**COMPETITION CLOSED**

Win a Complete Solar Electric Fencing Kit worth £355 plus £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers!

Managing a horse’s grass intake is fundamental to managing their weight and therefore laminitis risk but it isn’t always easy to do. Strip grazing is one method which involves reducing the size of the horse’s grazing area by putting electric fencing across a strip of the field. As the grass is grazed, the fence is moved to gradually allow more grass access and to move the grass strip up the field.

This month one lucky winner will receive a complete solar electric fence kit worth £355 plus £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers to redeem against their horse’s favourite low calorie feed!

Included in the kit is a Hotline Fire Drake 67 solar energiser which has an output joule rating of 0.5 Joules and will power up to 5km of fencing at 3,900v. The 12v battery is integrated into the base of the unit, behind the angled solar panel and there’s a sturdy carry handle at the top making this a well balanced and easily portable unit. The On/Off switch lights up when switched on and it’s about an inch across so you can see it from a distance as it flashes with every pulse of the energiser. There is a low battery / pulse indicator so you can easily tell if the energiser is getting enough power and the output can also be adjusted with High or Low settings to suit your fencing. The unit also comes with a mains adapter which can be used to help keep the internal battery fully charged during the winter months.

The kit includes a 1m long earth stake, 200m green 20mm poly tape, 20 green 4′ plastic fence posts with double footplates, a gate handle, ring insulators, a warning sign and an 8-level voltage tester.

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

If you would like further information on any of the Dengie products or a personalized diet plan for your horse please call our feedline on 01621 735812 or click here to fill in our feed advice form.

This week we donated feed to Remus Memorial Horse Sanctuary in Essex with the help of wholesaler Essex Animal Feeds. We have been working with Remus for over 15 years, supporting their team offering nutrition advice and evaluating the horse’s diets.

“This donation of Dengie feed couldn’t have come at a better time. The recent wet and windy weather have reduced our turnout time, so we’re using more hay and bedding which has had an impact on our funds” says Sue Burton, Founder and Manager of Remus Horse Sanctuary. “The donation of Dengie’s Hi-Fi Molasses Free and Alfa-Beet has helped to ease that financial burden a little. Thanks Team Dengie for making this possible and to the team at Essex Animal Feeds for organising a swift and seamless delivery”.

Dengie Hi-Fi Molasses Free and Alfa-Beet are fed to a wide range of different horses, ponies and donkeys that live at Remus, many of which have dietary related issues such as PPID, EMS or poor dentition. This combination of high fibre feeds provides the horses and ponies with a low sugar and starch ration and can easily be eaten by those that struggle to chew.

“I have worked with the team at Remus for many years, they were actually one of the first places I visited when I joined the Dengie Nutrition team” says Tracey Hammond, Nutritionist at Dengie. “For me, beyond helping the horses, I have found it very rewarding supplying Sue and her team with the tools to make decisions on what and how much to feed, which means it’s only the really tricky cases they need to consult me on now”.

When Dengie first started working with Remus, they had a very elderly population including many animals with dental problems. Finding an appropriate alternative to hay that these individuals could chew was key to helping with weight gain and maintaining digestive health. Some of the horses were later involved in a Dengie funded study by a Writtle College student to assess the impact of poor dentition on forage consumption. It was found that those with poor teeth consumed 2/3 less than normal horses. When the fibre format was changed to a completely soaked fibre source, Dengie Alfa-Beet, there were no feed refusals at all showing that for the older horse, supplying fibre in a format they can easily chew is vital.

Over the years the population of horses at Remus has changed and the number of younger horses that are laminitis prone due to Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) has increased. The facilities at Remus have changed to reflect this and they now have some superb woodchip areas to manage those that have to have restricted or no grass access. With the cost of living crisis the demands on Remus have significantly increased. Not only are their own costs to run the charity increasing, but the requests to help horses has multiplied as well. It is wonderful that Dengie have been able to make a contribution of Hi-Fi Molasses Free and Alfa-Beet that the majority of the horses eat to help lighten the load.

For more information about Dengie’s feeds or for help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 01621 841188 or complete our Feed Advice Form.

At the end of each year Dengie’s team of nutritionists look back at the number and nature of the enquiries they received to their helpline over the last 12 months.

Data collected from enquiries made by horse owners has shown that promoting condition safely remains the topic most frequently asked about, accounting for over 15% of enquiries. Many horse owners were keen to avoid or reduce the amount of cereals their horses were consuming and so were looking for high quality fibre and high oil feeds, such as Dengie Alfa-A Oil instead.

