Spinoff: Reminder to all that Smartpak has been bought out.

[lorilu]

Those smartpak strips ARE recyclable here in FL. In fact, they even SAY "Please Recycle"! they are #1, the same as plastic soda bottles, recycled into many items, even Polartec. The pull off tops are not, but.....

[downen]

OK, I see you guys are missing the point entirely. I'm not saying that the supplement was going to keep my pony from foundering. I highly doubted it would. I'm saying I chose the supplement BECAUSE of the guarantee, which they refused to honor.

Here is what the supplement advertised (copied from my original email to their CS.): " SmartControl IR is a breakthrough formula designed to help manage Insulin Resistance, a condition that is part of Equine Metabolic Syndrome, and frequently associated with obesity. This comprehensive formula supports healthy metabolic function by providing a targeted selection of ingredients, including Chromium, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Cinnamon and more. These tasty beet pulp-based pellets are perfect for horses being fed little to no grain."

This verbage was directly from Smartpak's site regarding their SmartControl IR pellets. I don't think it's any coincidence that they no longer sell the product, nor do they offer such lofty claims on their current metabolic support product.

But that is not my beef! My problem is that they offered a GUARANTEE, which I did not think would keep my pony from foundering, but I thought would at least help me recoup some of the money I'd given them! Here is a screenshot of the guarantee they were offering at the time. No asterisks, no disclaimers, if you don't see results they will GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK. Here's a link, read it for yourself: https://www.dropbox.com/s/awoz51w9sh...tpak1.gif?dl=0

They made a guarantee, didn't honor it, and rubbed salt in the wound by treating me like a 5th grader. And thanks for the sarcasm, vxf, but you're way off the mark.

[Lauruffian]

This is stupid really, but: I'd frequently heard from COTHers how pleasantly, comfortingly surprised they were to receive condolences (expressed in a card, I think) after calling SP to cancel their monthly supplements because the horse they were for had died. It's small, but significant.

I called the day after putting my gelding down this past April following a week of colic hell to let SmartPak know to cancel the monthly deliveries. The person I spoke to was very sympathetic and was kind enough to offer to refund the order I just received, even though it could not be returned. It's a very generous gesture I gratefully accepted.

I never received a card or note as others had described, though, and as unrequired, unnecessary, and inconsequential a thing as it is, it does admittedly bother me enough to post here.

[Tiffani B]

OK, I see you guys are missing the point entirely. I'm not saying that the supplement was going to keep my pony from foundering. I highly doubted it would. I'm saying I chose the supplement BECAUSE of the guarantee, which they refused to honor.

Here is what the supplement advertised (copied from my original email to their CS.): " SmartControl IR is a breakthrough formula designed to help manage Insulin Resistance, a condition that is part of Equine Metabolic Syndrome, and frequently associated with obesity. This comprehensive formula supports healthy metabolic function by providing a targeted selection of ingredients, including Chromium, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Cinnamon and more. These tasty beet pulp-based pellets are perfect for horses being fed little to no grain."

This verbage was directly from Smartpak's site regarding their SmartControl IR pellets. I don't think it's any coincidence that they no longer sell the product, nor do they offer such lofty claims on their current metabolic support product.

But that is not my beef! My problem is that they offered a GUARANTEE, which I did not think would keep my pony from foundering, but I thought would at least help me recoup some of the money I'd given them! Here is a screenshot of the guarantee they were offering at the time. No asterisks, no disclaimers, if you don't see results they will GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK. Here's a link, read it for yourself: https://www.dropbox.com/s/awoz51w9sh...tpak1.gif?dl=0

They made a guarantee, didn't honor it, and rubbed salt in the wound by treating me like a 5th grader. And thanks for the sarcasm, vxf, but you're way off the mark.

But what exactly do you think they guaranteed? How do you know it didn't help manage your horse's condition by preventing it from getting worse over the two years he was on it, especially since you didn't have him on medication? I would think that if you were able to keep him off meds for two years after it became apparent he had a problem, it was working pretty damn good.

I don't find their claims to be lofty in the least. "Manage IR" and "support healthy metabolic function" is not a crazy claim. If it had said cure IR, reverse IR, prevent IR, normalize metabolism, prevent founder - then you might have something. But you're really stretching here. Two years? That indicates to me that you were happy with how it was working.

