Consistency might be the most underrated tool in every horse owner's kit. From turnout and training to feeding and farrier care. You’ll hear how consistency supports both physical health and peace of mind for your horse and for you. Plus stay tuned to the end for a special guest. Listen in...

The Horse HealthCast by SmartEquine - Episode 1:

• Hosts: Ashlee LeCompte Lazic (Head of Research and Development) and Jenna Boscardin (Digital Marketing)
• Sponsored by: SmartEquine
• Meet the Pak: Tanner Price

Time Stamps:

00:10 - Introduction to the Horse Healthcast

01:16 - Introduction to Smart Equine Podcast

08:10 - Managing Change in Horse Care

17:30 - Seasonal Changes and Horse Care

19:05 - Meet the Pack: Introducing Tanner

28:13 - Understanding Individual Horses: A Personal Perspective

Foreign.

You are listening to the Horse Radio Network, part of the Equine Network family.

This is episode one of the Horse healthcast by Smarty Kwine.

I'm Ashley lacompt Lazic, the head of R D for Smart Equine.

And I'm Jenna Boss, garden manager of digital marketing for Smart Equine.

And you're listening to the Horse healthcast by Smart Equine.

Coming up on today's show, we'll talk about consistency and why it matters and how it affects everything from nutrition to training.

And in our Meet the Pack segment, we'll chat with our customer care supervisor, Tanner Pry.

Smart Solutions, Trusted Voices, your source for equine health and wellness.

This is Horse healthcast by Smart Equine.

So this is it.

This is our very first episode.

We made it.

This is so exciting.

So exciting to be here.

And for anybody listening in with us for the first time, thanks for joining us.

We're super stoked to have you too.

Yeah, I. I know some of you are probably looking at the podcast name and logo and thinking to yourself, this looks familiar.

And you're right, you already know us as SmartPak, but now we are Smart Equine.

So it's the same company, I promise.

Because Ash and I have been here for a minute, so it's the same company, you know and trust.

We're now just rededicated to the horse and to horse health, which gives us some really cool opportunities to do new things in like, the health and wellness spaces.

And this podcast is one of them.

So welcome to Smart Equine.

But don't worry, smartpaks are going nowhere.

They are too near and dear to our hearts.

And for Ashley and your 60 stall boarding barn, probably very near and dear to your feet room too.

Yeah.

I always like to say that horses don't have credit cards to swipe, so we always have to keep the rider and the owner in mind too.

So don't fear, we have not forgotten about you guys.

Just re solidifying our focus and.

And advocation for the animal, that's all.

Yeah, honestly.

Thank God horses don't have credit cards because I.

No kidding.

Oh God.

The amount of things that TikTok would get my animals to buy.

But speaking of the feed room and smartpaks and things, one of the core tenants that we as smartpakers and now Smart Equine employees have always toted is like the consistency of supplements and feeding.

But that's not like the only thing that really is important with consistency.

Right.

So that's what we're here to talk about today is consistency, why it matters, and the foundation that it really provides guides for our horses.

Yeah, I, I couldn't agree more.

And when I think about when we say consistency is key in horse care and why a routine is so important to horses, I think, like, the main thing that I drive home is, like, we don't, they don't speak English.

Right.

Like horses.

If I could tell my horse, like, hey, today we're getting on a trailer and going to a horse show, so don't freak out and colic on me, that would be so easy and so nice.

But we know that that's not reality.

Right.

So creating an environment where your horse can rely on a routine to know what's going to happen every day sets them up for success, sets up us up for success, reduces stress in their life.

And I think not only in training, but in health, the more consistent we can be with a horse, the better the outcomes are going to turn out.

Yeah, absolutely.

I know.

So my, my heart horse's name was Hershey.

He was a creature of routine, as the rest of us were.

But something I didn't learn until much later in my relationship with him was that it's not just about the routine, it's about the right routine.

Right.

So, like, he had a great routine of, you know, certain amount of turnout, certain size pasture, certain, you know, level of life and moved Barnes.

And all of a sudden he was in a massive field.

And all of a sudden the horse that I thought was really hot and really, you know, took a lot of work, dead quiet.

Great point.

Such a cool dude all the time after that.

And I think that was something that I've really taken to heart after that.

