Equestrian Life March 2018 Issue

feeding
Paddock
paradise or
punished
pasture?
As I write this here at Trickle Net
HQ in Lincolnshire, it’s February.
It’s cold, wet and the fields are
brown murky swamps. Though
there is a sniff of Spring in the
air. By the time you read this,
we should be getting ready to
transform our weary pasture. At
last!
March is the month of great
change when it comes to pasture
management. With milder
temperatures and more daylight
hours the land will dry enough to
work on it. So, what do we do and
why?
As soon as the land is dry enough,
we chain harrow. This is probably
the most important thing you can
do for winter battered pasture.
Chain harrowing removes any
dead grass which makes way for
new growth. It also evens out
poached areas and allows air to
the grass which helps with spring
growth. It spreads any droppings
too, allowing the sun to dry them
out.
Then we get the roller out.
Whether you are using an
agricultural big boy, or a couple
of oil drums filled with concrete,
rolling will transform your ground.
Rolling encourages tillering,
which is the new stems growing
from the parent shoot of the
plant. Rolling will also encourage
a healthy root structure, which is
vital to the health and longevity of
your pasture.
Once rolled our fields briefly look
like tired bowling greens. It brings
joy to my soul to look out across
newly rolled pasture. That is until
the molehills come back! All this
work on the fields prepares them
well for the horses spending more
time out, as we reduce the forage
and allow them more grazing
time.
But beware! The changes in the
grass during March are significant,
and this is well known as the start
of Laminitis season. Next month
we will be looking more closely
at the changes in your horses
grazing, and how this can impact
health and wellbeing. If you are
concerned about your horse
carrying excess weight coming
in to Spring, you must act now.
Trickle Nets are an excellent tool
for weight management, and you
can call us for advice on 01522
720972.
Here’s hoping for sunshine and
daffodils soon!
Ellen. Trickle Net.
www.tricklenet.co.uk
Equerry Minty Treats Now in 20kg Bag
Equerry Minty Treats make
the perfect reward for your
horse or pony and have a lovely
spearmint flavour. And these
delicious healthy treats now
come in a new 20kg size – ideal
for larger yards or
sharing!
A healthy treat
option, Minty
Treats are fibrebased
nuggets, low
in sugar and are
‘Non-Heating’ and
cereal-grain-free
so they won’t cause
any problems or
‘fizz’.
They can be fed by
hand, in a treat ball
or added to feed to tempt fussy
feeders. Equerry Minty Treats
are great for when your horse
deserves a little reward.
Along with the launch of the
new 20kg size Equerry is also
running a special promotion
throughout February and
March. Buy four bags of
any Equerry product at your
local store and get one bag
of Equerry Minty
Treats absolutely
free.
The Equerry
horse feed range
includes Equerry
High Fibre Cubes,
Equerry Cool Mix,
Equerry Horse &
Pony Mix, Equerry
Horse & Pony
Cubes, Equerry
Conditioning
Mash, Equerry
Conditioning Cubes
and Equerry Veteran Mix.
Equerry Minty Treats 20kg are
£11.50. To find out more about
the Equerry range of horse feeds
visit www.equerryhorsefeeds.com
or telephone 01845 565640.
C a l l 0 1 5 2 2 7 2 0 9 7 2 o r v i s i t
WWW.TRICKLENET.CO.UK
F REE DELIV ERY ON ALL ORDERS!
The strongest most effective slow feeder nets!
Ideal for weight management. Promotes a
natural trickle of forage through the gut.
• Recommended for horses with laminitis, ulcers or colic prone.
• Tough enough to use for ground feeding with barefoot equines.
• Eliminates wasted hay. SAVE TIME & MONEY!
36 March 2018 Equestrian Life