I had my horse on their flax supplement because he had super dry, flaky skin. I kept him on it for 3 months. Skin stayed dry and flaky. They refunded my money because it clearly did not work for him, and I didn't keep him on it for two years hoping to see results someday and assuming I'd get two years of money refunded to me when I finally decided it wasn't working. That would just be abusing their policy.

[skipollo]

But what exactly do you think they guaranteed? How do you know it didn't help manage your horse's condition by preventing it from getting worse over the two years he was on it, especially since you didn't have him on medication? I would think that if you were able to keep him off meds for two years after it became apparent he had a problem, it was working pretty damn good.

I don't find their claims to be lofty in the least. "Manage IR" and "support healthy metabolic function" is not a crazy claim. If it had said cure IR, reverse IR, prevent IR, normalize metabolism, prevent founder - then you might have something. But you're really stretching here. Two years? That indicates to me that you were happy with how it was working.

I had my horse on their flax supplement because he had super dry, flaky skin. I kept him on it for 3 months. Skin stayed dry and flaky. They refunded my money because it clearly did not work for him, and I didn't keep him on it for two years hoping to see results someday and assuming I'd get two years of money refunded to me when I finally decided it wasn't working. That would just be abusing their policy.

Right-o. I had my horse on a Smart Supplement for two months and decided it wasn't working for him, so I asked for a refund. They were super polite and offered me a few options: try a different supplement at no extra cost, refund, or store credit. This all happened in a day or two. They responded quickly, gave me my store credit quickly and were extremely helpful.

I wouldn't refund someone after two years of using a product either.

[trubandloki]

Second reason: All of those NON-RECYCLABLE plastic containers clogging the landfills!! Don't you have any sense of environmental responsibility, SmartPak?

Um, they are recyclable.

Maybe not in your area, but that is more an issue with your area than with Smartpak. They are most definitely recyclable in my area and in most areas.

I guess we could point a finger at you in this too, but it appears you have no personal responsibility in anything. If you knew the cells were not recyclable in your area why did you use them for two years?

[js]

Their guarantee states: "SUPPLEMENTS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO WORK. Order any of our Smart Pak Supplements and if you don't see results in 2 months or your money back." (they'd used all caps as above)

What the product claims is probably the key. Does it state it prevents something or only helps symptoms etc. It's kind of broad sweeping and could be misconstrued.

[SmartPaker Sarah]

downen, I'm very sorry to hear about your pony's experience. I can absolutely understand that that would be a frightening and upsetting time, and I'm very sad to hear that your inquiry wasn't handled more thoughtfully or respectfully. You deserved better. I've forwarded your concerns to our Customer Care team management, so that they can follow up with their agents, as this is definitely not the kind of service we pride ourselves on.

I'd also like to address this point that you raised:

All of those NON-RECYCLABLE plastic containers clogging the landfills!! Don't you have any sense of environmental responsibility, SmartPak?

We absolutely do have a strong sense of environmental responsibility and we're committed to doing our part to support a greener planet. That commitment starts with SmartPaks. We've measured and the difference is real - the plastic used to make a 28-day supply of SmartPaks weighs 60% less than the plastic used for the comparable sized bucket. Additionally, every SmartPak well is made from 100% recycled plastic, so it's already on at least it's second life, as opposed to buckets, which are often made from virgin plastic. Lastly, SmartPaks are made from PET #1 plastic (like water bottles), which is the most widely accepted recyclable plastic, where most buckets are either not recyclable at all, or use plastics that are much less widely accepted. All that said, we're not resting on our laurels. We don't think simply being "less bad than buckets" is good enough. We're constantly investigating ways to further reduce our carbon footprint, and we welcome any suggestions you have!

[Pennywell Bay]

OK, I see you guys are missing the point entirely. I'm not saying that the supplement was going to keep my pony from foundering. I highly doubted it would. I'm saying I chose the supplement BECAUSE of the guarantee, which they refused to honor.

Here is what the supplement advertised (copied from my original email to their CS.): " SmartControl IR is a breakthrough formula designed to help manage Insulin Resistance, a condition that is part of Equine Metabolic Syndrome, and frequently associated with obesity. This comprehensive formula supports healthy metabolic function by providing a targeted selection of ingredients, including Chromium, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Cinnamon and more. These tasty beet pulp-based pellets are perfect for horses being fed little to no grain."

This verbage was directly from Smartpak's site regarding their SmartControl IR pellets. I don't think it's any coincidence that they no longer sell the product, nor do they offer such lofty claims on their current metabolic support product.

