‘Rushfield Honey Bee’, who is fed Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free, wins The Horse Trust’s Healthiest Body Condition Award in the BSPS Heritage Mountain and Moorland Open Lead Rein Class at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead on Thursday 28th July 2022.
Lizzie Finlayson-Briant’s 7 year old Dartmoor pony, who was ridden superbly by Freddie Finlayson-Briant and led by his trainer Gayle Holder, was proudly awarded the prestigious Horse Trust’s Healthiest Body Condition Award, an award presented to a pony in the class that is a healthy fat score and not overweight.
“Winning this award was the highlight for me”, explained owner Lizzie, who recently did a webinar with Dengie on ‘Feeding the Native Pony; From breeding to Showing’. “Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free combined with regular exercise helps to keep my ponies fit and a healthy weight. Keeping them at a healthy fat score is top of our priority list but can be challenging especially with natives. Winning this superb accolade is reward for all the hard work that Freddie puts in, I couldn’t be prouder.”
“At Dengie our research sadly demonstrates that there is still a significant proportion of the equine population that is overweight” explains Katie Williams, M.Sc. (Dist) R Nutr, Technical & Product Development Manager at Dengie Horse Feeds. “Many factors contribute to the problem but this brilliant initiative from The Horse Trust rewards those who produce show horses and ponies at a healthy weight”.
Rushfield Honey Bee is fed Dengie Healthy Hooves Molasses Free, a low calorie, sugar and starch high fibre feed with a light oil coating for healthy skin and a lovely showring shine which clearly worked in this case! It is the perfect feed for achieving the balance between health and results.
For more information about Dengie’s Healthy Hooves Molasses Free or for help and advice on all aspects of feeding call the Dengie Feedline: 01621 841188 or complete our Feed Advice Form.
You can watch the webinar on Feeding the Native Pony; From Breeding to Showing on Dengie’s YouTube Channel
Hi I’m Emelia Hazell and I am Head girl and travelling groom for Lucy Jackson Eventing. I started working for Lucy in January 2014 while I was at Berkshire College of Agriculture studying Level 3 Horse Management. I was working part-time while I was at college and then started full time in July 2014. Eight years on and I’m still here! I did however take a break in 2019 for 18 months when I went freelance to experience how other yards are run and also to extend my knowledge. This included going to the Sunshine Tour in Spain with Tim and Jonelle Price, working at some other 5* event yards and riding out for a race yard. Here at Team Jackson we have around 18 horses including eventers, racehorses in for retraining and sales liveries. I work alongside Hannah Norvill and a couple of part-time helpers too.
The aspect of the job which I enjoy most is travelling to international events, the most recent of which was Houghton Hall International with one horse in the 2*L and two horses in the 3*L. The weeks leading up to an international competition mainly involve preparation work such as packing, ensuring the horses are fit, happy and up to date with all their needs including flu and EHV vaccinations. We take the horse’s temperatures for 5 days prior to arriving at the showground to be sure they are healthy and we also check their shoes are all well-fitting and have stud holes.
Over the years I have added to my packing list with items that you learn make a difference to the horse’s experience. For example, one of the horses likes to be alone in his own space and so I take a stable banner to provide him with privacy which helps to keep him much more settled. Little adjustments for each individual can make such a difference to their performance and their health and well-being.
Everyone is different with regard to their routine for an event. We tend to travel the day before the trot-up to allow the horses to settle in. When we first arrive arrive at an event, I take the horses for their vet inspection before settling them in to their stables. Once I’ve unloaded and set up all my kit I take the horses for a walk to allow them to stretch their legs and pick at some grass. The next morning Lucy will take the horses for a good hack and run through her dressage test before I bath and plait them for the trot-up which normally takes place in the afternoon. This allows the horses to have a good look around the venue and settle in before taking to the red carpet!
Thursday and Friday tend to be dressage days and I will leave trot up plaits in the horses doing dressage on the Thursday and take out the Friday dressage horses depending on their times. Lucy will always take the horses for a pre-test exercise too, maybe a hack or a training session depending on the horse and how they rise to the occasion. At the same time I may potentially lunge another horse. I always make a plan with Lucy the day before, so we work out when the other horses need riding around dressage times. Getting ready for dressage for me is about getting the horse looking as best I can. Once we get to the dressage warm-up arena I will be on hand to take boots off, administer any last minute touch ups, and provide water for Lucy. I’m also there to let the owners know exactly where we are and to video, so that the owners can watch their horses again later.