Unsurprisingly, given the much-publicised issue of obesity, the number of enquiries relating to Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) in 2023 had increased by 1/3 compared to 2022 and was almost 3 times the number of enquiries from 2020. It can be a fine balance to provide enough fibre without promoting weight gain, particularly with trying to reduce the risk of gastric ulcers at the forefront of many horse owner’s minds. This was one of the issues horse owners highlighted in a survey Dengie carried out in 2021. The Dengie Feedline team have also seen an increase in the number of enquiries regarding good doers or overweight horses prone to or being diagnosed with gastric ulcers breaking the stereotype of the typical ‘skinny’ ulcer prone individual. It was these findings that resulted in the launch of Dengie Ulser Lite in 2022.

2023 also saw a 20% increase in enquiries to the Feedline regarding breeding and youngstock ranging from questions about weaning to how to ensure a broodmare is receiving enough nutrients to support a growing foal.

What may surprise horse owners is the wide variety of animals the Dengie Feedline team are asked about so whilst not the most numerous, they are often the most unusual and test the team’s knowledge. The fibre feeds Dengie produce are suitable for a wide variety of species and so enquiries come in for everything from rabbits to elephants! Dengie Alfa-A Original is fed to many of the animals at Paradise Wildlife Park including zebra, tapir and camels.

The top 5 topics that horse owners enquired about in 2023 were:

1. Promoting condition safely
2. Providing sufficient fibre for good doers without resulting in weight gain
3. Enquiries relating to gastric ulcers
4. How to extend or replace hay
5. Fibre feeds for horses with dental issues

The Dengie Nutrition team are on hand to answer any feeding queries horse owners may have from what to feed a recently weaned foal to fuelling energy in the competition horse or providing fibre for a veteran who struggles to chew hay.

For more information about Dengie’s feeds or for help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 01621 841188 or complete our Feed Advice Form.

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

Win a Snuggy Hoods Base Body Under Rug plus £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers!

The Snuggy Base Body Under Rug is fast becoming a ‘must have’ in every equine’s wardrobe. Copying the best selling design of the Summer Bug Body – only being marginally heavier in weight and a bit more sensible in colour for the muddier months.

• Poll to tail protection
• Detachable lined neck cover
• Water resistant, mud proof, wind resistant comfortable stretch fabric
• Full Belly Coverage
• Stops winter coats coming through as early and keeps a clipped coat for longer.

Use under any rug or alone in warmer weather. For the ultimate protection you can team this together with the Turn Out Head to offer full face coverage.

Sizes – 4’6″ to 7’3” – please note – The sizes are generous due to the stretch in the fabric so if your horse/pony is between sizes, choose the smaller.

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

If you would like further information on any of the Dengie products or a personalized diet plan for your horse please call our feedline on 01621 735812 or click here to fill in our feed advice form.

Terms & Conditions: This competition will close at 11.59pm on 29th February 2024. One entry per person. One lucky winner will be selected from the correct entries and be notified via email within 7 days of the competition closing. Prize consists of a Snuggy Hoods Base Body Under Rug (available in burgundy, navy or black, sizes 4’6″ – 7’3″ -worth £134) plus £50 of Dengie Feed vouchers. No cash alternative available. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Open to UK mainland residents only. Click here for full Terms & conditions

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

At Dengie we are devoted to creating the best and healthiest horse feeds because we love your horse as much as you do! Fibre is vital for the healthy function of your horse or pony’s digestive system and satisfies their need to chew – it’s what they’re meant to eat! With our full range of products, from the Alfa-A and Hi-Fi ranges through to our Grass range and specialist fibre feeds, Dengie can help you formulate the right diet for your horse or pony whatever their age or work load.

This month TWO lucky winners will each receive £150 of Dengie Feed vouchers to go towards their horse or pony’s feed bill!

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

If you would like further information on any of the Dengie products or a personalized diet plan for your horse please call our feedline on 01621 841188 or click here to fill in our feed advice form.

Terms & Conditions: This competition will close at 11.59pm on 31st January 2024. One entry per person. Two lucky winners will be selected from the correct entries and be notified via email within 7 days of the competition closing. Prize consists of £150 of Dengie Feed vouchers plus a nutrition consultation via email or phone. No cash alternative available. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Open to UK and Republic of Ireland residents only.  Click here for full Terms & conditions

This year, we have chosen Nature’s SAFE as our Christmas charity. To help promote their work we commissioned a special drawing by Emma Wood for our Christmas cards depicting a horse greeting a red squirrel, titled ‘Winter Greetings’.

