without question use them again, however, my warmplod only has to breathe the scent of grass and puts on 10kilo's so she's just on a sprinkling of hifi lite and roughly 10 pony nuts - i only feed to get supplements in her

hope that helps!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

interesting, have to admit im more leaning towards the pure feeds stuff, as all the soaking and the HUGE quantities of the SS put me off (and may well, i imagine, put CS off too).

currently he gets through a 15kg bag a week of winergy equilibrium condition @ £13.20 a bag.

The pure feeds will be £16 a 15kg bag delivered, and at the reccomended rate will only last 5 days, or a week if i feed like for like with the winergy, so over a month will be £15/£20 more expensive.

however the PF stuff is slightly higher calorie content, so perhaps i could feed less than the winergy? or stop the additional linseed he gets currently?

the winergy is only very slightly higher starch, and only slightly lower oil and fibre so not even sure he needs to change, just musing.

thanks!

 

[mrussell]

I am with Criso on this.

I do feed SS Lucienuts (in place of sugarbeet) to my TBs and elderly equines and they do VERY well on it but other than that, I feed Charnwood feeds as they do a fab conditioning cube and a really cost effective mix. Not to mention the mega value linseed and brewers yeast sacks

My feed bill for 4 horses is £20 week including Tescos veg oil and join supp from Equine answers.

The bill when I fed SS alone was £40 a week.

Doesnt compare really, does it ?

 

[BID]

You don't have to soak all SS feeds, I feed the lucie pellets with the lucie stalks and only give him some soaked red grass nuts on or before a competions. My boy is a big warmblood, very good doer but needed some help with energy and focus when eventing. Since putting him on simple systems I have a changed horse. It is worth emailing or calling them for a chat.

 

[MadBlackLab]

Love SS and so does my TB. I can rate them enough. He grazes on his feed looks good and reduced my hay intake (Brill) easy to use. Great advice line through email and phone.

but like anything its each to their own

 

[SpottedCat]

interesting, have to admit im more leaning towards the pure feeds stuff, as all the soaking and the HUGE quantities of the SS put me off (and may well, i imagine, put CS off too).

currently he gets through a 15kg bag a week of winergy equilibrium condition @ £13.20 a bag.

The pure feeds will be £16 a 15kg bag delivered, and at the reccomended rate will only last 5 days, or a week if i feed like for like with the winergy, so over a month will be £15/£20 more expensive.

however the PF stuff is slightly higher calorie content, so perhaps i could feed less than the winergy? or stop the additional linseed he gets currently?

the winergy is only very slightly higher starch, and only slightly lower oil and fibre so not even sure he needs to change, just musing.

thanks!

Have you looked at the new online shop for PFC? It does discounts the more you order....

I found I didn't need to feed at the recommended rates - but no way of knowing that before you start! Mine just would not touch winergy at all, hates the stuff.

 

[ecrozier]

I fed SS for several years to 4 horses, 15.3hh slim built warmblood poor doer, 14.2 hyper Arab good doer, laminitic 12.3hh pony with cushings and 16.1hh HW ish extremely good doer!!
It suited them all and was fab to have just one type of feed in varying quantities. The only hassle i had and only reason I changed was storage and the volume you had to buy. Simply couldn't store it at previous yard so had to go back to more conventional feed.
I also didn't feed even close to recommended minimum and added a broad spectrum vit supplement to the two fatties feeds as they were getting much less than recommended.
Took fussy Arab a week or two to deign to eat it but once he realized nothing else was on offer he ate it with no problems!

 

[dressagecrazy]

I feed Pure Feeds & find them excellent i have a range of different breeds & ages here, i have a Horse who's suffered Ulcers & IBS & an oldie who has Cushings. Pure Feeds work for all of them & they love it.
I have tried SS & Winergy in the past & none where as good. I found Winergy better than SS.

I will point out now though that i do have a vested interest in Pure Feeds, PS where about in the country are you??

