EQS Feed & Supplies

13/11/2024

🧐🐴 Let us explain some truths and debunk myths about pelleted feed.

THE TRUTH
➡ pelleted feed is heavier and denser so your horse can ingest more feed per mouthful, often useful with picky eaters and older horses.
➡ Raw materials are milled into small particles and mixed with the premix and then go through a steam pelleting process at approx 45 degrees. Thus partially cooking the starch in the feed, greater absorption.
➡ A 'pellet' is under 5mm and a cube is anything above 5mm in size.
➡ Because no whole seeds or grains are used, nothing will germinate in your paddocks or along indigenous and natural riding trails.
➡ Pellets and cubes are highly soluble and easily dissolve as the horse starts chewing with the saliva and then into the stomach. Ensuring the starch and sugar gets easily absorbed into the blood stream.
➡ Pelleted feed eliminates selective eating. With a meal or muesli there is always a risk that your horse might pick his feed, leaving a certain raw material he doesn't like. Therefore not getting all the benefits of the carefully formulated diet.
➡ Pelleted feed is easier to feed for horses living out with less wastage.

MYTHS
➡ pelleted feed causes colic. Feeding too much of any concentrate to a horse creates colic. With a small stomach the recommended MAXIMUM concentrate meal should be 2kg OR LESS. In this way the feed can safely be digested without creating stomach distention or fermentation. Because pelleted feed is denser and heavier it is easy to make the mistake of feeding too much. Always weigh your feed to make sure of meal size.
➡ pelleted feed causes choke. Horses choke on food when they eat too fast. Wet the feed and always feed SMALL MEALS MORE OFTEN to mimic their natural eating habits. Place larger, safe objects like rocks or bricks in the manger to make the horse have to eat around them, thus slowing ingestion down. Always ensure your horse has lots of fresh, clean water available. Allow for good quality hay to be available for them to nibble on during the course of day so they are not overly hungry at meal times.

16/10/2024

Find out what health conditions overweight horses might be more likely to develop and how you can help your horse safely lose weight to improve his performance.

16/10/2024

An equine nutritionist offers alternatives to soaking hay for horses that live in subfreezing climates during winter.

10/10/2024

Horses don't just help us heal - they empower us to grow!

Working with horses can boost self-esteem and encourage personal growth. Learning to communicate with these powerful animals, whether through riding or groundwork, requires patience, leadership and confidence. As we build trust with horses, we also build trust in ourselves.

Benefits of horse interaction:

*Strengthens confidence and self-esteem
*Teaches resilience and leadership
*Encourages personal growth and empowerment

We would love to hear how horses have helped you grow in confidence down below

07/10/2024

Life can get overwhelming, but spending time with horses invites us to slow down and live in the present.

Horses respond to our energy, encouraging us to remain calm and mindful in their presence. Their rhythmic movement during grooming or riding can help reduce stress, slow down racing thoughts, and calm the mind. Just being in their company promotes a sense of inner peace.

Benefits of mindfulness with horses:

Reduces anxiety
Enhances focus and presence
Promotes relaxation and grounding

Tag someone who could use some equine peace today!

04/10/2024

Did you know horses have an incredible ability to sense our emotions? These animals create a calm, non-judgemental space for emotional healing.

Through their gentle presence, horses help us reconnect with our feelings, offerings support when words fall short. Whether it's stress, anxiety, or emotional wounds, horses provide a therapeutic bond that helps us process and heal.

Benefits of connecting with horses:
* Increases emotional awareness
* Builds trust and empathy
* Creates a safe space for vulnerability

Have you ever felt a special connection with animals? Share your experience below we would love to hear your stories 👇

03/10/2024

At EQS we know horses are the Ultimate caretakers of our mental and emotional well being. Their quiet strength, empathy and calming presence make them natural healers.

That is why we always strive to provide the best in quality products and service to ensure every experience reflects the love and care that horses so generously give.

Join us in a 3 part series to discoverbhow these incredible animals can transform your mental health!

