At 15:11:40 on 09.03.10, YasandCrystal wrote:
Hi I used my own version of Simple Systems feeding regime. I bought Dengie Alfalfa pellets which need soaking for 20 or so minutes (best done in warm water) these are around 8.00 GBP a 20kg bag and Alfa A chaff 13 GBP a bag and a good feed balancer. This is a cheap way of feeding a good natural forage diet with absolutely minimal molasses - only a tiny % in the Alfa A chaff as preservative. It's best to wean horses onto it as Alfalfa is quite bitter. All my horses had done very well on this diet infact a little too well with all the haylage they have enjoyed too, so I have now moved them onto a lite chaff and just unmolassed sugar beet. I think Simple Sytems are great, it's just when you examine all the options they don't sound so simple as the title!

At 15:18:57 on 09.03.10, YasandCrystal wrote:
I also meant to add that I fed this same diet to my older laminitic risk 10hh, a youngster, a very good doer and a big normally poor doer and all of their coats are gleaming - they are all very well, but not fizzy and they all have a good size feed in the bucket twice a day, which looks considerably more than I would feed of other stuffs as the soaked pellets obviously swell.

At 16:52:23 on 09.03.10, mediclotte wrote:
same as us we use un molassed beet and chaff and the big lad has saracens relieve too and they all look fantastic on it and having just been hacking for 5 hours have plenty of go but not nutty at all... we found the simple system also far too expensive when compared to other products...each to there own though and my red wine fog didn't help my outburst and a so called horse whisperer ramming it down our throats

At 17:04:26 on 09.03.10, YasandCrystal wrote:
As you say mediclotte it is a matter of choice, noone should dictate their feeding regime to anyone else. It's easy isn't it to spout forth what you think is best, but there are many alternatives and combinations available as you know. I think 'unmolassed' is the important thing particular for respiratory health, as molasses are bad for COPD, as are the annual flu vaccinations I have been reliably informed.

At 17:45:25 on 09.03.10, mediclotte wrote:
we don't vaccinate our dogs or horses apart from tetanus.. in our little town every six months the vets put a poster up saying been an incident of parvo so all dog owners mast get them vaccinated!!! it makes me really cross.. touch wood we have treated all minor incidents and illnesses with old fashioned bits and bobs from chemist and homeopathy that we have read up on only and they are all in great shape.. i guess our belief is that if your right on the inside and happy the less you seem to be ill and it has worked for us.. our big horse had terrible rain scold and mud fever when we rescued him but he has wintered out un rugged and has the loviest coat and no mud fever etc..thank god as he really was a sorry state..nice to know someone else thinks like us too