“My journey with horses started when I was 9 years old. My grandma gave me a lesson for Christmas and as they say, the rest is history! I started in the hunter/jumper ring and then transitioned into the eventing world…”
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Monthly Archives: May 2012
Peek in Our Paks – Kristen L.
Tagged with: Digestion Supplements, Hoof Supplements, Joint Supplements, Peek in Our Paks, Skin & Coat Supplements, Supplements
Posted in Blogs, Gear Review, SmartPak Features
Posted in Blogs, Gear Review, SmartPak Features
Two Sides of the Same Coin
Healthy digestion fuels your horse’s performance. If you can’t make heads or tails of gastric and digestive supplements, and just thinking about them gives you an ulcer, we can help!
Tagged with: Digestion Supplements, Guide to Supplements and Horse Care, Supplements
Posted in Health & Nutrition, SmartPak Features
Posted in Health & Nutrition, SmartPak Features
Meet Claire and Grace Kelly (“Gracie”)
“My mare, Grace Kelly, and I have had many years of competing successfully in Jumpers and Eventing. Last September, I found out that Gracie had a softball size bladder stone that required surgery to remove. A few days later she was kicked in the field and broke her hind splint bone in two places, requiring further surgery. After her long recovery time, I started Gracie back to work…”
Tagged with: Eventing, Hunter/Jumper, Joint Supplements, SmartSupplement Success Story, Success Stories
Posted in Our Stars, Success Stories
Posted in Our Stars, Success Stories
From AAEP’s Ask the Vet: Non-heating Horse Feeds
“I have an 8 year old Paint gelding who is boarded and is receiving one scoop of sweet feed and grass hay. He is ridden 3-5 times/week and given a moderate workout each time. We trail ride in the summer…”
Bits + Pieces
You probably know the difference between a full cheek and a D-ring, but what about an Uxeter Kimberwicke? We’ve explained a few unusual options and a bit about leverage (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves!).
Tagged with: Guide to Supplements and Horse Care, Horse Equipment, Showing, Tack
Posted in Gear Review, SmartPak Features
Posted in Gear Review, SmartPak Features
Meet Eileen and Monte
“Monte used to have a lot of trouble holding his shoes. The farrier called his feet “shelly”, as they cracked around the nail holes and constantly chipped. I hadn’t had him long at the time and I was concerned about keeping him shod and sound…”
Tagged with: Hoof Supplements, Success Stories, Supplements, Western
Posted in Our Stars, Success Stories
Posted in Our Stars, Success Stories
In the Tack with the Pak – Sara and Diem
As riders, we know there’s a special connection between us and our horses that’s hard to put into words, but this bond is so strong that even non-riders can sense it. In an effort to better understand this relationship, our staff Photographer, Kristi (one of the few non-riders at SmartPak), will be visiting a different SmartPaker’s barn each month to watch them interact with their horses and learn more about their story as a pair. She will document her experiences in this monthly blog series along with some of her photography, because we all know that a connection so special is hard to describe simply in words. This month, Kristi headed out to Valinor Farms with Sara from our Creative team to meet Sara’s horse, Diem.
Tagged with: Eventing, In the Tack with the Pak, Life at SmartPak
Posted in Blogs, In the Tack with the Pak, SmartPak Features
Posted in Blogs, In the Tack with the Pak, SmartPak Features
Dog and Pony Show – Is Your Pup Prepared?
Your tack is gleaming, the hay bags are hung in the trailer, your boots are spit-polished and your horse stands beautifully braided. As you load up to go, your dog is sticking to you like glue, catching your eye with that familiar questioning look: “Can I go too? Can I? Can I? Can I?”…
From AAEP’s Ask the Vet: Feeding to Prevent Ulcers
My stallion has ulcers every couple of years. What would be a good diet for him? At present he gets good quality alfalfa / grass hay with about one pound of 12% sweet feed daily at 6:30 am and 3:30 pm. All the fresh water he can drink. – Glen
Judge My Ride Premium Evaluation – Richie Costello and Juno
This horse would like to be a good mover and I think with a few simple fixes would improve dramatically. Juno lacks engagement from behind. You can see that her right hind foot only reaches even with 1/2 way up the belly. When engaged, that foot will just about reach a point even with the girth. Even so, she still reaches forward pretty well with her shoulder. This tells me when engaged she will have a good trot!
Understanding Equine Muscle Disorders
Enjoy our free Webinar: Understanding Equine Muscle Disorders, hosted by Dr. Lydia Gray, SmartPak’s Medical Director/Staff Veterinarian and Jessica Normand, Director of Supplement Marketing. Learn how nutrition, supplements, exercise and other management practices can help with Tying Up, PSSM and HYPP in horses.
Meet Tawn and Zula
“Zula is a superb pony who has struggled with breathing issues for the past couple of years. Even though she is only 13 years old, I had to consider an early retirement due to the severity of her respiratory troubles…”
Tagged with: Eventing, SmartSupplement Success Story, Success Stories
Posted in Our Stars, Success Stories
Posted in Our Stars, Success Stories
Joint Deterioration in the Older Horse
“I have a 19 year old thoroughbred gelding. He is 17.3 and has just been diagnosed with arthritis and fairly severe joint deterioration. I have had a hard time finding information on the best way to treat him. I would like to keep riding him if that’s possible. I do dressage with him. How would you suggest treating him? I want to keep him out of pain as much as possible. I also am on a fairly tight budget which makes treatment even harder.” – HG
Mitchell’s Awesome Weekend
We don’t know about you, but in our opinion, one of the best parts of being a rider is getting to introduce your non-rider friends and family to the horse world. Whether it’s watching your larger-than-life dad get nervous around your first horse, or seeing your younger cousin’s face light up the first time she pats a pony’s muzzle, there’s something wonderful about spreading the love…
Kick your equestrian style up a notch (or what not to wear for a lesson)
Like most equestrians, I put my horse’s needs first. It’s only the best for my OTTB, Carpe Diem (Diem for short). He doesn’t go a day without supplements, he gets $18 shampoo just to keep his socks sparkling, and he gets new shoes every seven weeks! Meanwhile, I’m three months overdue for a hair cut, and I’m crossing my fingers that I can get another few hundred miles out of my running sneakers…
