# Simple Systems horse feed ??



## Tishiemumble (28 February 2015)

Thinking of changing horse feeds for a good doer coming into summer.
Was looking at the simple systems website and gave them an email and they recommended I should feed Lucie stalks and total eclipse for a good doer and some Lucie nuts for extra energy for competing.
I have a couple of queries with this though, I am slightly worries that she will not be getting the energy she needs even with the Lucie nuts.
Secondly I am a bit worried that my mare won't eat the feeds as she can sometimes be quite picky.
Basically I would just like to know what your experiences with simple systems feeds have been and what you might recommend feeding instead ?


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## bluebellfreddy (28 February 2015)

Don't worry about pickiness, have worked on a yard of 30 horses and not one did not eat it straight up. Horse like it. I would be surprised if your horse does not have enough energy on simple systems, we had advanced event horses running on simple systems. Only One horse had to have race horse cube, it was truly very lazy.


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## Mrs G (1 March 2015)

I fed my good doer TB just their Timothy chaff and Total Eclipse over summer and he looked fab and was riding better than ever.  I didn't up his feed soon enough though when winter hit and he's def lost weight (slimmest he's been for years), a bit too lean for my liking now so I've added their blue bag grass nuts and a Lucie brick per day.  I've had no probs with him eating it - he licks the bowl clean, but tried to offer a handful of my lads feed to another horse who's used to molassed high starch/sugar feed and he all but spat it back in my face so it might take some horses a bit of getting used to (like us going from junk food to salad!)


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## PorkChop (1 March 2015)

Have fed Simple Systems Lucie pellets for years, I choose the pellets because they soak quicker than the nuts.

I actually don't soak in as much water as they recommend, I have never had a horse not eat them, and mine are fit and competing on them.  You can always add the red bag grass nuts if you need more oomph.


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## Geek (1 March 2015)

The yard I used to work at had their horses on simple systems and i didn't think that the horses did that well on it.  The majority of them ate it happily enough but anything that wasn't a good doer didn't look great on it and the good doers had a bucket load of it twice a day.


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## Shay (2 March 2015)

We've used Lucie bricks for years - although for cost reasons we've now swapped to another compressed grass make which is half the cost.  We only used them as a stable toy equivalent - a different way of getting forage.  We did look at it when my daughter got her new horse but it is quite expensive feed for feed and we couldn't see sufficient benefit which wasn't available elsewhere at less cost.  I completely get Mrs G's point about switching from junk food to salad - but there are lots of  feeds out there which are not high starch and high sugar.  We opted for A&P in  the end.  But also to echo the other posters - I've never known a horse not eat it!


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## stormclouds (2 March 2015)

I swapped my new horse from sugary, starchy feed to blue bag nuts and timothy chop. It took him about a week or so to get used to it, but now he pretty much licks his bowl clean. Wouldn't consider moving feeds. The timothy chop is great for good doers - it's pretty much just hay, so I use it to bulk his dinner out (he gets basically nothing atm)/supplement what he gets hay-wise.

My horse doesn't wolf his food down - he'll eat his hay, then have some dinner, then back to hay and so forth. SS point out that this is a better way for them to feed - slowly and picking at it, rather than inhaling it like some do!

My old horse and friend's horses are on lucie stalks and nuts, and go very well on them. 

Nowhere near me supplies it though, and delivery is pretty expensive, so probably going to have to consider something else once my supply runs out!


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## PolarSkye (2 March 2015)

This is the yard feed where we are (although you can opt out/feed your horse what you like) and all those on it (all except mine, LOL) gobble it up and look very well on it - and that's a range of horses from youngstock (2-year-old) to proper oldies with everything in between.  The only reason I'm not feeding it is that I moved to the yard with a bunch of feed that I didn't want to throw away (we've been there a month) and Kali is so feed sensitive that I'm loathe to fix what ain't broke - I also didn't want to move him AND change feed at the same time.  As he is now so settled and happy, I may just get through what I've got and switch him over to SS . . . I've certainly seen proof that horses (including picky veterans) do really well on it.

P


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## Scarlett (2 March 2015)

Fed SS for years, used to use Lucie Nuts for weight gain but swapped to the grass nuts a couple of years ago - currently feed Red Bag grass nuts to 3 TBs with a bit of added linseed. They maintain weight and have forward energy without being fizzy.


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## Doormouse (2 March 2015)

I feed it to mine, a picky tb, a hard hunting Young ISH, a 4 year old about to be broken and a very fat welsh pony. I also fed it to the 25 year old small pony with severe cushings. Works a treat for all of them. All eat it happily and look well with plenty of energy but not silly.


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## Doris68 (2 March 2015)

I tried the timothy chop on my veteran and she refused to eat it, even when introducing it on a gradual basis.  I added dried mint and a little apple juice and she still wouldn't touch it.  I confess that I'm not surprised as it is very brittle, spiky and brown.  I now give her a small handful in with her Cool Fibre.  She is on grass nuts (soaked) from SS and eats them with no problem.


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## JoClark (4 March 2015)

I used to feed mine SS, he did well the majority of the year but come winter it didn't work. Due to being prone to ulcers I have to be careful what I feed or I will have a gastrogard bill again.  I have found the balance with Saracen and Dengie. The dengie alfa pellets in my opinion are the same and cheaper so win.


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