SmartPak: good deal or not?

[tx3dayeventer]

I got a new horse and am looking to put her on some supplements. I am at a self-care facility so I will be feeding her supplements.

I am looking to put her on:
*Farrier's Formula (I love the stuff and have had many horses on it in the past with great results)
*Cosequin
*Some kind of mare supplement to help with her PMS (sore back, pinned ears, etc when riding)

So is it a better deal to buy the supplements seperately or is it a better deal to go SmartPak??? :confused:

I also worry about shelf-life of the bucket supplements.

[Sparky Boy]

I think over-all it's a good deal, if you think of buying the buckets and paying various shipping costs and remembering to order when you're almost out. Then if you buy in bulk, do those supplements go bad if you're only feeding them to one horse.

You can't beat the convenience of it.

[jn4jenny]

Smartpak has an awesome calculator to help you figure this out:
http://www.smartpakequine.com/smartpakchallenge.aspx

But in brief, my guess is probably that SP is not a deal for your situation. Unless you have friends who want to go in with you as Barn Buddies, you'd be paying $6.95 in shipping every 28 days--that's already 24.8 cents' cost per day.

If money is worth more to you than time, then buy the supplements in bulk and dose them out into baggies or into 1/2 cup Gladware tins. I loff the GladWare tins--they're cheap so you don't stress if you break one or lose one, you can just dump and go, and they're dishwasher safe.

As for shelf life, I honestly think a lot of that alarmism from SmartPak is a crock. My Uckele supplements frequently come with a "Fresh until" date that's 6 months or more in the future. If you're opening the bucket every day, then maybe it's a concern; that's a lot of air exposure. But when I do buy supps, they spend MAYBE 15 minutes total in the open air while I dose them into GladWares, otherwise they're sealed up tight. I suppose you could even vacuum seal them if you super duper cared.

Disclaimer: I think SP is a wonderful company, I have tons of positive things to say about their customer service, and there are definitely situations in which SmartPak is totally the way to go. Yours doesn't sound like one of them.

[peedin]

I buy my supplements from SmartPak but in buckets. Each bucket lasts about 2 months. I make my own packets using GladWare or Rubbermaid or whatever. I have never worried about the shelf life of the supplements. I figure they sit in the warehouse so why not sit in my barn instead? I love SmartPak's customer service, but $7.95 shipping for a month of supplements is too much. Sounds like you are better off buying in bulk and making your own.

[tx3dayeventer]

Smartpak has an awesome calculator to help you figure this out:
http://www.smartpakequine.com/smartpakchallenge.aspx

But in brief, my guess is probably that SP is not a deal for your situation. Unless you have friends who want to go in with you as Barn Buddies, you'd be paying $6.95 in shipping every 28 days--that's already 24.8 cents' cost per day.

If money is worth more to you than time, then buy the supplements in bulk and dose them out into baggies or into 1/2 cup Gladware tins. I loff the GladWare tins--they're cheap so you don't stress if you break one or lose one, you can just dump and go, and they're dishwasher safe.

As for shelf life, I honestly think a lot of that alarmism from SmartPak is a crock. My Uckele supplements frequently come with a "Fresh until" date that's 6 months or more in the future. If you're opening the bucket every day, then maybe it's a concern; that's a lot of air exposure. But when I do buy supps, they spend MAYBE 15 minutes total in the open air while I dose them into GladWares, otherwise they're sealed up tight. I suppose you could even vacuum seal them if you super duper cared.

Disclaimer: I think SP is a wonderful company, I have tons of positive things to say about their customer service, and there are definitely situations in which SmartPak is totally the way to go. Yours doesn't sound like one of them.

Thats kind of what I was thinking but I wanted to ask. Great idea about the Gladware!!!! I am going to "steal" that idea :D

If I was boarding and worried about her getting the right dosage I would totally go SP but since I am doing all the feeding, I am not as worried :) And if I mess it up I can only blame myself :yes:

[citydog]

It costs me about $6 extra to do SmartPaks. Worth. Every. Penny.