Nature’s SAFE, one of the world’s first living biobanks, is on a mission to Save Animals From Extinction. Human activities have caused one million species to be threatened with extinction. As animal populations decline, a point is reached when the genetic diversity essential for species survival is lost. Nature’s SAFE is securing the future of animal biodiversity by using advanced scientific techniques to freeze cells and tissues from threatened wildlife species in a living state. Working with collaborators to develop genetic rescue approaches for use in conservation, Nature’s SAFE acts as an insurance policy to prevent extinction.

As highlighted by Sir David Attenborough in the recent series “Wild Isles”, there is an urgency to save the UK’s native wildlife as well as endangered species from all around the world. It is as important for Nature’s SAFE to save species like the hedgehog and red squirrel as it is to save rhinos and tigers. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world – Nature’s SAFE can reverse this.

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

For your chance to win the original framed print of ‘Winter Greetings’ plus a £50 Dengie Feed voucher simply answer the question below:

If you would like further information on any of the Dengie products or a personalized diet plan for your horse please call our feedline on 01621 737084 or click here to fill in our feed advice form.

Terms & Conditions: This competition will close at 11.59pm on 31st December 2023. One entry per person. One lucky winner will be selected from the correct entries and be notified via email within 7 days of the competition closing. Prize consists of the original framed drawing plus a £50 Dengie Feed voucher. No cash alternative available. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Open to UK and Republic of Ireland residents only.  Click here for full Terms & conditions

 

 

Owning horses during the winter months can be tough! The days are shorter, turnout is often restricted and it can feel like you are constantly battling against mother nature on a daily basis  to keep warm and dry! We recently caught up with our team of supported riders to ask them what their advice and “must-have items” are to survive the winter months. We’ve shared their top tips below!

Sarah-Jane Brown aka Shoestring Eventing

• Invest in the best clothing you can afford – a good waterproof coat and trousers, as well as wellies. My grandmother used to say only the rich can afford to buy cheap, i.e. quality can last better than buying poor quality multiple times!
• A good quality head torch is a must! Although we have lights at the yard, a head torch makes it easier to poo pick in the dark or makes sure those trips to the muck heap are less hazardous.
• Feed appropriate to your horse’s workload – my horses get more days off in the winter, so I reduce their bucket feed slightly, albeit they still have constant access to forage

Tanya Buckingham-Lloyd

• Try and buy your hay or haylage and bedding in bulk if you can…you can often negotiate a deal if you have somewhere to store it! Maybe club together with your friends to save money
• I prefer to use buckets to water drinkers especially in the winter when there’s a chance of pipes freezing…you want to know your horse has access to water at all times
• Don’t skimp on bedding, I find if you have less bedding in the stables you normally end up taking most of the bed out everyday, whereas if you have nice thick beds the urine tends to stay in one place so saves you money in the long run

Vic Brant aka Diary of a Wimpy Eventer

• Have a good rugging solution – you only really need to ‘shell’ out for one decent turnout rug, I recommend 1200D 100g combo. The weight and denier will allow for home washing (on a 30 degree wash, when no-one is looking) and will give you a day rug for sunnier winter days too. Add to that, 3 different weight liners (100, 200 and 300g) and you have a rug for all seasons!
• Good waterproof gloves that allow you to still do jobs. I am loving EGlove which also have a touch screen savvy finger patch, but if I was to splurge, Sealskins do some great ones too!
• If you are feeling particularly run down in the depths of winter and the mud and wicked weather is making you feel like a wet fish START PLANNING. It really does lift the mood. Start thinking forwards to better weather and make a plan, put a show or some training in the diary and set yourself a goal to work towards!

If you are feeling confused about what changes to make to your horse’s ration during the winter months, check out our article on Sympathetic Feeding for Winter Stabling, or if you have any questions contact our nutrition team by calling our Feedline on 01621 841188 or filling in our Feed Advice Form.

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

Enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a Winter Hamper  – including a year’s subscription to Horse&Rider magazine plus a copy of Little Alf – The Magic Helper by Hannah Russell and a Little Alf Christmas decoration!

