Success Profile: Leroy Brown ("Leroy")
Breed: Quarter Horse
Age: 11
Discipline: Hunter/Jumper
Owner: Laurel Zeeman
I can’t imagine my life without horses. They’ve always been my best friends, but we also have a “business” relationship. For an otherwise unathletic and uncoordinated girl, riding has been my sport and one of the only things I’ve ever been really good at. I love that there’s always a way to improve and goals to expand on, so you can never get bored!
I started out riding western and doing 4H as a kid and started riding English because it was required in order to get the high point award. Later, English became my forte and I eventually dropped Western completely. I dabbled in eventing and show jumping, but my true passion is with the hunters. It’s timeless, classic, and elegant, and I find it fascinating to watch and ride!
I got Leroy after taking a break from riding for five years. He had never been ridden English and came to me with some attitude, body, and hoof issues. I’ve had him for a year and a half now and we are starting to really hit our stride! He can be a little bit of an opportunistic and mischievous guy, but I like that about him – I’ve never been one for a horse with a flat personality.
When I moved Leroy to a new boarding facility, I was having a lot of trouble with him spooking. And he wasn’t just spooking, but would completely lose his cookies. A bird would fly out of a bush and he would be shaking from head to toe. For a while I thought he was just doing it to change the subject and get out of work, but as time went on, that theory didn’t fit. He was genuinely worked up about the most ridiculous things! That’s when I decided to start him on SmartCalm Ultra Pellets.
For full disclosure, I really didn’t think the supplement would work but I was at the end of my rope and willing to try anything. After he’d been on the supplement for a few weeks, I was happier with his focus during our rides. I also tried out SmartCalm Ultra Paste to provide extra support and was blown away by the results! He didn’t feel calm or groggy, but was able to tune everything else out and just focus on me.
I also love that SmartPak has grown their selection and introduced more and more tack products. It’s been great for me because I live about two and a half hours from the nearest real tack store, and they just don’t have the selection that SmartPak has come to have. If I needed a bridle, I would have to drive two and half hours to the tack store, not get the selection I was hoping for, buy one, drive two and a half hours back home to try it on my horse only to find it doesn’t fit, then drive two and half hours back to exchange it again. Oh, and I would have to fit that all in between their 9-5 hours and my work schedule. SmartPak allows me to fulfill all of my shopping fantasies from the comfort of home (or work)!