And I'm sure you've experienced that with all the horses that you've worked with in your lifetime too.

That's a great point.

The right routine is so important, and it's not a one size fits all scenario.

Right.

So ensure.

I, I, whenever I'm bringing a new person into my barn and I'm explaining, like, what our boarding operation looks like, I always use the term like boutique and a get that.

And they're like, so when do you change blankets?

And I'm like, I change blankets when your horse gets hot.

Like, I don't, you know, like, we, we do things based on when your horse needs them, and we try to tailor it to each horse.

So I think that that is really important.

Understanding that routine can mean different things to different horses and that having the right routine is, is just as Important as having one to begin with.

So when we talk about like feed consistency, right?

Like have you guys ever been in a scenario where you're like, oh my God, I haven't taken my multivitamin in two weeks.

And like you take one, you're like, oh, I feel so healthy.

Good for me.

I don't want to confirm or deny that in case my doctor ever list, but let's just.

Our doctors are definitely not listening, I hope.

But I mean hypothetically we'll say, yeah.

I totally know what you're talking about.

Yeah, it's like exercise, right?

Like you eat one salad and go to the gym once and you're like wondering why the £10 hasn't fallen off.

So I think very similar with horses, right?

We can't tell them, we can't talk to them.

So the language that we share is our routine and ensuring that their feed program is something that they can rely on and that their bodies can rely on.

You know, like Pavlovian responses like their conditions, you know, you listen, we've all been in the barn and that horse who knows that feed time is 4:30 is staying standing there, weaving in his stall, waiting for kicking the door.

Excuse me, ma', am, you are five minutes late.

So they know, right?

Like they get really connected to that.

So anyways, yeah, consistency is so important.

And to be honest, the consistency that the SmartPak feeding system can offer was like a huge impetus to why the creators of SmartPak created it.

Right?

Yeah.

To be able to have an auto ship product that shows up at your door every 28 days, you don't have to think about it, you don't have to wonder if the horse got it.

It is such an easy set it and forget it way to make that there's no disruptions in that feeding pattern.

Yeah.

And I know we've joked over the years like it's a husband proof system, but one it is.

I asked my husband how husbands aren't listening either.

If he is, mine knows that he's done a good job and I appreciate him greatly.

Thank you so much, Zach.

But it really is like it's, it's making it work for everybody.

So whether that's the staff, the, the summer intern, the pony kids, the barn manager, you as a horse owner, you as the rider, the horse themselves.

Like so much of that really does mean it has to work for everybody.

And I love what you said about like your barn being the boutique system, right?

Like because blankets off at 8pm doesn't work for everybody.

Feeding at 5 has to happen because they're all used to it.

But, like, we have to be able to take all those different things in stride, which is really complicated, but so interesting and so important for keeping them happy and healthy for, like, the long term.

And I think that's something that we forget.

Something that you touched on is, like, it's not a. I ate a salad.

I'm down ten pounds.

Oh, my God.

Hashtag healthy girl.

Lifestyle.

It really is.

Where have we started?

And how long can we keep this up until we're done?

I saw something a while ago where instead of somebody considering it, like a lifestyle change, he's like, it's a challenge.

I'm challenging myself to.

How many days in a row can I do this for myself?

How many weeks in a row can I do this?

I thought that was really cool.

Yeah, I like that.

And I mean, I'm sure, you know, as humans, we can also talk about, like, what happens when we fall off the bandwagon or something changes or we find ourselves going to a wedding and we didn't eat salads that weekend.

Right.

So that happens.

That's real life, and you can't always avoid it.

And with horses, it's gonna be the same story you had mentioned when you moved to a different barn.

Like, who would have thought that a pasture size would have had such a implication on a horse's wellbeing?

And in your case, for the better.

Right.

But then there are Situations where AECs are in California this year.

Someone qualified.

Are they going to be hauling three days across the country to go compete?

Probably.

Right?

So there's a lot of negative implications that are associated with a change of routine.

Stress levels, digestion, behavior.

I know that.

Tilly.

I've been off track.

Thoroughbred mare named Tilly.

Chestnut mare named Tilly.

Oh, yeah, the trifecta.

Exactly.

She's actually, like, sweet as sugar, but just a super antsy, super antsy mare.

