Horse: Penny
Breed: American Warmblood
Age: 12
Discipline: Dressage
Owner: Kellie Benn

I’m sure there are ways in which my life would be different without horses, but to be honest, I don’t really remember a time when they weren’t a part of my life. My mom, who rode when she was younger, got back into it when I was about five years old, and neither one of us have looked back since. More than thirty years, later, she’s still an avid trail rider and I ride primarily dressage, although I grew up eventing and still jump from time to time.

Sometimes I imagine what my life would be without horses. I’d probably have more time, more money, maybe my own house and a nicer car, for example. But I’d probably also be in therapy. I know I’m not the only equestrian who equates barn time with a therapy session! I know I would miss all the time spent with horses through the years and all the life lessons they’ve taught me along the way. I wouldn’t really trade it for anything.

I’ve had my current horse, Pinot Noir, or Penny for short, for about 10 years, since she was a coming three-year-old. She was bred by my friends in Texas, the product of a Dutch Warmblood stallion and a Quarter Horse mare. I was lucky enough to acquire her in 2008, and she’s been my constant partner on all my journeys since. For much of the time I’ve had her, I’ve had to focus on my education and subsequently my career, but now I’m in a position where I feel like I can get back into the show ring with her and start moving up the levels in dressage. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I feel like I am finally starting to accomplish what I set out to do with her.

I have been a SmartPak customer off and on for many years now, depending on what my needs were at various times. When Penny was younger, I didn’t really supplement her much, but now that she’s older, I’ve found some things that really work for her and that I can’t live without. Most recently, I’ve found that SmartCalm Ultra Pellets are one of those things that we can’t live without.

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I started Penny on this supplement back in the spring to help with some of the spooky behavior I was experiencing under saddle. She’s not a particularly “up” horse, but she does sometimes have some issues with focusing and she can be a little spooky. I’ve loved supplementing with magnesium for issues like this in the past and thought the other ingredients in SmartCalm Ultra, such as vitamin B1, might help, too. I kept her on it throughout the summer and was happy with her behavior – although it was hard to tell if it was just because of the hot weather or the supplement!

Towards the end of the summer, I decided to do a little supplement experimentation and briefly took her off SmartCalm Ultra Pellets to try some other combinations. Within weeks, she was tense, spooky, and unfocused under saddle.

The timing was too coincidental to write off, so I immediately put her back on it. Sure enough, after a couple of weeks, I was happy with how she was relaxing and staying focused on her job. Sometimes you don’t realize how much a supplement is helping a horse until you take them off it, and that was definitely the case here. Lesson learned! SmartCalm Ultra will always be part of her SmartPaks from here on out.

As a boarder, I love that the SmartPaks ensure my horse is getting what she needs every day and I know the barn managers really appreciate the ease of feeding them. I’ve also taken advantage of being a SmartPerks member, especially in the past year or so when I’ve been trying to get everything I need to start showing again. I’ve gotten so many great deals on a lot of stuff I’ve needed (and probably some I didn’t need!). I always get sucked into the SmartPerks exclusive free personalization promotion every year and Piper Breeches are also my newest obsession. Not only are they stylish and colorful, but they are comfortable and long-lasting!

Thanks, SmartPak, for everything you do to keep my horse and I comfortable, stylish, and happy!