You can lead a horse to water thanks to Nettleton businesswoman

Sandra Murphy (53), a 
single parent from Nettleton 
juggles her family life, her love of horses and her 
business which she set up in 2014 - Equidiet (UK) Ltd.

Equidiet supplies 100% natural wholefood formulations for horses, which include the highest quality locally-grown ingredients such as Alfalfa and meadow grass for her revolutionary products, EquidGel the daily ration and Hi-Drate her new ‘equine smoothie’.

Both are highly nutritious, palatable drinks which appeal to the horses very strong natural instinct to forage.

Sandra said: “I’ve lived in Market Rasen for over 30 years and have had a lot to do with the Equine community, having been the De Aston School Equestrian Team Manager for the National Schools Equestrian Association for four years.

My daughter Darbi Murphy was Team Captain and was on the Lincolnshire Elite Athlete programme for two years, and has been riding for the Brocklesby Pony Club since she was five years old.

Sandra has always been creative and said: “I did 
Dragon’s Den in 2007 which was really fab.

“I didn’t get investment, but it was a huge learning curve, and it taught me so much in the way of business.

“I had lost everything, including my home, it was real rock bottom for me.

“I then decided that I needed to do something - so I went back to school.

“At 40 years old, I went back to college and did my GCSEs and then I did my A-Levels.

“I then went to University of Lincoln and completed a degree in Equine Sports Science.

“All of that gave me the tools to develop something that I had an idea about 30 years ago.

“I created the world’s first liquid food for horses and started a business around this.”

After years of hard work, Sandra is still excited after being granted a European Patent for her Equine Nutritional Hydrotherapy concept.

Sandra said: “It is well know that one of the biggest killers of horses is impaction colic and dehydration, so I developed a product called EquidGel which is a liquid fibre feed.

“Because of its water carrying capacity, horses can uptake large amounts of fluid safely to balance body fluids instantly.

“Our formulations have been patent pending for seven years. However, last November I had the patent granted through the European Patent office.

“It is now officially the world’s first patented liquid horse feed which is phenomenal, and I only found our recently too that I am only the ninth black female in the history of the UK to ever have a patent granted - and the only one in Lincolnshire.

“The European Patent Certificate was presented by Loven and Co Patent Attorneys, in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of Caistor Mr and Mrs Wright, Dale Atkin from The DTI, David Hawkins The Lincolnshire Business Hub, Andy Aldridge Consult 3A and various business coaches and our clients.”

Sandra has also been nominated for various business awards this year so we wish her huge success and the best of luck for the future.