Can relate and.

Yeah, can relate same.

Right.

She takes up her mom.

She's my biological horse, actually.

I did not adopt her.

I carried her like my daughter.

So, yeah, I mean, Tilly thrives in an environment where everything is dependable every day.

And when we change that up or we take her off, like, off campus to a horse show, or we, you know, put her in a new paddock where she's neighboring, you know, a buddy that she didn't know before, like, you can.

It's.

It's palpable.

You can feel that there's just a change in the air, and it takes Them a little bit.

It takes them a little bit to adjust to that.

And we're actually dealing with potential little bit of ulcery.

Ulcery belly eye.

And we're having her scoped next week.

But I mean, I think it, it just goes to show you that, like, you know, we don't take the mare off site very often.

She's not often in a trailer.

So like, even the smallest minutiae of change in their own environment, in their own paddock, in their own stall, you don't think about the tiny little things that really do cause disruptions in their day.

Yeah.

And like, what do you, as somebody who has this, this big boarding operation, who has personal horses of her own?

Like, what do you do with a horse like Tilly?

Like, what are your go to's to make sure that whatever can be controlled, can be controlled.

Are there things that are like the must haves for her?

Are there things that, you know, you can fluctuate?

How does that work with her?

That's a really good question.

I'm kind of still figuring that out.

Super fair.

I mean, I think again, with every horse, things are different.

Andy is like so stoic that you never know anything is a problem until he's like ready to die.

So like, I mean, like, he, he's just as a trooper until he's very sensitive and like, she'll let you know.

She'll let you know right away in that moment, like, hey, I'm.

I'm uncomfortable.

So the things that I try my best to keep, I can't change that there's a buddy next to her that she doesn't love.

I mean, I can, I can move them tomorrow, I can move them now.

But like, that's not something that I'm going to be able to control every day.

Like if we're at a warmup ring at a horse show and, you know, someone tracks into us and she's just not like that.

That's not an element of her life that I can control.

But what I can control is her stall placement within, like, okay, she does really well when she has things going on all around her.

So I want to put her on a corner stall and inside of the barn so that she's getting a lot of attention through the day and she can kind of see what's going on all the time.

Her feed routine, I mean, that is the most important thing.

I have her again because she's like kind of a ulcery mess right now.

We have her on Smart, perform, advanced, and that's like, actually, they're both on that.

I love the product so much, not because I made it, but because I think it's great.

But yeah, I mean, I think that keeping the feed routine consistent helps a lot too, because that's something that isn't going to change no matter where we are.

You know, my trainer has her eating alfalfa cubes.

We grow our own timothy hay on, on site at our barn.

So cool.

Which is neat, right?

Because then I get to control.

I get to control her, like, not just her hay, but everybody's hay.

Now, does the average boarding barn have that?

No, like, for the listeners here that are like, oh, well, I don't get to grow my own hay, so I can't control where it's coming from or what the nutritional profile is.

That's okay.

Like, you know, don't.

Don't focus on the things that are not within your control.

The things that are.

Are your training program.

Like, yeah, not asking too much of your horse, not, you know, putting them, set them up for success, not putting them in a position where, you know, they're.

They're confused about what you're asking.

And, you know, keeping their feed routine the same, making sure that their turnout is the same.

That's pretty much how we do it at Oakwood.

I mean, and the horses that have been with us for a really long time, they are cool as a cucumber, like the newbies come in for, and they're a little hot and they're a little confused.

And then within a week, they all seem to settle down because it's clockwork.

You know, when you have 60 horses, everything becomes very reliable.

They're fed at the same time every day.

They go out at the same time every day.

And while we do do the boutique offerings of like, this one needs a fan and this one doesn't, and this one wears fly boots and this one needs bell boots.

You know, we are able to customize it, but for the most part, those macro elements are never changing.

Yeah.

And I know, I mean, I really took advantage with my horse.

I just took for granted really, that he, he was able to be anywhere in the barn.

And I forget that that's not everybody's case.

Like, he was the horse that greeted everybody as you went.

He was the mayor of the stall island, whether you wanted him to or not.

It was just.

It could not be contained.

But, like, knowing that your horse can or can't handle that, so important.

And what you said, too, with just knowing who they are and giving them time to settle in.