26/09/2024

We are so excited to have Helen on board 😁
Welcome Helen Boulter McMahon

23/09/2024

🧐 DID YOU KNOW??
We only make our Epol horse feed at Pretoria West and it gets transported around the country and exported from there. So every bag you open has originated from Pretoria. Which is also why your much loved feed costs more further away from the mill.
WHY DID WE DO THIS?
Pretoria West mill is a dedicated ionophore and rumensin free plant. This decision was reached a number of years ago with your horse's safety in mind. Due to the 2 mentioned products, used in other specie animal feeds being dangerous to horses, we decided to dedicate a plant to the manufacture of our horse feed.
We do make other animal feeds in this plant, but we only manufacture animals feeds that are SAFE to our special horses.
We produce layer feed, poultry breeder, game, pig, rabbit, ostrich and bagged broiler feed that is free of any risky contaminants to horses.
We do not have these products in the plant and this eliminates any human risk of contamination during the manufacture process.
This should give our very important clients PEACE OF MIND that we have placed the safety of their horses first when making our business decisions.

23/09/2024

🧐DID YOU KNOW?
Our PERFORMANCE range of diets comes in a brown banded bag.
Inside this bag are 4 DIFFERENT diets.
As with the Leisure bag you can differentiate the diet by the bag tag.

Inside our Performance bag you can find:
▶ALL SPORT HORSE
A pelleted feed (11% protein) with a high digestible energy for competing horses at a high level needing extra energy. With a high fat content of maximum 8% and a medium starch level it delivers both quick and slow release energy. Ideal for multiple day equine disciplines.
▶ COMPETITION
A pelleted feed (14% protein) with a higher quick release energy for those competition horses needing more energy and spark. Great for riders needing their horses to have readily available energy.
▶ SAFE N LITE
A meal (11% protein) feed designed specifically for your laminitic or metabolic prone horse. Not designed for increased energy but to specifically target those to keep condition on those equine candidates needing low NSC and sugars for the mentioned conditions. Available in a 20kg bag.
▶ COOL N PERFORM
A meal (12% protein) feed designed for horses requiring a lower NSC and sugar but still delivering enough safe energy while competing. Higher in fat and super fibres this diet is great to take your horse prone to metabolic disorders, into a higher energy demand equine sports.
❤🐴❤🐴
Always remember to retain your bag tag for traceability and to identify what is in the bag.
Please feel free to call us if you need any further information on these diets.📲🚘
Dorianne Over 083 998 6824
Debbie Dick 076 755 5164

18/09/2024

🧐WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SPRING GRASS?

With the increased heat and rain the grass is busy increasing its production of energy, with increased levels of sugar and NSC (non-structural carbohydrate) found in the grass's structure. Your horse now has access to that increased sugar and NSC which increases their daily calorie intake, increasing their energy.

This is enhanced in spring due to the still lower night temperatures and often late frosts. Due to the increased energy production in the grass during the day, the cool nights suppress the amount of energy used in respiration. This process increases the NSC found in certain grasses to a staggering 40% NSC during spring!

Risks include:
COLIC
When it comes to spring grass colic risk rises, primarily due to changes that occur in the gastrointestinal environment consequent to overconsumption.

Issues arise because the high carbohydrate content of lush grass may cause rapid fermentation of fiber in the hindgut, upsetting the microbial balance and causing excessive gas production. With any shift in the microbial population of the digestive tract, an increase in gas-producing microbes can occur. The microbes that ferment sugars and fructans produce copious amounts of gas.

LAMINITIS
One chain of events involves the hindgut. When a horse consumes spring grass, some of the sugar in it bypasses digestion in the small intestine and ends up in the hindgut. This produces a bloom of lactate-producing gram-negative bacteria that rapidly ferments the sugar and fructans. The byproduct of this fermentation is increasing amounts of lactic acid, which drop the pH of the hindgut. As the pH decreases, other microbes die, releasing endotoxins, reactive amines, and exotoxins into the bloodstream. These are thought to adversely affect circulation, increase inflammation, and destroy lamellar basement membranes in the hooves, causing laminitis.