Im about to be a supplier for Pure Feeds in Staffs so you wouldnt have to pay delivery if your close??

 

[Saratoga]

I fed SS for years, but one of my fussy eaters wouldn't finish his feed. They seemed well on it, but it was a hassle to get delivered and I ended up having one delivery nicked from outside the gates so I stopped using them. I now use Topspec balancer, nuts and turbo and they all seem pretty good on that.

 

[hobgoblin]

Maybe this is only me I tried my fussy hit tb on as last year it made him mental - hot horse anyway and not because he dosnt get enough work ran in 8 ptp races as a 14 yr old last season ! Gone back to baileys no 4 and outshine as just didn't suit him did eat it though

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

Leics, so prob not close enough?

on balance, i think PF are winning over SS, as the volume of SS needed and the soaking is a bit off putting (i wouldnt dare feed that much without soaking!).

does anyone feed the grass nuts(red or blue) alongside conventional feed to add fibre and oomph without going the whole SS hog?

 

[Saratoga]

Yes, I used to add red bag grass pellets to unmollased beet, alfa a and balancer to good affect.

 

[dressagecrazy]

Leics, so prob not close enough?

on balance, i think PF are winning over SS, as the volume of SS needed and the soaking is a bit off putting (i wouldnt dare feed that much without soaking!).

does anyone feed the grass nuts(red or blue) alongside conventional feed to add fibre and oomph without going the whole SS hog?

Yes a bit far unfortunately

 

[air78]

I've fed SS to lots of TB's without problems.

I use speedi beet instead of their purabeet, as it soaks in minutes. I don't find the soaking inconvenient at all. Options:
1. Mix all dry together the night before, cover with water and it's ready for the morning

Or

2. Mix all dry together, pour over hot water and it's ready almost instantly. Or even with cold water it's ready in 15-30 mins depending on which products you use.

Yes the Charnwood linseed etc is cheaper, but postage/delivery is very expensive, and you have to mix the linseed, brewers yeast and seaweed yourself. Total eclipse is ready to go

The feed quantities are large, and I don't feed the recommended amount, mainly because my tb's are fatties! It is designed as a partial forage replacer though, so they graze on it over several hours, as opposed to a small bucket feed polished off in minutes.

Heard good things about pure feeds as well though, but not tried them myself yet.

 

[jsr]

I fed Pure Feeds as my cob has sugar intolerance and their feeds are unmolassed. It worked out quiet cheap as he only needed half the quantities but I found the having to have it delivered a problem (I live in rural North Wales so no stockist anywhere near here) and I did find his coat went very scurfy and skin dry. I really liked the ethos behind the feeds and wanted it to work but unfortunately it didn't suit him so I've finally settled on a low cal balancer and non-molassed chaff.

Have to say though they were extreamly helpful at PF's and I had some great information and advise so I was sad that I couldn't continue to use them.

 

[Tempi]

Ive not read the replies but i feed all mine on Simple Systems feeds.

Jupi has lucerne nuts and total eclipse - the total eclipse gives him the most amazing coat and really helps with condition. You have to soak the lucerne nuts for about an hr before feeding and they swell to about 4 times the size (if not more), he has only just started beind fed now for the winter (lives on grass all summer) and he just has 2 cups of lucerne nuts and 1/2 cup of total eclipse and it is still a big feed once soaked.

Their help line is really good aswell and they are always extremely knowledgable (unlike a company i phoned up the other day to ask about their new product......)

 

[seabsicuit2]

Love the ideas behind them both, but the horse i needed it for just wouldnt touch it in the end, and was always really fussy about it. The mare did look FAB on the pure working- but sadly as time went on, the less she would eat it.

Both feeds, especially the pure feeds, are a nightmare for me to get hold off. So that just made me give up in the end, and is why I havent bothered to get it for my other horses. Seems so silly that i cant get hold of them when I am in the horsiest county there is! And I refuse to be driving 30 mins/45 mins away to get feed, I havent got the time.
Tried to make pure feeds deliver to my nearest feed stockists, but they never got back to me, despite repeated requests/ emails/calls- they never made any effort to get my yard provided for.. Spent a couple of months driving 45 mins away to get the stuff. But I havent got time to do that now, so now all my money goes on good old Dodson and horrell for all 5 of my horses! simply because I can get hold of it easily/cheaply!