Like, you get in new borders, they start out a little like, oh, God, it's for things new.

But, you know, you hold your hand for two weeks and all of a sudden you have a new horse that.

Taking a deep breath and enjoys their life and their routine.

And I think, like, the time aspect is something that is.

I personally, as somebody who's very impatient and loves instant gratification, is the hardest part for me.

And I'm sure I'm not the only one out there.

And if I am, don't tell me it'll hurt my feelings.

But something like that is, is something that we all kind of have to stomach earlier rather than later.

And that's with, like you said, but training, with boarding your horse somewhere new or just with changes, but also with.

I mean, we're a supplement company, so we gotta mention with feeding any kind of supplements or changing their nutrition in any way.

Yeah, absolutely.

And I mean, listen, when you think about a horse colicking, like, what's the reason?

Oh, he got into the feed room.

Oh, he's got a different kind.

A sudden change.

Right.

So wind blew.

You think about a horse being ulcery.

Oh, he, he has a soft tissue strain and he's on stall rest.

And he was on a trailer for three days to and from California.

I mean, you're, you're looking at these disruptive ailments that happen, and they're typically correlated with a change in the environment or a change to the routine.

So, you know, keeping things status quo, I think is, you know, one of the, one of the best things that you can do for your horse.

Unavoidable sometimes, but on a day in and day out basis, you know, trying to keep things reliable and dependable.

Okay, so we've talked to Ashley, the horse owner, Ashley, the barn owner.

But I want to talk to Ashley, the head of research and development for a second, because when it comes to consistency in feeding, like, we're going to talk about supplements.

So I want to talk about what it looks like when you start stuff the way a lot of us do with our own, you know, supplements and nutrition, things like that.

Is there, is there something that we need to be aware of?

There are things that you would want people to know about the start stop versus the consistency.

Yeah, abs, absolutely.

So, I mean, it kind of goes back to the same idea of, like, you cannot take your multivitamin once a week and expect it to be super efficacious.

I set a calendar reminder.

Yes, thank you.

I'm glad.

I need to Follow suit.

And you can't eat a salad and expect to lose the weight.

Right.

So like, for at like a very granular level.

The reason for that is that the more you're.

I mean, the half life of some of these, of some of these molecules is really short.

Like, for example, the half life of Butte is 7.22 hours, which means hours hours.

Right.

So within 7ish hours, half of that, half of your dose, if you gave a gram.

Right.

Half of that dose is out of their system.

So you might think that like, oh, I've been giving my horse this supplement for four months and now he's like, good to go.

But in reality, those serum levels are titrating up every day that you're feeding them and some of circulating through their body really quickly, so making sure that they're getting it every day.

And again, a generalization because it varies by the ingredient.

But in a lot of cases, you know, the reason we have AMPMs for some ingredients is because you have to, like bicarbonates, for example.

If you're using bicarbonates for a gut product that needs to be fed twice a day on an empty stomach.

Right.

So the, the utilization of that product is helping to increase that circulating serum value and make sure that whatever those active ingredients are, they're circulating through your h horse's body every day.

So if you abruptly stop and then start, you're just putting your horse at a disadvantage.

And to be honest, you're spending a lot of good money on your supplements and you want them to be working, right?

Yeah, yeah.

And I mean, at the end of the day, it is an investment in your horse's health and you want to, you want to make sure that it's not in vain.

So I think that the consistency there, from a scientific standpoint also helps to increase efficacy.

Yeah.

So knowing that these things do only last so long in the system, is there a general timeline that you would give people on, like, waiting to expect results.

And I know some supplements and some nutritional things you're not going to see.

Like supplement is going to all of a sudden make your horse go Grand Prix.

But like, of course, just in general.

Yeah.

I mean, I'd say that on average, eight or so weeks is a reasonable timeline.

And again, like you said, some of these things are really subjective.

Right.

Like, is my horse shinier?

Does he.

But then there are things that are actually very objective.

Yeah.

Like, so for Smart Stride Ultra, for example, we did some clinical trials on that product that demonstrated that consistent use over time increased the motion of the hock angle, which is a quantifiable measurement.

And we know that objectively.

So that's not just saying, like, oh, yes, his color looks more rich.