Saturday for the long format events is cross-country day. Working back from the horse’s times I will feed them in the morning before taking them for a walk around to start loosening them up. We feed a handful of Alfa-A before they go cross-country to try and help reduce the risk of gastric ulcers.
Lucy walks the cross country course several times with owners, team mates and on her own. I would go once with her so I know where she is when I listen to the commentary. In preparation for the cross country I will take a wheelbarrow of kit including a first aid kit, spare shoes and studs, water for Lucy, grease to top up if needed after they’ve warmed up and then buckets and ice for when they get back.
Saturday night can be a long one for me. If the horse has had a knock or gets stiff after a good run, it will be my responsibility to keep walk them, ice legs and feet and work with vets, physios and team members to ensure the horse is the best they can for the next morning.
On Sunday I’m up early trotting the horses up for Lucy to check their soundness and determine if they are fit enough to compete and we make a plan for each horse. A good hand graze, more icing, or a lunge to loosen up are typically what we do to keep the horses happy. We may occasionally lunge or use poles to get the horses moving and loosen up their backs after the trot up. They then get a well earned rest before their last effort over the show jumps. I like to get up early to plait the horses so they have a comfy night on Saturday having gone round the cross country.
We have a routine for the warm up for the show jumping which involves jumping 3 uprights gradually increasing in height then a low oxer, moving on to an ascending oxer which we increase in width and then finally one up to height square oxer. As the horse in front of her goes in to the ring, Lucy will jump one up-to height upright and that’s it. All I can do at this point is watch and keep everything crossed!
Travelling home from an event
Once we have untacked and groomed the horses after their show-jumping, our focus turns to loading the lorry and preparing to travel home. It can be a long drive so we sleep well when we do eventually get to bed. The next morning I will trot the horses up and deal with any issues. If all is well they go in the field for the day and have a well-earned rest. The lorry is then unpacked and re-packed for our next event!
Top tips from me would be…
- Give yourself plenty of time, being prepared and not stressed is much better for the rider rider.
- I always carry spare studs so I’ve got one to hand should a horse lose one
- Give a handful of chopped alfalfa, such as Dengie Alfa-A Original before competing.
- I’m always cautious of the fact that the horse’s routine is different at events compared to at home. As we turnout overnight in the summer, being back in stables 24/7 is a big change to their routine and can upset them. Lots of hand grazing and walking can break up the day for them.
- The horses MUST have their time too. It’s very easy at a 3 day competition to be at the stables all day. Give yourself an hour or 2 in your daily plan if you can to leave the horses to sleep and relax.
I’ve always dreamt of working for a top Event rider and being very biased I think Lucy is the best of the best. Team Jackson is a family run yard with a very supportive and hardworking boss. Seeing the horses loving their work coming through the cross country safe and sound gives me huge satisfaction.
**COMPETITION CLOSED**
Win Coldstream Clothing for you and your horse plus £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers!
Coldstream is an equestrian brand inspired by the legendary showjumper Hydrophane Coldstream. The Coldstream range, like the horse, reflects high quality and performance, delivering innovative, technical, and on trend pieces.
Coldstream’s NEW Ednam Base Layers are designed with an eco-friendly innovative textile that is contrived from recycled plastic bottles. Each base layer saves plastic bottles from going into landfill or the ocean and uses a considerable amount less energy to manufacture than a traditional base layer. The recycled plastic fabric provides a luxuriously soft feel against the skin and offers moisture and sweat wicking properties as a result of the capillary action material.
**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 August 2022. 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 an Ednam Base Layer, Ednam Riding Tights, Marygold Saddle Pad, Marygold Fly Veil in size, cut and colour of the winners choice 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
We are proud to announce that we have achieved bronze status for Investors in the Environment, a national environmental accreditation scheme.
Founded in 1968 as a farmer’s cooperative, Dengie is still run today with the same ethos of supporting the local farming community. At the heart of Dengie is the strong ethos in producing sustainable horse feeds, growing as many of our own ingredients as possible. Our alfalfa is grown within 20 miles of where it is made into the finished feed and so has one of the lowest ‘feed miles’ of any horse feed ingredient and provides the best traceability possible. This means that every bag of Dengie horse feed can be traced back to the field it was grown in.