Quite a few supplements oxidize quickly, and the barn staff often didn't reseal baggies or put the lids on the Gladware and my gelding would just suddenly refuse to eat his supplements (but would be fine if a fresh bucket was opened). There has never been a problem in the two+ years he's been on SmartPaks.

I also like knowing *exactly* what my costs are gong to be each month (instead of having an occasional month where I need to stock up on a bunch of stuff all at once).

And you can't beat SmartPak's customer service.

[Auventera Two]

I've never done Smartpaks because of the obvious waste. I could not live with myself throwing that much plastic into the garbage can on a daily basis. I don't care if it IS recycled. Like someone else mentioned, just buy buckets and dose it out into REUSABLE Gladware containers. You use the same containers month after month after month.......

Not to mention, the cost of doing it in Smartpaks is more expensive than buying buckets, then add to that the $7.95 shipping every month (they just raised the cost ;)) and it's just not a good deal, to me anyway.

For example: Cosequin:

Daily 1 scoop in Smartpaks - $61.32 for 28 days + $7.95 shipping = $69.27 (or $2.47/day)

84 days (3 months of Smartpaks) would cost $207.48

VERSUS

80 Day Bucket - $164.95 = one time $7.95 shipping = $172.90 (or $2.16/day)

84 days in bucket form would cost you $181.44.

Over the 84 day cycle, that is a savings of $26.04. Multiply that by about 4 cyles, and you save over $100 a year by purchasing buckets.


But - weight my opinion with the fact that my horses are at home and I don't have to rely on barn staff to do the feeding. That could make a big difference.

[glea5648]

i use SP simply because it's easy. I used to be at a boarding barn and the BO wouldn't do supplements. Then I got my own barn. They're not cheaper, but IMO worth the cost because I'm lazy and I don't feel like measuring supplements every day for every horse. Perhaps with barn buddies it might be cheaper but I'm ordereing for 3 horses at one location and it's not cheaper. I will continue to order from SP though because as I said it's easy

[stuge]

Smartpak is a good deal on somethings. you just have to price it out. I have come across many supplements that are cheaper in smartpaks than via tubs (even within smartpak) even when you include shipping. I guess the only way you could really save on shipping is if you buy like a whole years worth of supplements at a time!

I don't particularly like the waste either with the paks but sometimes, as with all things, you have to weigh convenience with your whole lifestyle. For example, I very, VERY rarely buy any kind of bottled anything or anything individually wrapped myself so even if I am using the smartpaks, my waste is still well below the average americans. We can ALL do better but if your overall lifestyle is not wasteful, smartpaks hardly make a dent.

[trubandloki]

You simply have to do the math for the products you plan to buy and decide if the cost difference is worth it to you.

Since you are taking care of your own horse that is all that matters.

If you were having someone else take care of your horse then I think smartpaks are well worth it.

The tubs are recyclable and I believe are made from recycled plastics. Double bonus.

[Puddin Pie]

SP usually has good prices on their bulk supplements and when they are having free shipping, grab it while you can. That is what I do. And then sit and make the baggies. Got to make the baggies, got to make the baggies.

[Tiffani B]

I like the convenience, especially since I go to one or two shows a month. Lugging buckets of stuff, or even Gladware or baggies, is a PITA, not to mention the time involved. I just don't have it!

And, I don't have to worry about the stable help not giving the correct amounts, and I can easily see if a day was missed by counting the number left.

[joiedevie99]

I love them, more expensive or not. I always know the right thing gets fed at both barns I have horses at (trainer's and retirement)- and when we leave for a show I know everything gets packed- even when I'm not the one doing it.

[Christa P]

A cheaper alternative to Gladware is baby snack cups. I get them from the Dollar store priced at 6/$1. They also come in multiple colors if you have more than 1 horse set supplements up for.

Also, for shipping - I buy local at Stagecoach West. I have priced the supplements I use and so far they are the cheapest I have found and I usually have a reason to get something else while I am there.