My smart, dark, and handsome horse looks darker.

Like, we're now able to show you that, you know, this product in this controlled clinical trial.

Right.

Obviously, we're not trying to diagnose, treat, cure any problems, but in this particular instance, we were able to demonstrate an improvement in that one measurable KPI of health.

Right.

So.

But you're only going to achieve that if you're using the product as directed, because that's how it was used in the clinical trial.

So, yeah, that was just.

Just one example of how being super consistent with a product as it was intended to be fed just, you know, leads to optimal results.

Yeah, I think that's really cool, though.

And there's something really interesting, too, with the timing of this episode.

Like, we're.

We're hitting close to the end of summer for some folks.

Some folks are still very much in the heat of it, so bless you if you're suffering through that.

But we're getting closer to, and I'm so sorry to say it, winter in winter is when a lot of us.

Oh, Jenna, I know, I know.

I promise there's a point to it.

But when a lot of us take a little bit more of a backseat, we let the horses, you know, come down, if we have the ability to do so, or we start the winter circuit.

Like, there's a lot of different things that happen the winter for our horses.

And you might say, like, oh, my gosh, eight weeks.

Like, if anybody heard you say eight weeks, and it's like, oh, my God, like, that's so much time.

That is one winter circuit.

That is one winter season.

Really, that gives your horse this.

This head start into the next year of stuff.

I mean, if you can start, you know, whatever.

Whatever you've been holding off on starting, starting, start now right after you hear this episode go click, whatever you need to click.

But I think there's something just, like very bite size, about eight weeks versus the initial reaction that a lot of people might have to that.

But it's really worth keeping in mind, especially when we have measurable results like that.

And maybe it's only going to be, you know, my horse is fatter, my horse is shinier at the start, but at the end of eight weeks, all of a sudden your vet's like, hey, your horse is moving great.

And you're like, yeah, I've had some really kick Ass rides.

Yeah.

I mean, how worth it is that?

Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more.

I couldn't agree with you more.

It seems eight weeks seems fast and then you're in it and.

Or it seems slow rather, and then you're in it and it, you know, it's a blink of an eye.

So, yeah, I mean, I think that the longer you can give something to do what it's supposed to do, let those active ingredients go to work, you know, the better the outcome is going to be.

So that was our chat about consistency with Ashley.

Thank you guys so much.

But we are not done, so please don't go anywhere.

We still have Meet the Pack with Tanner, who is from our customer care team.

You definitely want to hear what she has to say about her horses and her routines.

And in future episodes, we'll be talking about things like gastric health, overall wellness therapy, gear.

If you have ideas that you want to hear us talk about, find us on Instagram, find us on Facebook.

Let us know what you think and what you want to talk about.

But you can definitely expect a lot more to come from us in the future.

All right, Tanner, welcome to the Horse healthcast.

We're super excited to have you here and let's start it out easy and let people get to know you.

Tell us about you.

What do you do for Smart ET Absolutely.

Thanks so much for having me, Jenna.

I am one of our customer care supervisors here at Smart Equine.

So I manage a team of direct reports, all the folks that our customers call and get to chat with on the phones.

I help them make sure they have what they need for their day to day.

And I also help keep them educated up on our products and kind of the new and up and coming that Smart Equine is going to be carrying.

And that's a little bit about what the day to day looks like for me here at work.

Work.

That's awesome.

And remind me, how long have you been here now?

Gosh, I've been with SmartPak three and a half years, which sounds crazy.

I know they always say time is flies when you have fun and I guess that's what we've been up to.

But yeah, I think it'll be, it'll be four years in just a couple months.

Well, happy early Smart Equine anniversary.

Thank you so much.

And it sounds so crazy.

I. I can't believe that I get to chat about horses and product all day long and, and really get to follow my passion.

I knew, you know, that I wanted to, to maintain a role in the equine industry.

And that's hard to do.

Yeah, because you have a background in horse health and nutrition, right?

Like you have.

Tell me about your degree.

I feel like you've got degrees in this.

Yeah, absolutely.

I've been a lifelong rider.

I started riding when I was four and I swear it's just in my blood.

My family was not a horsey family, but I just wanted riding lessons so bad when I was a kid man, and was lucky enough to have that become a reality.