 

[kezimac]

Leics, so prob not close enough?

on balance, i think PF are winning over SS, as the volume of SS needed and the soaking is a bit off putting (i wouldnt dare feed that much without soaking!).

does anyone feed the grass nuts(red or blue) alongside conventional feed to add fibre and oomph without going the whole SS hog?

yes, but i buy northern crop driers grass nuts from wynnstay feeds - they are cheaper at £7 a bag (equivalent to red nuts) they are also trialling a new 9% protein grass nut - equivalent to the blue nuts -

I feed grass nuts, micronised linseed meal, and then her supplements (brewers yeast, vit/mins, slippery elm)

I feed 1.5kg a day of grass nuts so only use 2 bags a month! so only £14 on feed - its the supplements that cost me!!! - she looks amazing on it (ISH - 7/8th Tb - lives out 247!!! - and not a good doer either!)

Only thing with SS is they advocate alfalfa - however if yours are barefoot - it can make some horses footy.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

interesting K, thank you, will do some googling.

i did have barefoot horses on alfalfa in the past with no probs, but havent had these particular two on it, so would be a bit trial and error i guess, they do both have proper rock crushing feet, esp CS bizarrely, he can stomp over eye watering stones with no probs!

i do suspect that getting hold of SS isnt going to be easy, dont mind paying delivery at all (albeit around £6/8, not the £22 one place quoted me earlier!!!!)

 

[WoodfordFox]

Ummm, without wanting to confuse the issue, have you considered Thunderbrook? Suits my TB, and my friends' horse who has history of ulcers. Warped my mind for a bit - I went from feeding tons of muesli & alfalfa to 'dust' as my hubby puts it...

The Thunderbrook base mix looks expensive (£35), but you feed so little that it lasts forever. Debs (the lady behind it, and on the end of a phone whenever I've needed her advice) is very much a believer in feeding a natural diet to horses, so basically hay / grass plus a bit of base mix should do most of them right. Plus oats for a bit extra (she advocates germinating whole oats). Then she may suggest different things for specific problems.

Mine is on haylage, base mix, bran, oats and Gut Restore (he has a history!). By which I mean in 24 hrs he gets 13 kg haylage plus limited grass, plus two and a half mugs of base mix, two mugs of bran and two tea-cups of oats (spit into two feeds). It's not a lot, hence your money does go a long way. His feet are great and his tummy's much better. He has plenty of energy without being wired, and he looks fab and super-shiny.

Re alfalfa, Deb doesn't touch it, doesn't feel it's part of a horse's natural diet. And as for sugar beet, they grow it around where she lives and she's seen what they spray it with! All her feeds are organic.

She does have local suppliers, but I always buy mail-order.

 

[WoodfordFox]

PS - re grass nuts, I spoke to Deb at Thunderbrook this week re. feeding for weight gain in case my lad loses weight over winter. She says best thing is to increase forage but if your horse is already eating as much hay as he can manage (like mine is) one of the things she suggested is grass nuts / pencils / pellets. Most pellets have a binding agent in, but apparently grass is the one thing that doesn't need it. She said I could buy them from her (exactly the same product at half the price of one of your aformentioned feed companies) but she said just go to an agricultural merchant - if the bag has a picture of a cow or a sheep on it it'll be much cheaper, and grass nuts (or pencils or pellets) should just be 100% flash-dried grass, regardless of what animal they are being marketed at!

 

[Firewell]

Sorry to hijack but do grass nuts have to be soaked?

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

WF-thank you, lots of reading to do, will get on with research

firewell-apparently not, but i wouldnt dare feed that much unsoaked, so shall be soaking if i go ahead!!!!