But that is not my beef! My problem is that they offered a GUARANTEE, which I did not think would keep my pony from foundering, but I thought would at least help me recoup some of the money I'd given them! Here is a screenshot of the guarantee they were offering at the time. No asterisks, no disclaimers, if you don't see results they will GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK. Here's a link, read it for yourself: https://www.dropbox.com/s/awoz51w9sh...tpak1.gif?dl=0

They made a guarantee, didn't honor it, and rubbed salt in the wound by treating me like a 5th grader. And thanks for the sarcasm, vxf, but you're way off the mark.

Bolding mine. It doesn't cure it, it was designed to "help manage" it. It did for 2 years by your admission.

Distributing information on a medical condition is not "treating you like a 5th grader", it is disseminating information that may or may not be new to you.

Honestly, I am picking up that you would be an exhausting customer to deal with, always being right and all.

[vxf111]

I will never EVER give SmartPak another cent of mine and here is why:

I have a 21 year old 12.2 Welsh pony whom I've owned since the age of 8. Since he's been cresty with fat deposits on his buttocks since I got him, I've managed him carefully. As his age increased and I thought he was getting crestier, I put him on SmarkPak's IR supplement, I believe it was called SmartIR or something. Doesn't look like they carry the same thing any more. Anyway, it was touted to help control blood sugars, help prevent laminitis, blah blah. I believe they as much as guaranteed it. So in addition to being super careful with his diet, I threw away my money on that stupid supplement. At about age 18, he finally tipped the metabolic threshold and foundered. He rotated in both feet, and it was a very scary time until we were able to get him stabilized on Prascend. So I wrote SmartPak asking to recoup at least some of my sizeable investment in their useless supplement. You know what I got? A LECTURE on how to manage an IR pony!! I'm still fuming about that, if you can tell. 100% satisfaction guarantee, my fanny!

Second reason: All of those NON-RECYCLABLE plastic containers clogging the landfills!! Don't you have any sense of environmental responsibility, SmartPak?

Thirdly: A horse I got last year came with his monthly supply of SmartPaks. He wasn't eating his grain, and at 17.3, I was worried about him not getting his calories and nutrients, plus he needed his joint supplement. It took me a bit to realize he hated his SmartPaks! Once I started giving him my own go-to joint supplement and Horseshine, he's gobbled his meals down and licked the bucket clean every time.

So good luck all you SmarkPak loyalists... they are great... until they aren't.

I didn't expect it to prevent laminitis, I did expect it to control blood sugar and reduce fat deposits AS IT WAS ADVERTISED TO DO, WHICH IT DID NOT DO, or else get at least some of my money back, per their GUARANTEE.

My vet was closely involved in his care and he did not think he required medication before the incident. We still don't know what triggered the laminitis... his diet and environment were closely controlled. My vet just thought his metabolism finally tipped over to Cushings. My point is the supplement was useless in that I saw ZERO results in the two years I used it, and only kept him on it because of their GUARANTEE.

OK, I see you guys are missing the point entirely. I'm not saying that the supplement was going to keep my pony from foundering. I highly doubted it would. I'm saying I chose the supplement BECAUSE of the guarantee, which they refused to honor.

Here is what the supplement advertised (copied from my original email to their CS.): " SmartControl IR is a breakthrough formula designed to help manage Insulin Resistance, a condition that is part of Equine Metabolic Syndrome, and frequently associated with obesity. This comprehensive formula supports healthy metabolic function by providing a targeted selection of ingredients, including Chromium, Magnesium, Vitamin E, Cinnamon and more. These tasty beet pulp-based pellets are perfect for horses being fed little to no grain."

This verbage was directly from Smartpak's site regarding their SmartControl IR pellets. I don't think it's any coincidence that they no longer sell the product, nor do they offer such lofty claims on their current metabolic support product.

But that is not my beef! My problem is that they offered a GUARANTEE, which I did not think would keep my pony from foundering, but I thought would at least help me recoup some of the money I'd given them! Here is a screenshot of the guarantee they were offering at the time. No asterisks, no disclaimers, if you don't see results they will GIVE YOU YOUR MONEY BACK. Here's a link, read it for yourself: https://www.dropbox.com/s/awoz51w9sh...tpak1.gif?dl=0

They made a guarantee, didn't honor it, and rubbed salt in the wound by treating me like a 5th grader. And thanks for the sarcasm, vxf, but you're way off the mark.