So I've ridden ever since.

I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but I ended up going to Virginia Tech here in Virginia, where I'm located, and got my bachelor's in animal and poultry sciences with an emphasis in equine production business.

I wasn't really sure what I was going to do with that degree.

I didn't really have a breeding interest.

I thought I wanted to ride and train and manage a barn.

And I went through undergraduate, got graduated, did go and work in the field.

I worked at a few barns and trained for some people and that was a lot of fun.

I learned a lot, but I just felt like it wasn't super sustainable long term for me.

I felt like I needed kind of, you know, what in my parents eyes might have been a big girl job, you know, something a little more corporate, if you will.

And so I started talking to some of my professors and ended up going back to get my master's in equine nutrition.

I always had a nutrition interest.

I was always the one at the barn feeding a bunch of supplements, feeding different feeds, kind of researching on my own.

So it was great to be able to go and get that education to kind of back that passion.

Still didn't really know what I was going to do with this now second degree, but it felt like the right, the right area to go into.

So I've got equine and dairy nutrition degree from Virginia Tech as well.

And I was out looking for jobs and really locally here they talk about Virginia being horse country and it absolutely is, but it's a lot of smaller farms, at least in the local area where I am.

So with an equine nutrition degree, all that I was finding around here was opportunities for feed sales, feed rep positions.

So I applied for a few of those.

It didn't really seem to fit with what I wanted.

I think I was having a hard time jumping from the true industry side and getting to be hands on with the horses every day to going and selling feedstuffs and that's when I saw the remote ad posting for Smarty Quine.

As a customer care representative getting to talk about product talk to customers, that felt a little more connected for me in the industry and kind of right up my avenue.

So that's how I got started in my position at Smart Equine and kind of worked my way up from there.

That's pretty crazy that you went through two degrees, not quite sure you're gonna do with them, and then ended up at an equine nutrition company.

Like that does feel very full circle, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

And, you know, there was a time in there where I thought I was just gonna ride and train forever.

I thought I was gonna go and be an equine vet.

So I really, you know, wasn't, wasn't sure, but it couldn't have worked out any better.

And I really feel like, you know, the, the takeaway for me was go with your gut and, you know, you can try different things.

And, and it worked out.

So it's been, it's been quite the journey.

You're right.

Well, we're glad that you ended up here because now all of our great customers get to work with you.

All of our other customer care team members get to learn from you.

So it feels like a win, win overall.

But you obviously, lifelong horse girl, grew up riding.

Do you have a horse of your own now?

Yeah, I do.

I have a small farm here in Fincastle, Virginia, kind of middle of nowhere outside of Roanoke.

I've got eight horses on the property right now, seven of which are mine.

I mainly show on the hunter jumper circuit.

I do a little bit of, of eventing here and there just for some cross trains.

We event a little bit, we fox hunt with a couple different hunts.

But really I'm, I'm a hunter at heart.

So I've got, got eight horses now, most of which are off the track.

Thoroughbreds, they, they hold a special place for me.

I've ridden thoroughbreds since I can remember.

I've got a couple warmbloods too that are, that are really great.

But it's the, it's the thoroughbreds that I really have an interest in.

Yeah, they're pretty special.

When you find those right ones that click too, it really, it really keeps you coming back to the breed.

Absolutely.

And so you've got a couple horses under your care.

Are there any that are on SmartPak?

They all receive Smartpak supplements.

I've got one in particular.

I call him my problem child.

He is a 5 year old off the track thoroughbred named Ajar.

I adopted him from a new vocations rescue organization about a year ago.

He is five this year and came to me with some behavioral issues and he needed a lot of consistency in his care, consistency in his handling, consistency under saddle, and that I was able to give him.

And we've really clicked.

He is currently showing in the three Foot Hunter, which has been great watching his progression of, you know, not wanting to move forward at all under saddle.

And I attribute a lot of that to his nutrition regimen.

He, you know, takes a very specific and consistent routine in order to keep him functioning and performing at his best.

So aj, we call him around the barn Ajar.

He is on two SmartPaks, two SmartPak products in a SmartPak.

He is on Smart GI Ultra and Smart Appetite, a newer product for the company.

Oh, Smart Appetite, I feel like, is one that's like a very undersung hero.

