Spring 2008

Hello and welcome to the Spring edition of Dengie Club Quarterly.

For me April is always one of the most exciting months of the year - the clocks have gone forward, the evenings are lighter and nature seems to be waking up after the long winter.

There is an old rhyme that starts “Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’” and unfortunately as everything starts to grow this can bring problems for those of us whose horses or ponies are prone to laminitis. Dengie produces four products that are approved by the Laminitis Trust - Hi-Fi Lite, Alfa-A Lite, Alfa-Beet and Healthy Hooves - and this issue of the Dengie newsletter includes advice on choosing both the right product for your horse or pony and the best way to incorporate it into its diet.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who trawls the dairy section in supermarkets looking for the ‘bio’ yoghurts and probiotic drinks - it is comforting to know that even though the gym membership may have lapsed at least I am trying to eat healthily! But what exactly are probiotics and how do they differ from prebiotics? Our ‘Everything Explained’ article about digestive enhancers will hopefully help to remove some of the mystique surrounding the equine products now available that can improve our horses’ digestion.

Don’t forget, if you have any queries about equine nutrition you can contact our award-winning Feedline on 0845 345 5115.

In our last edition we reported on Gloucestershire rider Angie Thompson’s historic success in the Dengie sponsored Puissance at the first major event to be held at Hartpury’s new International Arena and we are delighted that she has now joined the Dengie stable of supported riders for 2008.  You can read more about Angie in this issue and follow her progress this season via her monthly blog on the Dengie website from May.

At Dengie we are delighted to support the Pony Club Winter League Championships which were held at Warwickshire College on the 29th and 30th March. It was the inaugural year for the Dressage Championships and we were astounded by the success of the event, the level of interest and standard of riding was phenomenal. To read more about the events of the weekend visit The Pony Club website.

Emma