Your expectations for a refund after 2 years are completely unrealistic.

If you own a horse with possible signs of cushings, you take blood and treat according to the vet's recommendation. Period. You don't rely on supplements to stave off the signs/symptoms/effects of cushings. The only effective treatments are diet, exercise, and medication-- and even with all 3 a horse with cushings may founder. Nothing you've posted indicated that Smartpak's supplement would act in lieu of diet, exercise, and medication. There was no promise that the supplement would "control blood sugar and reduce fat deposits" as you apparently expected it to. Nor that it would “help prevent laminitis.” Your reading of the Smartpak verbiage was a misreading if you expected any of that based on what you’ve posted. The verbiage doesn’t promise anything of the sort. Based on what you posted, the supplement was supposed "help manage Insulin Resistance" by providing some vitamins/minerals. I don't see ANY promise even coming CLOSE to your expectations. They don’t use the words “laminitis” or “blood sugar” or “fat deposits.” The verbiage doesn’t promise to control those things. Read it carefully, it basically says “this supplement has some stuff in it that helps the metabolism.” That is very different than what you stated you thought/think was being promised by Smartpak. Based on what you posted as the actual verbiage, your expectations were totally unrealistic.

Added to that-- apparently your horse did well during the 2 years he was on the supplement. So well that, during that time period, your vet didn't feel it was necessary to use medication. I don't know how you can fault the supplement for being ineffective during a time period that by your own account your horse seemed to be stable. If you felt the supplement wasn't doing anything, why didn't you discontinue it at any point during those 2 years? Then your horse foundered, for reasons even your vet can't determine (and it sounds like your vet thinks it was somewhat inevitable)... and then you decided you were upset because the supplement was ineffective. And at that point you wanted a refund for the past 2 years worth of supplement.

That's not how this or any other guarantee works. The guarantee is pretty clear-- try the supplement for 2 months and if you're not satisfied you can then get a refund. Had you done that-- tried it for 2 months and then ask for a refund-- I'd be fully on board with saying you were owed one. I might even say that after 3-4 months, maybe it would have been reasonable for you to ask for a refund. But TWO YEARS LATER?! You want a refund for 2 years worth of supplements that your horses was on, doing fine-- because something happened that you can't connect to the supplements and now you're pissed because the supplement didn't do something you wanted it to do that the company never said it would do.

Maybe the person at Smartpak felt you needed an explanation of how to manage an IR horse based on your apparent inability to read the supplement explanation and your unrealistic expectation that you could use a supplement to “help prevent laminitis.” Sounds like they were trying to HELP when you called up angry that after 2 years their supplement was useless because your un-medicated cushings horse foundered anyway.

Expecting a refund at that point was completely unrealistic... to the point of being scammy. It's not SP's fault your horse foundered, has laminitis, or at some point needed medicine to control the condition. By your own account the supplement did what it promised to do for several years. For you to expect a refund at all totally unrealistic. Totally.

[mvp]

Their guarantee states: "SUPPLEMENTS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO WORK. Order any of our Smart Pak Supplements and if you don't see results in 2 months or your money back." (they'd used all caps as above)

What the product claims is probably the key. Does it state it prevents something or only helps symptoms etc. It's kind of broad sweeping and could be misconstrued.

That implies (only) that the most SP would be out with a failed product is 60 days' worth. I don't think it makes sense to use what the consumer considers a POS product for two years and then come back with their hand out for a refund. After all, it presumably worked for some significant percentage of that time.... and it probably worked for the first 60 days.

[mvp]

downen, I'm very sorry to hear about your pony's experience. I can absolutely understand that that would be a frightening and upsetting time, and I'm very sad to hear that your inquiry wasn't handled more thoughtfully or respectfully. You deserved better. I've forwarded your concerns to our Customer Care team management, so that they can follow up with their agents, as this is definitely not the kind of service we pride ourselves on.

I'd also like to address this point that you raised:


We absolutely do have a strong sense of environmental responsibility and we're committed to doing our part to support a greener planet. That commitment starts with SmartPaks. We've measured and the difference is real - the plastic used to make a 28-day supply of SmartPaks weighs 60% less than the plastic used for the comparable sized bucket. Additionally, every SmartPak well is made from 100% recycled plastic, so it's already on at least it's second life, as opposed to buckets, which are often made from virgin plastic. Lastly, SmartPaks are made from PET #1 plastic (like water bottles), which is the most widely accepted recyclable plastic, where most buckets are either not recyclable at all, or use plastics that are much less widely accepted. All that said, we're not resting on our laurels. We don't think simply being "less bad than buckets" is good enough. We're constantly investigating ways to further reduce our carbon footprint, and we welcome any suggestions you have!