Christa

[kcmel]

Buy Cosequin from entirelypets.com. $160 for 1400 gms, free shipping, and you can usually google a coupon for $10 off. That's the best price I have found (although its about $10 more than it was a couple of months ago).

[tx3dayeventer]

Buy Cosequin from entirelypets.com. $160 for 1400 gms, free shipping, and you can usually google a coupon for $10 off. That's the best price I have found (although its about $10 more than it was a couple of months ago).

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!!!

[Hampton Bay]

I have mine at home, and I bag my own supplements. I just use the cheap Ziplock bags, and I bag two week's worth at a time. I used little plastic CD holders that I got at WalMart for $1 a piece, and printed labels with each horse's name to attach to the containers. I even have a little container for the empties. It has all the convenience of SmartPak, but I reuse the bags, and I buy supplements in bigger buckets (saves money, I only buy from places that offer free or cheap shipping). I feel that they stay just as fresh since I am not getting into the buckets every day, and the baggies seal it up. And it takes me maybe 30 minutes every other week to bag everything, and I do it while I am watching TV.

I do love SmartPak and for big barns that can go in together on shipping, it makes a ton of sense. But I have 3 horses to feed, and my system is perfectly convenient for me.

[Twiliath]

I have gone both ways. First, convinced that SP would have to cost too much. Then bought in to SP for my daughter's horse far away. Then realized that her one horse was costing me $100/month! It's totally outrageous, as far as I'm concerned.

Even shopping on SP they sell the buckets at half the price per dose as the packaged. And I can't stand all the trash!

So I've gone back to doing it all myself.

I'm going the steal the idea of the baby storage cups from the Dollar store! I've tried baggies and they don't work very well for me. But then, I have my own place. I'll use the cups for my daughter's horse.

Thanks all.

[chaltagor]

Easiest way to do it is to open up shopping carts on different companies websites and price it out. Smartpak doesn't have the best price overall on bulk supplements or other things.

[deltawave]

I really like the SmartPak concept, even though it doesn't always make sense for me.

PROS:

They are a great company, they try to keep shipping costs low and make things easily and widely available

The "buddy shipping" is a great deal

Their selection is great

For a boarding situation the convenience is unbeatable and the time savings are a bonus (who wants to fiddle with little bags all the time?)

CONS:

Their claim about mixing supplements being bad for them is debatable, IMO

Sometimes all those little fiddly cups are a little bit of a pain

It's good to support your local tack/feed store if you can--and no shipping on those items

It's kind of a lot of packaging, although some of it is recyclable

It tempts us to buy WAY more supplements than our horses probably need :)

[2horseowner]

I used SP for about 6 mths, and I was spending $60/mth on daily wormer. Big Dee's was running a sale on my wormer w/ free shipping. I went to BJ's and bought 460 baggies for $4. I do a 30 day supply for each horse. Much cheaper in bulk for me. SP is great for many things, but I do better in bulk. There are good deals w/ free shipping to be had at times. It all depends on budget and time (bagging supplements). I don't mind the bagging and I like looking for a bargain.:)

[Crooked Horse]

The SmartPaks are made from recycled material AND are themselves recyclable.
I use them because I am unfortunately of the school that thinks if one scoop is good, then of course one-and-a-half scoops are better...:no: .
So I definitely save money being forced to give the correct dose...lol.

[Peggy]

When I originally did the math, the SP's came out to a few cents extra per month. That was assuming getting stuff online and buying in sufficient quantities to avoid those shipping costs. I have noticed that the price differential varies with different supplements and this was some time ago, so YMMV. (heck, at this point, MMMV)

I board my horse in a training barn so the convenience is great. When I was in a situation with a less reliable barn staff I learned to count SmartPaks each week to figure out whether or not my horse was getting them. You could do that with baggies, but it's harder with bulk items.

Our barn may be on the verge of having virtually everyone on SP's so we should be able to get organized to avoid the shipping costs.

