About Us
From Field to Feed
Founded in 1968 as a farmer’s cooperative, Dengie is still run today with the same ethos of supporting the local farming community. We grow as many of our own ingredients as possible which keeps our ‘feed miles’ low and provides the best traceability possible – every bag of our horse feed can be traced back to the field it was grown in.
Pioneering Technology – Precision Drying
Dengie pioneered the use of precision drying techniques in the UK to conserve the nutritional quality of fibre for horses. This drying process – unlike traditional sun-drying techniques used to make hay – allows crops to be harvested much earlier, making them more digestible and higher in energy and natural nutrients. This means our feeds are consistently clean with very low levels of dust and mould, making them ideal for the performance horse or those with respiratory problems.
Why Feed Fibre to Horses?
Fibre is vital for the health of the horse’s digestive systems and we believe that everyone should “think fibre first” with their horse’s diets. For most horses and ponies, a fibre only diet will easily meet their energy requirements. Discover more about the Dengie range of fibre feeds today.
Why Feed Alfalfa To Horses?
Although alfalfa is often perceived as a relatively “new” feed for horses, it has actually been used for thousands of years and the name “alfalfa” comes from Arabic, Persian and Kashmiri words meaning “best horse fodder” and “horse power”. You may also hear the name “Lucerne” used, which can cause confusion, but it is just another name for alfalfa.
Alfalfa provides an excellent source of slow release energy in a naturally nutritious form. Discover more about alfalfa and why we think it makes the best feed for your horse.
Our Philosophy
The Dengie philosophy is to create the best feeds we can to support and promote the horse’s health and well-being.
We acknowledge that the concept of welfare is a complicated subject but we feel it’s important to recognise that good care and good welfare are different. Good care is the very least that a horse should experience, but as research helps us to understand what good welfare looks like, we want to support horse owners in achieving that. This is why we employ a team of highly qualified, practical nutritionists who are actively involved in research projects with respected institutions around the world and we invest in their training and development to ensure they can provide the very best advice and support. To read more of their advice click here.
Our commitment to the nutritional care and well-being of horses will always be the main reason you can rely on Dengie. It’s also why we fully support and share the ethos of British Equestrian’s Charter for the Horse. As responsible members of the equestrian community, we pledge to this charter for the ethical and fair treatment of all horses and other equids under our care. For further information about the Charter for the Horse click here.