While the above is true, it is more relevant on pastures.
Enjoy the increased energy supplied by the new grass and be mindful if your horse is prone to the above conditions.
Info taken from Brooks Equine Nutrition.

14/09/2024

🧐 DID YOU KNOW?
We have a LEISURE RANGE. Not a Leisure ration.

Inside our blue leisure (colour coded bag) we have 5 different rations.
▶Nice n Easy cubes
▶ Cool Rider cubes
▶ Rider pellets
▶ Super Rider meal
▶ Train n Leisure cubes

We have 3 of these rations a cube form:
Nice n Easy
Cool Rider
Train n Leisure

Higher in fibre needing a bigger size to accommodate.🙂

Rider pellets in a pellet size.

Super Rider meal to accommodate those clients and horses preferring a meal.💟

Always remember to read your bag tag and retain the tag safely until your horses have finished the feed. The bag tag will tell you which product is in the Leisure bag and give you valuable information on manufacture dates and batch numbers.

We have full traceability of the feed through the bag tag and have retention samples in the mill for your safe keeping. A full analysis with a batch report is in our keeping to also assist should anything come up once the feed is in the market.

REMEMBER your horse's safety is our first concern.
🐴❤️🐴❤️🐴❤️

04/09/2024

Thank you Horse About!

🧐 DID YOU KNOW??
We only make our Epol horse feed at Pretoria West and it gets transported around the country and exported from there. So every bag you open has originated from Pretoria. Which is also why your much loved feed costs more further away from the mill.
WHY DID WE DO THIS?
Pretoria West mill is a dedicated ionophore and rumensin free plant. This decision was reached a number of years ago with your horse's safety in mind. Due to the 2 mentioned products, used in other specie animal feeds being dangerous to horses, we decided to dedicate a plant to the manufacture of our horse feed.
We do make other animal feeds in this plant, but we only manufacture animals feeds that are SAFE to our special horses.
We produce layer feed, poultry breeder, game, pig, rabbit, ostrich and bagged broiler feed that is free of any risky contaminants to horses.
We do not have these products in the plant and this eliminates any human risk of contamination during the manufacture process.
This should give our very important clients PEACE OF MIND that we have placed the safety of their horses first when making our business decisions.

21/08/2024

🧐WHAT DO ELECTROLYTES DO?
Your cells use electrolytes to conduct electrical charges, which is how your muscles contract. Those same electrical charges also help with chemical reactions, especially hydration and the balance of fluids inside and outside of cells.
The key principle that electrolytes rely on is that certain chemical elements can naturally hold a positive or negative electrical charge. When these elements are dissolved in liquid they can conduct electricity.
At the most basic level electrolytes help your horse's body maintain balance.

✅SODIUM (+) has a critical role in helping cells maintain the right balance of fluids. The positive ion found in salt.
✅ MAGNESIUM (+) helps your horse's cells as they turn nutrients into energy. The brain and muscles rely heavily on magnesium to do their job.
✅ POTASSIUM (+) is used alongside sodium. When a sodium ion enters a cell, a potassium ion leaves and vice versa. Potassium is critical to your horse's heart function. This electrolyte is found in good quality forages.
✅ CALCIUM (+) this electrolyte does more than just build strong bones and teeth in your horse. It is used to control muscles, transmit signals in your nerves and manage the heart's rhythm.
✅ CHORIDE (-) this negative found in salt is the key part in assisting your horses maintain their internal and external balance of fluids.
✅ PHOSPHATE (-) a phosphorous based molecule that transports chemical compounds and molecules outside your horse's cells. Assisting with metabolizing nutrients efficiently in the cells.
As you can see electrolytes are vital in your horse's diet and when under show or performance pressure it is always a good idea to supplement and replace electrolytes lost due to heavy sweating and stress.
Contact Epol's specialist technical advisors for more advise and assistance with tailor making your equine's daily diet.
Debbie Dick - 076 755 5164
Dorianne Over - 083 998 6824

14/08/2024

Please note we are experiencing technical difficulties with our WhatsApp line. Please email orders through to [email protected]. We apologise for the inconvenience