Achieving bronze status with the prestigious Investors in the Environment scheme, requires Dengie to meet certain criteria such as having a recycling scheme in place, a waste reduction plan, and a social responsibility policy. This formalises and builds on initiatives that we instigated as part of our Royal Warrant holder status. Recent achievements include switching to Green Energy which is 100% renewable energy with zero carbon dioxide emissions, introducing hybrid and fully electric cars into our small fleet of company cars, installing solar panels on new office buildings, and introducing the maximum amount of recycled plastic into our packaging.
We are currently using about 60 tonnes of recycled plastic material in our feed bags per year. This equates to approximately 150,000 4 pint milk bottles. Since the solar panels were installed in 2019, the excess energy generated has put enough energy back into the grid to supply the average household with electricity for four years.
Ian Hassard, Managing Director at Dengie commented “Sustainability is inherent in everything we do at Dengie and our recent achievements are a reflection of the importance we place on continually striving to be more efficient. Achieving bronze status with Investors in the Environment is great recognition for all the work the team at Dengie are doing to ensure that we continue to produce the highest quality feeds in harmony with the environment”.
Click here to learn more about sustainability at Dengie.
**COMPETITION CLOSED**
Win a Summer Horse & Rider Hamper plus £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers!
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 July 2022. 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, Hy Viz waistcoat (size M), Equi-Flector hat cover and leg wraps, Equi-Ping Safety Release, WeatherBeeta Stocking Socks, HyShine Sponge Brush, NAF Cooling wash, Deet Power spray, Silky Mane & Tail D-Tangler, Pro Feet Hoof Moist, Carr & Day & Martin Canter Coat Shine, NAF Blueberry & Banana Treats, Small Holed haynet, Dengie branded baseball cap, bucket cover, neck warmer and weigh tape. 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**
Win a WeatherBeeta ComFiTec 600D/Mesh Combo Neck Rug plus £50 of Dengie Feed Vouchers!
Versatility for those unpredictable showers, this is the perfect rug to keep your horse protected from rain and insects on warmer days while keeping them cool. The WeatherBeeta ComFiTec 600D/Mesh II Combo Neck features a tough 600 denier ripstop waterproof upper panel with mesh lower to allow for airflow and to aid with cooling, NEW wither relief pad to help reduce rubbing and pressure in the wither area with an Ezi-clip front closure that is fast and easy to use. Featuring traditional side gusset for freedom of movement, ultra belly wrap for extra protection and removable, adjustable & elasticated leg straps. Upper panel hydrostatic pressure tested to 2000mm plus and moisture vapour tested to 3000g/m2 plus. For further information about the WeatherBeeta range, click here.
**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: Prize consists of one WeatherBeeta ComFiTec 600D/Mesh II Combo Neck rug, in size 4’0 – 7’3, worth £129.99 and £50 of Dengie Feed vouchers. This competition will close at 11.59pm on 30th June 2022. 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. No cash alternative available. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. Open to UK mainland residents only. Click here for full Terms & conditions
Sustainability and environmental issues are hot topics in the news and businesses and individuals are increasingly being asked to operate more sustainably. Things like recycling, sourcing renewable energy and increasing energy efficiencies are key priority areas and are even more pertinent now with the vast increases in energy prices seen in recent months.
Dengie are no exception and we are working towards the Investors in the Environment Bronze award to formalise actions and achievements. This award will demonstrate to our suppliers, customers and local and wider communities that we are working towards a greener future for the business.
We have been tracking our resource use for the past two years and are now able to report the impacts of changes we have made so far. Our use of resources is often impacted by factors such as the weather, which is clearly beyond our control, but by measuring and recording our energy use, we can better quantify the impact to the business and whether possible solutions will bring a sufficient return on the investment needed.
Key Results
- A 5.5% reduction in electricity used in 2021/22 compared to 2020/21 – achieved by using energy efficient light bulbs, maintaining equipment to operate as efficiently as possible, turning plant, lights, air conditioning, computers off when not in use. As a point of interest, Dengie moved over to a zero carbon electricity supply in October 2021, which will help reduce our impact on the environment.
- An 8.7% reduction in fuel achieved by driving efficiently, not idling engines unnecessarily and maintaining the vehicles to operate as efficiently as possible.