Now, now let's have some transparency or thorough-goingness in the analysis of environmental impact. It's not only what happens to the plastic that can be remodeled into one form or another a few times and sent around. It's that it also cost energy to do that every.single.time. That's why "reuse" is preferable to "recycle."

The single-use of anything-- water bottles, Solo cups, Smartpaks-- is hard on the environment. And that is the basis for this company's original business model. Therefore, I don't see how this company can claim any space in the moral high ground of the Greener Planet.

You can like SP for plenty of reasons, but not this one.

[danceronice]

If only an unregulated supplement could prevent laminitis. I think we all wish that was true but.... That seems like an unrealistic expectation to me. Did your vet suggest skipping MEDICATION and instead using a feed supplement?!

It's not really relevant whether it CAN, it's whether or not SmartPak had a written guarantee it would or your money back. It's strictly business. And SmartPak does have some awfully big guarantees slapped in their catalogs.

[vxf111]

It's not really relevant whether it CAN, it's whether or not SmartPak had a written guarantee it would or your money back. It's strictly business. And SmartPak does have some awfully big guarantees slapped in their catalogs.

No one has posted a guarantee from SP that comes even in the BALLPARK of that. The guarantee was "love it or after 2 months we'll give you your money back." Very very different.

[downen]

OK, guys, I'm back to offer an explanation, and apology and a mea culpa.

You guys calling me things like "demanding, exhausting, difficult," made me realize I was coming across that way, so I re-examined why I made such a critical post, something I try to avoid, and why I post under my real name (to keep me honest).

In retrospect, I actually did not expect a refund on the SmartControl IR. My email to SmartPak at the time started with "I don't expect a refund... " and then I detailed my experience. When I received the response which kind of looked like a copy and pasted article on equine metobolic syndrome, that, combined with the extreme stress I was going through at the time, with the founder and other issues, kind of stuck in my craw and apparently festered over the years! When this thread sprung up I posted out of emotion, not a good thing to do. I do think their 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is a bit vague, but I'm really not difficult and demanding. Cranky, definitely! But ultimately reasonable.

So then fast forward to last year, I get a huge warmblood who comes with a month's supply of Smartpaks. It took a few weeks to realize he was refusing all food because of the smarkpak supplement. Since I took it away, he's been a greedy pig. Same grain, different supplements. So he def didn't like the smartpaks. I'm a religious recycler, and I'm am pretty certain I checked thoroughly for the recycling symbol on the package, and didn't find one so had to throw them in the garbage, supplement at all. So I was all, grrr... Smartpak!

Luckily, I happen to have some smartpaks a friend gave me for an underweight horse I recently got. I hadn't even had a chance to look at them but I pulled them out and voila! They have the recycling symbol on them! So I went back and edited the misinformation out of my original post, and I hope those who quoted me will edit that part out. I was 100% wrong and I apologize for that. The plastic trays in the current SmartPaks are recycleable.

So there you have it... I'm not sure why I felt like I needed to vent about Smartpak, but I definitely feel like I've cleared up a lot in my mind! No hard feelings guys... in the end, my pony is 100% sound again, my horses are happy and in good health, and all is well. Happy Holidays to all!

[vxf111]

Hey, we've all been there. This update sounds way more reasonable than what you previously posted. Glad your pony is ok, founder is terrifying.

OK, guys, I'm back to offer an explanation, and apology and a mea culpa.

You guys calling me things like "demanding, exhausting, difficult," made me realize I was coming across that way, so I re-examined why I made such a critical post, something I try to avoid, and why I post under my real name (to keep me honest).

In retrospect, I actually did not expect a refund on the SmartControl IR. My email to SmartPak at the time started with "I don't expect a refund... " and then I detailed my experience. When I received the response which kind of looked like a copy and pasted article on equine metobolic syndrome, that, combined with the extreme stress I was going through at the time, with the founder and other issues, kind of stuck in my craw and apparently festered over the years! When this thread sprung up I posted out of emotion, not a good thing to do. I do think their 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is a bit vague, but I'm really not difficult and demanding. Cranky, definitely! But ultimately reasonable.