What, what made you pick that for him specifically?

Yeah, it, you know, so I learned a lot about the product working here, of course, and, and it sounded like a supplement that really was gonna fit into a super specific course.

You know, it is a complex B vitamin supplement.

And I knew from experience, I'm a big fan of Perfect Prep products as well.

And the Perfect Prep kind of calming supplements that I've used and seen really good luck with have been those that contain their VI vitamin B have they call it their B vitamin complex.

And it just kind of dawned on me that if that works so well before horse shows when I, if I can use Perfect Prep and I see a good kind of calming response, there might be a good chance that this horse is either deficient or doesn't utilize B vitamins from his diet or make his own very efficiently.

And so that's what made me try the product.

Cause I just thought maybe he really is a little bit deficient or not creating enough of his own B vitamins.

Let me give Smart Appetite a try.

So I didn't, you know, really go about it from a horse that has a low appetite perspective.

I went about it from I see benefit with other B vitamin supplements.

Smart Appetites is a great one.

That's super comprehensive.

Let me give that a try.

And I've never looked back.

I don't think I'll ever take the horse off of it.

And I honestly do feel like it's increased his appetite too.

That wasn't the cause of me starting the product, but I do feel like it has, has helped keep him eating more, especially at horse shows.

He wants to munch all day long, which is great.

Right.

I love that.

That's like a really unique way to come to that one.

But it's so cool that it worked for him as well as it has.

Yeah.

I recommend it to everyone.

I've, you know, have, have meetings with my team here and I've recommended it to all of their horses when they're like, oh, yeah, I need a calming supplement for the fireworks before the 4th of July or what have you.

I'm like, oh, if.

If those work for you, you should really check out Smart Appetite.

I think that, you know, we might be onto something here with some sort of B vitamin deficiency.

I love that.

I feel like as people who have worked here for like even five minutes, like, you just end up with that.

You're like, this is it.

This is the one that everyone needs to know about.

So we will check off that.

If we need someone to know about Smart Appetite, we're coming back to you.

Absolutely.

It's underrated for sure.

So then let's talk just a couple of the, the horse people type things, right?

Like, so if Smart Appetite is your go to, like, this is a supplement everyone should know about.

Is there like one, one mantra, one just piece of advice, one thing that you live by that you wish everybody lived by with their horses.

As somebody who's been a life and rider who has a barn of her own.

Yeah.

And I think the biggest thing for me and what I talk to all the time about my friends is every horse is different.

I am super type A and I want everything to just follow a set plan.

And it, you know, this is what always works for me and what works for my program, but it's really not the case.

I have just found that my horses are so unique.

Each of them have something a little bit different.

I've got some horses that need vitamin E and some that don't.

And that's just really been hard for me to wrap my head around of.

They eat all the same forage, they're getting the same things.

How can they be so different?

Different.

But it really is, I think, and I learned this in all of my education too.

All of my, all of my degrees taught me this as well, is that horses really are individuals and therefore should be fed that way.

They aren't like cattle that can all that do process things very similarly.

For example, that the horses really do break down and use different feedstuffs differently.

And so with all of that, I feel like that would.

That's probably my biggest, like, piece of advice that I would give anybody in the horse world is don't be afraid to try new things.

Your horse might, might just respond to it differently, even if that's never worked for you and it didn't work for the horse in the stall next to yours.

Yeah.

So it sounds like every horse is maybe one of a kind.

Absolutely.

I would, I would, I would totally agree with that.

Every horse is, is one of a kind and, and therefore we can feed them that way.

Love that.

Well, thank you so much, Tanner.

This has been great to get to know you a little bit.

Hopefully we'll get to know you even more in future episodes, but for now, we'll.

We'll thank you for your time and give AJ Our best.

Thank you for having me, Dana.

I look forward to it.

I hope you've enjoyed the interview with Tanner and if you didn't recognize it before, she's also the intro voice, so extra thanks to her.

You can find links to today's guests and products in the show notes on your podcast player or on the website at www.smartpake.com blog.

We'll be here twice a month on the 15th and the 30th, but in between you can find us on Instagram and Facebook as Smart Equine or shop online@smartequine.com until next time, stay smart, stay.

Consistent, and give your horse a cookie for us.