A year’s subscription to Horse&Rider magazine

Every four weeks, you’ll receive the latest issue direct to your door. Each issue of Horse&Rider magazine is packed with top tips and advice from leading industry experts, with up-to-date features on veterinary, riding, horse care and management. Plus, you’ll become part of the Horse&Rider subscribers club, gaining early access to reader offers, exclusive gifts at events, discount on tickets and plenty more!

How to Enter

Simply fill out the form and answer the following question about Dengie Hi-Fi Original Cinnamon Spice

**COMPETITION CLOSED**

If you would like further information on any of the Dengie products or a personalized diet plan for your horse please call our feedline on 01621 841188 or click here to fill in our feed advice form.

Discount Offer for Dengie customers on Horse&Rider magazine subscriptions

We’re pleased to offer three issues for just £9 for all customers. To redeem this offer, simply use the promotional code DENGIEHR at www.horseandridersubs.com or contact our customer service team on 01442 820580. After your first three issues, your subscription will be billed at £12 every three months by Direct Debit. Subscription may be cancelled at any time. Full terms and conditions can be found at www.horseandridersubs.com

Terms & Conditions: This competition will close at 11.59pm on 31st December 2023. One entry per person. One lucky winner will be selected from the correct entries and be notified via email within 7 days of the competition closing. Prize consists of: £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers, a year’s subscription to Horse&Rider, a copy of Little Alf – The Magic Helper by Hannah Russel, a Little Alf Christmas decoration and a hamper full of goodies for you and your horse: Le Mieux Grooming Bag in Orchid, Le Mieux Flexi Curry Combe, Le Mieux Flexi Soft Body Brush x 2, Roma Soft Touch Dandy Brush, Roma Mane & Tail Brush, Carr & Day & Martin Hoof Barrier, Tiger Tongue Horse Groomer, NAF Appy Treats, NAF Blueberry & Banana Treats, NAF Warming No Rinse Wash, NAF Silky Mane & Tail D-Tangler, Lincoln Total Groom – Deep Cleans without Washing, KM Elite Delux Haynet, Shires Equi-Flector Hat Cover, Shires Equi-Flector Bridle Bands, Woof Wear Precision Thermal Riding Glove, Aubrion Winter Work Yard Glove, HY Equestrian Long Riding Socks, Le Meiux Layla Headband in Orchid, Christmas Mug, Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate, Thorntons Cheeky Reindeer, Cadbury Christmas Selection Box, Dengie Bobble Hat, Dengie Meadow Lite Bucket Cover. No cash alternative available. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Open to UK mainland residents only.  Click here for full Terms & conditions

We are pleased to introduce the newest member of our Nutrition Team, Katie Reeve!

Katie has worked in the nutrition industry for eight years after graduating from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Equine Science. In 2020 she completed her Masters degree at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, where she looked into the use of weigh tapes and presented her findings at the European Workshop on Equine Nutrition (EWEN) in the summer of 2022. In her spare time, Katie enjoys keeping active by walking the dogs and attending various exercise classes.

“Dengie are thrilled to have Katie on board. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and will be a great asset to our team” says Dr. Katie Williams, Technical Manager at Dengie Horse Feeds.

 Dengie’s team of highly experienced nutritional advisors are on hand to answer any feeding queries. If you would like help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 01621 734413 or fill in our Feed Advice Form.

We are delighted to announce the launch of our winter special of Dengie Hi-Fi Original – now available with added cinnamon spice flavour for a tasty winter treat!*

A festive twist on an old favourite, Hi-Fi Original with Cinnamon Spice is naturally high in fibre, but low in calories (8MJ/kg), sugar (9%) and starch (1.5%). The added cinnamon spice flavor makes the product even tastier and brings a festive aroma to your feedroom!

Dengie Hi-Fi Original with Cinnamon Spice combines nutritious alfalfa blended with soft straw for optimum digestive health and is ideal for horses & ponies in light work or at rest. It has been formulated as a straight feed with no added vitamins and minerals to maximize its flexibility. This means that any amount can be fed according to the horse’s requirements alongside a source of vitamins and minerals such as a balancer or powdered vitamin and mineral supplement to provide a balanced diet.

Dengie Hi-Fi Original with Cinnamon Spice comes in a great value 20kg bale, providing over 66 scoops per bag.

For more information about Dengie’s Hi-Fi Original  with Cinnamon Spice or for help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 01621 841188 or visit the website and complete our Feed Advice Form.

*Available for a limited time only, whilst stocks last!