- 3.5% reduction in waste feed produced
- Carbon footprint reduction if gas use not included was 10.5%
Unfortunately, the wetter harvest conditions meant that gas usage was higher in 2021. New initiatives have been put in place for harvest 2022 which should help us to address this key area.
Plastic packaging waste increased significantly in 2021/22 and work is underway to identify why this has occurred and what can be done to address the issue.
For further information on our Corporate Responsibility Commitment, read our Environmental Management Plan Policy.
We would like to introduce our newest members of the Dengie Sales Team. Jessica Toombs and Rebecca Opie join us as Area Sales Managers for the East and South-East of England.
Jessica will be looking after the East of England and her 5 years of retail sales experience combined with her equine knowledge will stand her in good stead in her new role at Dengie. She currently owns Romeo, a 7 yr old Gypsy Cob who she has had since a 2yr old and has just started competing in dressage and show jumping.
Rebecca has worked in the equine industry for the past 4 years after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a Masters in Equine Health and Welfare. She will be looking after the SOuth-East region. Rebecca owns Bobby, a 16.2hh ISH gelding and takes part in Riding Club activites. In her spare time she helps out at her partner’s family farm looking after their herd of Kent Romney Sheep.
“Dengie are thrilled to have both Jessica and Rebecca on board. They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise from their previous positions and personal horse experience and will be a great asset to our team.” says Laura Dolphin, National Sales Manager.
To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee everyone across the UK is being encouraged to plant a tree. The Queen’s Green Canopy aims to create a network of individual trees, avenues and woodlands in honour of The Queen’s service and the legacy she has built. Back in November we partnered with Langthorns Plantery, a fellow Royal Warrant Holder based in Essex, giving our customers the opportunity to win a tree. The winners of the Dengie ‘Win a Tree for the Jubilee’ competition were announced in National Tree Week (27th November- 5th December 2021) and the winners were invited to pick from a range of trees supplied by Langthorns Plantery.
One of the lucky winners was Mrs Denley, a teacher at Burton End Primary School in Haverhill, Suffolk. Mrs Denley chose a Robina x Margaretta Pink Cascade to plant at the primary school and accepted the tree on behalf of the school alongside Mrs Riley and students Harper, Sophie, Olivia and David. The school really embrace the importance of nature and plants, running both gardening and eco clubs for the pupils.
Elizabeth Wright from Dudley was also one of the lucky winners. Elizabeth chose a Malus Jelly King Crab Apple which she has planted in her garden.
Another tree was won by Gerald Lewsey, Chairman of the St Lawrence Parish Council in Essex. Gerald chose an Acer Cappadocicum to plant at the Jubilee Field in St Lawrence in front of the Village Hall. The children from Diddydots Nursery were on hand to help plant the tree and will be helping to take care of it.
As part of the The Queen’s Green Canopy we’ve encouraged all of the winners to upload the location of their trees to the map. You will also find the Amelanchier Lamarchkii tree that Dengie’s Technical Manager Katie Williams and Edward Cannon from Langthorns planted at Dengie’s Head Office to kick off the campaign.
Whilst many of us are aware of some of the risk factors, we don’t always appreciate everything that can increase the risk of our horses getting laminitis. The Dengie Laminitis Risk Calculator has been designed to raise awareness of some of the lesser-known risk factors of laminitis and to draw people’s attention to the cumulative effect of a number of different risks. “It’s often a “perfect storm” of events that combine to result in the horse coming down with laminitis and by completing our quick questionnaire, we hope it will help to make horse owners stop and think about what they can change in the management of their horse” explains Katie Williams M.Sc.(Dist) R Nutr, Technical & Product Development Manager at Dengie.
Click here to use our Laminitis Risk Calculator
We are sure the laminitis risk calculator will be thought provoking and of course, not every horse is going to fit perfectly into the categories highlighted. A bit of pragmatism and honesty helps when scoring your own horse.
The launch of our handy new web-tool coincides with us teaming up with VetPartners to raise awareness of equine obesity. The Healthy Weight, Healthy Horse campaign will highlight the dangers of being overweight and runs from the 1st March. The campaign will include providing support and management advice for owners of overweight horses to help get them back into shape with a series of talks and weigh-in clinics.
If you would like personalised help and advice call the Dengie Feedline on 01621 841188 or fill out a feed advice form, or read our laminitis page for further information on the latest advice about laminitis.