Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence in Equine Nutrition
This year, we celebrate Feedmark's 40th birthday... we’ve come a long way since the first tub of Benevit.
Feedmark was founded in 1979 by graduate animal health consultant, Mr. Warwick Townsend and his wife, Margaret.
Warwick always had ambition, starting his journey at the Harper Adams University (formerly known as Harper Adams College), where he studied Agriculture. Warwick left the university with an NDA and a passion for animals, the agri-food chain and rural communities.
It was a chance visit to Ipswich where he saw people taking free samples of muesli (the latest thing in horse feed at the time) which sparked his interest in the changing nutritional needs of horses and their owners. Warwick then started looking into natural products for animal consumption and developing supplements to satisfy the demands of horse owners. Benevit, the vitamin and mineral balancer was the first product to be created, but it was a purchase of a garlic press that really launched his journey into producing a range of natural animal supplements.
Warwick undertook years of research, this was before the times of Google so he would have to travel across the country and meet with many people who had successfully used natural ingredients to nutritionally support animal ailments.
Margaret realised how dedicated Warwick was about developing the business after one day, he moved the pigs out of the shed and converted it into an office!
The early days were fun as well as challenging, Warwick and Margaret had recently moved into their home but there was no time for relaxing, as the whole place needed renovating. Not only was Warwick an entrepreneur, he was also rather good at DIY too.
Margaret, with her design background, created the labels for the Feedmark products and also invented the names. Once they were ready, Warwick, armed with leaflets, would go out and sell them to tack shops and feed stores.
The dynamics certainly changed when Chris, their son, joined Feedmark in his twenties along with Rebecca, an avid equestrian, and introduced mail order to the company. Operating through mail order changed how the business worked; instead of Warwick travelling out to sell products, customers could now place an order directly through Feedmark after seeing an advert.
The first issue of Feedmark's EQ magazine,
created in 1995.
Feedmark has evolved through an ever-changing economy and now continues to adapt in the era of technology. We are proud of our history and heritage, growing from a small setup in a converted pig barn into an international nutrition company with an impressive range of proven equine and canine supplements. Over the last 40 years, Feedmark has employed and trained leading Nutritionists in the equine industry, who have helped to build a solid foundation and a range of respected and effective products that are loved by so many.
Sadly, Warwick is no longer with us but his legacy lives on and Feedmark continues to flourish as a family run business under the directorship of Margaret, Chris and Rebecca.
Chris and his enthusiastic team persist to deliver the best in equine care and nutritional advice, and this year, we celebrate our 40th year of excellence in equine nutrition and knowledge. Feedmark leads the way with innovative nutritional solutions and an enviable range of proven, science-based products.
Chris Townsend commented “We are very proud of our story, from humble beginnings to becoming a recognised, industry leader in equine nutrition and supplementation, distributing our products internationally. It’s an extraordinary journey, and a real testament to the hard work of the Feedmark team, some of whom have been here for many years. We are looking forward to an exciting future and making the most of all the opportunities that lie ahead.”
After four decades of business, we continue to invest heavily in research and development. With over 30 of our own horses, Feedmark Nutritionists are consistently developing products and improving existing formulations, enabling owners to confidently feed their horses for optimum health and performance.
Feedmark prides itself on providing high-quality products that work, but we also take our responsibility to our customers and our planet very seriously, so we choose where possible to provide sustainable solutions to packaging materials.
We are delighted to be the official supplements of Badminton Horse Trials and to be able to support this amazing equine spectacle each year. We also attend several other major events on the equine calendar, where we enjoy meeting our customers face to face and discussing the well-being and nutritional needs of their horses in depth.
Our success is built on 6 core values;
KNOWLEDGE - Nothing beats experience! We have dealt with millions of horses and their owners all around the world. We also have hands-on experience with over 30 horses kept on our own yard so there is not much we haven’t seen (from scurfy skin to laminitis). We offer a free advice line (open 7 days a week) so if you cannot find an answer, please call us – we will help.
AUTHORITY - Over the last 40 years we have trained many of the industry’s leading nutritionists some of whom continue to work in equine nutrition with some very impressive titles (of course we kept the best!).
INNOVATION - We are at the forefront of the latest equine science, and many of the now standard nutraceuticals found in many feed rooms started with us, and we continue to push the science boundaries with yet more exciting new products launching in 2019.
QUALITY - We were the first equine nutrition company to become UFAS, and BETA NOPS accredited. We have also won many awards and prizes, but our biggest mantra is that we only sell products that work.
VALUE - Feedmark has an unrivalled ability to provide amazing value without compromising quality or service, with customers enjoying offers, discounts, free products and much more - we promise you cannot buy better.
SERVICE - Customers always come first with a free advice line, free next day delivery and a no quibble money back guarantee. Please look at our independent Feefo reviews - we have 5 stars on both products and service. It could not be better.
Our innovative approach has ensured a maintained position at the forefront of equine science and nutrition – we have therefore led the way in improving the health and well-being of millions of horses and ponies worldwide.
We’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to you, our loyal customers, you have played the most important role in the history of Feedmark. To help us celebrate our 40th year, you can take part in the regular competitions we run, look out for special offers, and spread the word via social media.