Besides, what other company sends you a sympathy card when your horse dies?

[Auventera Two]

Besides, what other company sends you a sympathy card when your horse dies?

They do that, whether or not you buy their prepackaged "Smartpaks" or not ;)

I got a sympathy card from them as well when I had to return a tack order after my horse died.

[dwblover]

I use Smartpaks and love them. I like to know that my horses are getting the exact amount of supplements that I want them to get. And I also like to know it is the correct supplement to start with, since I'm at a boarding barn and the feeders put my horse's supplements in their feed. Smartpak is a great company to deal with. Their customer service is top notch. You can recycle the Smartpaks if you are concerned about waste. And also remember that the buckets from supplements bought in bulk create a lot of waste too.

[CANTEREOIN]

Easiest way to do it is to open up shopping carts on different companies websites and price it out. Smartpak doesn't have the best price overall on bulk supplements or other things.

I found this to be true... one supplement I bought from them for over a year doubled in price. I went to the market to price it elsewhere and found it to be 3 times higher in costs than the mid market price. They can't be beat for Customer Service, they refunded me the difference.

Also be sure to compare ingredients and strength between the Smartpak brand and other brands. They aren't always comparable.

If I was back at a big boarding barn, I would go back to smartpaks. Now I use the glad container option.

[Bogie]

If I were still at a boarding facility I would use SmartPaks for sure as they are much more convenient. Since I mix up my own feed every day and bag it up (for a co-op), for me there's little need. I don't like the thought of having all that plastic going to waste (or needing to take it to the recycling center) either.

I've found that with some research on the web, you can find most supplements in bulk for less.

Even better, since I live near the store, I frequent their clearance section and buy a lot of supplements that are marked down because of damaged packaging. If your tack store has that type of merchandise it's a great way to buy the supplements you like for 25-50% off.

[draftgirl01]

I was using them for awhile and they are very very handy. But I always have to have a special make up because of the weight of my mare so the "standard" dosing does not work for her. I went back to purchasing in bulk. I prefer liquid supplements so I get a 128 day dose of HA for for $59.00. At one point my SP was up over $60.00 a month. I changed my Mare Magic to bulk raspberry leaves I buy by the pound.

In the long run, bulk supplements save me money and seeing I make up my own grain every day, it works for me.

[jaimebaker]

I just ordered from them for the first time the other day. What got me? The shipping costs. Why? Because I buy in bulk. A LOT of bulk. I bought 25lbs of multi-vitamins for 4 of my horses, a bucket of U-gard and a couple of other things. I compared prices to what I had been paying at Jeffers (Jeffers didn't have the multi-vitamin that I needed anyway) and Smartpak was a couple of bucks higher than Jeffers on a few things but when you add on the freight charges of Jeffers it still wound up being cheaper for me by going with Smartpak. And that was BEFORE I used the Free holiday shipping code:) I had emailed them with some questions and was blown away by the spectacular customer service. I have no need for the little cups since I don't board and have no problems mixing everyone's food up. But for folks that board I can see it as a major convenience. :yes:

[Milocalwinnings]

For some things I think SP is worth it, but others, no. Look at the prices- some of their supp's in SP's cost the same as a 60 day supply in buckets.

IMO, baggies are easier to open, can be reused, and can easily be thrown back into the bin, so no trash. SP's are not hard to open but I think baggies are a bit easier- and SP's leave trash every day.
However, I am not the one giving the supplements... so I actually just sent my BM an email asking what she'd prefer.
I had to bag this months supplement from smartpaks because I made the mistake of ordering one I couldn't use and SP said they couldn't change the order without 10 days notice (even though I ordered on a Saturday and called that night to change it:no:). So since I couldn't use one of the supplements, I had to cut it off and then by that time it was just easier to dump the remaining one in baggies.

With the two supp's I want to order for next month, the calculator only shows a savings of $ .40 if I went with buckets so I left it up to my BM to decide which is easier for her.