While we wish that supplementing horses was as easy as adding a “little of this” and a “little of that” to every feed bucket, there are several considerations to take into account when you’re feeding supplements.
When it comes to horses and feeding programs, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every horse has unique needs, so developing a supplement program customized to the individual horse will help him look and feel his best. However, feeding every horse a customized supplement program can be a hassle if you’re using buckets. If you have a ten-horse barn and every horse gets two supplements, that’s twenty supplement buckets cluttering up the feed room!
For customized supplementing made easy, choose SmartPaks. With SmartPaks, you can give your horse the exact combination of supplements he needs in convenient daily dose paks. Plus, every new SmartPak comes with a free stackable storage drawer to keep the feed room neat and tidy.
Supplements work best when they’re fed every day. After all, horses’ joints are under stress every day, even if you’re not working hard. And horses are constantly, slowly growing new hoof wall, which needs proper nutrition to provide a solid foundation. From those areas to digestive health to calming and beyond, giving horses their supplements consistently is key.
But when there’s a barn full of horses who are getting supplements, it can be tricky to keep track of which horse is running out of supplements when. To help prevent any missed doses, keep your horse’s supplements on AutoShip. It’s a win-win for you and your horse — he’ll never miss a dose of his supplements and you won’t have to remember to reorder them!
Have you ever noticed that everyone has a different idea of what a “scoop” of a supplement is? While you may think it’s clear that your horse should be getting a level scoop of a supplement each day, others may think that a heaping scoop or a just-barely-full scoop is the right measurement. Luckily, you can take the guesswork out of serving sizes by using SmartPaks. With SmartPaks, your horse’s supplements come in pre-measured, daily dose paks that you simply peel and pour. This not only makes feeding faster, but also ensures that your horse gets the right supplements in the right amounts, every time.
Exposure to oxygen and moisture can adversely affect the quality and freshness of supplements. Every time you open a supplement bucket, the entire bucket of product is being exposed to air. To help minimize the product’s exposure to oxygen and moisture, it’s important to reseal supplement buckets carefully after each use – that includes resealing the inner plastic bag if the bucket has one. Better yet, consider SmartPaks! Because they have airtight seals, SmartPaks ensure that each daily dose is sealed against oxygen and moisture and that you’ll receive a fresh batch of product every four weeks.
No one likes a “borrower,” especially when it comes to their horses’ supplements. But when several horses are being fed the same supplement, it can be easy for their supplement buckets to get mixed up. Before you know it, your horse’s 56-day supply could be gone in 28 days. To help prevent mix-ups, be sure to label every supplement bucket clearly with your horse’s name. For completely foolproof feeding, consider using SmartPaks. Every daily dose pak is printed with your horse’s name so there are no mix-ups, making feeding time fast, accurate, and easy, no matter who’s feeding!
Do you do liquid supplements such as flaxseed oil, vitamin E oil etc. ?!?
Hi Carol – We do carry several supplements in liquid form. While we don’t have an exclusive flaxseed oil product, we do carry dac oil (https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/dac-oil-15659?_br_psugg_q=flaxseed+oil) which is a combination of fish and vegetable oils, including flaxseed. Nano-E, while not an oil, is a liquid vitamin E supplement that is also available (https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/nanoe-16485?_br_psugg_q=nano+e). You can view our full selection of liquid products here. Of course, we’re always looking for new product suggestions, so if there is something specific you’d like us to carry, please let us know here: https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/newproductrequest. – SmartPaker Kristina
I have an extremely picky, suspicious horse that needs several supplements. I’ve found a pretty easy way to disguise everything he hates. I put 2 Tablespoons of Molasses in a large spray bottle with water, shake well. Apply a light mist of yummy goodness to yucky supplements. Thanks Smartpak for making it easy enough, even my husband can do it.
I am curious what supplement your horse does not like? My horse doesn’t like the SmartPak senior joint. The “gone in 60 seconds” eater would not finish his feed, even after 4 hours in a stall. Molasses has helped.
I have an impossible time using your website from my Android phone. Do you have others with this problem? Do you have anything I can do to allow me to be able to see your products and place an order from my phone?
Hi Ellen, we’re very sorry to hear about the trouble with our mobile website! We’d love to learn more about the phone and browser you’re using, as that may help us make any necessary adjustments on our end. Would you be able to email us directly at CustomerCare@SmartPak.com? If you could include the model of phone you have, what operating version it’s running, the search browser you use, and any screenshots with issues that would help us immensely! Thank you for your time and your feedback, we look forward to being of further assistance. -SmartPaker Jenna
I use my android phone exclusively without any issues.
What is the best feeding to give supplements? AM or PM? Thank You
We feed AM for the main reason that it gets the supplements into the horse to be available for use during the day. Most of the supplements are not stored, meaning they are only available to the horse while in the parts of the digestive system that pulls out the vitamins and minerals. That would be shortly after eating. Unless you are doing your horses training I gotta and riding in the late evening hours, it makes more sense to feed AM and have them in the horses system while they are being used.
Do you have supplements without vegetable oil? My vet doesn’t recommend smartpak because of that. She prefers flaxseed oil.