California Riding Magazine • September, 2010

SmartPak
Innovative supplement manufacturer and supplier ready to strut its stuff at the WEG.

The SmartPak brand is ubiquitous on the equestrian scene. Feed rooms coast to coast, serving horses in every discipline, have long
been stocked with SmartPaks, conveniently customized, sealed packages of supplements and medications carrying the proud label of the Boston-area company.

So it’s little surprise that SmartPak’s presence will be clearly felt at the Alltech World Equestrian Games, which begins in Lexington, KY on the 28th of this month. Several of the competitors and their horses are loyal users of the SmartPak system and members of Team SmartPak. American eventer Amy Tryon and Canadian dressage rider Shannon Dueck are two whose WEG odds are bettered by consistent use of various SmartPak products. Reiner Tom McCutcheon is a fellow Team SmartPak member who is already qualified for WEG and ready to defend his 2002 team gold medal.

Tryon’s hopeful WEG partner is the 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Leyland. His monthly SmarkPak order includes SmartHoof Ultra, Smart E & SE Pellets, SmartFlex Repair and Apple-A-Day.
“No hooves, no horse” is an adage Tryon takes to heart. That’s why she uses SmartHoof Ultra as nutritional support to help keep Leyland’s feet strong. The formula provides 30 mg of biotin plus higher levels of other key ingredients, all delivered in a flax seed base with probiotics. SmartHoof Ultra also includes 300 mg of silica, a trace mineral often deficient in a horse’s diet and vital to healthy, resilient connective tissue such as the hoof wall.

Leyland’s joints get similar attention from SmartFlex Repair. This cutting-edge formula combines the high-level joint support of SmartFlex III Ultra with the connective tissue support of SmartTendon. Intended for hard-working performance horses and to support normal recovery in injured horses, SmartFlex Repair provides 10,000 mg of glucosamine, 1,000 mg of chondroitin sulfate, 100 mg of hyaluronic acid, 10,000 mg of MSM and 5,000 mg of vitamin C. For helping maintain healthy, resilient tendons and ligaments, this formula also provides 500 mg of bioavailable silica, 1,000 mg of hydrolyzed collagen and 400 mg of grape seed extract.

SmartE & SE Pellets provide Leyland with critical antioxidant support in a tasty pellet form. Vitamin E works closely with its partner selenium to protect the body from the free radical damage of hard work and other stresses. This is especially important to horses without access to fresh pasture, the main source of vitamin E in a horse’s natural environment. Even horses with pasture access may need more vitamin E because many soils are deficient in selenium, making it hard to reach the recommended daily requirement of this mineral without supplementation.

Apple-A-Day supplies the electrolytes and trace minerals lost during the hard work of preparing for and participating in international level eventing. It comes in an apple-flavored powder with no sugar or dyes.

Supplements Simplified

SmartPak has been a godsend,” says Tryon, the veteran international equestrian. “With all the traveling we do, it was impractical to bring all the buckets of supplements with us. With SmartPak, it’s so easy, just one less thing to think about!”

Shannon Dueck’s talented young mare Ayscha is another international star that benefits from SmartPak’s daily dose supplement system. Ayscha’s monthly SmartPak includes SmartFlex Repair and Apple-A-Day and she also gets E-SE-Mag and SUCCEED®. Made by Met-Vet, E-Se-Mag is formulated to prevent sore muscles. It contains a unique combination of 1,000 I.U.s vitamin E, 2 mg of selenium and 3,000 mg of magnesium. As reported in The Horse Journal, vitamin E and selenium supplementation, along with magnesium in the ration, may aid in nutritional support in the presence of sore muscle problems.

SUCCEED is a unique, daily Functional Feed™ program that delivers specialized nutrients that support the healthy structure and function
of the entire equine digestive tract. This supports a healthy appearance, temperament and performance.

“SmartPak is the way to go when managing a feeding program,” confirms Dueck, who is based out of Loxahatchee, FL. “The horses always get the right supplements, in the right amounts, and they are fresh, which means the nutrients are still in there. They arrive every month, right on time, so we never run out. The rest of the products in the catalogue are great too.”

A gold medalist at the 2002 World Equestrian Games, reiner Tom McCutcheon will try to repeat that feat this year in Kentucky with his 2004 sorrel stallion Gunner’s Special Nite. Based in Texas, the National Reining Horse Association’s $1 million rider concurs on SmartPak’s suitability. “Whether we’re at home or on the road at shows, SmartPaks make feeding supplements simple and easy. And with the SmartPak packaging, the supplements are sealed to protect the potency and freshness so we know we’re feeding the highest quality products.”

SmartPak customers can choose from close to 400 supplements and medications. These include SmartPak’s own line of Smart Supplements, and those made by outside manufacturers whose quality meets SmartPak’s high standards. They are pre-measured in daily dose paks made of recycled plastic, and labeled with the horse’s name. Refills arrive automatically every 28 days so owners never run out, in keeping with SmartPak’s “supplements simplified” motto.

Founded in 1999 and now the nation’s largest direct marketer of equestrian products, SmartPak has grown exponentially by listening to and fulfilling the needs of its customers. SmartPak looks forward to cheering on all of its customers competing in this year’s World Equestrian Games.

For more information on SmartPak, visit www.smartpakequine.com.