So then fast forward to last year, I get a huge warmblood who comes with a month's supply of Smartpaks. It took a few weeks to realize he was refusing all food because of the smarkpak supplement. Since I took it away, he's been a greedy pig. Same grain, different supplements. So he def didn't like the smartpaks. I'm a religious recycler, and I'm am pretty certain I checked thoroughly for the recycling symbol on the package, and didn't find one so had to throw them in the garbage, supplement at all. So I was all, grrr... Smartpak!

Luckily, I happen to have some smartpaks a friend gave me for an underweight horse I recently got. I hadn't even had a chance to look at them but I pulled them out and voila! They have the recycling symbol on them! So I went back and edited the misinformation out of my original post, and I hope those who quoted me will edit that part out. I was 100% wrong and I apologize for that. The plastic trays in the current SmartPaks are recycleable.

So there you have it... I'm not sure why I felt like I needed to vent about Smartpak, but I definitely feel like I've cleared up a lot in my mind! No hard feelings guys... in the end, my pony is 100% sound again, my horses are happy and in good health, and all is well. Happy Holidays to all!

[roamingnome]

No one has posted a guarantee from SP that comes even in the BALLPARK of that. The guarantee was "love it or after 2 months we'll give you your money back." Very very different.

Right. You get 60 days/2 months to use the product- don't like it? not working? change your mind? get a refund! 2 YEARS? Ya. No refund.

[Pennywell Bay]

Everyone needs to vent. Glad both of yours are OK (and FYI- I don't use the SP wells). Now if we could vent about our mother-in-laws- I'd be difficult and exhausting

[Lady Eboshi]

There are a lot of "weasel words" associated with the dietary supplement industry, for both pets and people. Any time you're seeing "supports," "aids," "helps protect" or "may promote," put the safety catch back on your checkbook. 9 times out of 10 you are looking at a product with nothing but anecdotal evidence (if that) to support its use for the marketed purpose. Oral chondroitin/glucosamines are the egregious example. Such studies as have been done usually show miniscule benefit, barely a rounding error, in very small and specific cohorts over short periods of time. Sorry, but that micro-incremental improvement in a 3-year-old race horse's carpal joint just doesn't translate to your 30-year-old's hocks. You really want to pay $100 a pop for stuff that's absorbed at the rate of only 6%?

OTOH, there ARE supplements with known "drug" effects--MSM as an anti-inflammatory, chasteberry for Cushing's. Which is why I always say, ASK YOUR VET if these things will help, are necessary, interact with other Rx's, or even be harmful. There's a lot of wishful thinking when dealing with a horse with problems, and supplement purveyors know how to push your buttons very, very well.

I prefer to use the MOST EFFECTIVE product available, which means I'd choose Bute or Previcox over "chinese herbs" or Devil's Claw, Legend or Adequan over oral "joint supplements," effective farrier care over "hoof supplements," and a good stiff grooming over "coat" products. I am a very long way from convinced that most of these problems (or many others) have a dietary basis in well-fed, reasonably exercised horses. Most are management problems and often based in ignorance of how the horse physically and mentally was actually evolved to live.

Unfortunately, I think the supplement and drug industries have greatly abetted the lazy American tendency to try and solve most any problem by just throwing a "pill" at it instead of rooting out the underlying cause and changing it. The advertising in horse magazines has changed over the last 20 years to almost 95% "drug," and most of the people on the Horse Care forum are seeking product-based solutions rather than management-based ones.

One of the first things I do when a new horse comes to me is "detox" him from every single thing the vet doesn't demand he have--which for most means, clean as a whistle. When I show the owners how he does with full-time turnout and fabulous hay substituted for all "that stuff," they are frequently amazed.

[mvp]

There are a lot of "weasel words" associated with the dietary supplement industry, for both pets and people. Any time you're seeing "supports," "aids," "helps protect" or "may promote," put the safety catch back on your checkbook. 9 times out of 10 you are looking at a product with nothing but anecdotal evidence (if that) to support its use for the marketed purpose.

Yes, but that's because dietary supplements aren't subject to the same kind of testing and regulation as are pharmaceutics. Want stuff whose claims are bona fide? Be prepared to pay higher prices for what it costs to establish their efficacy.

According to my vet, the biggest deal is about the actual amounts of active ingredients matching what it says on the label. So the question of a chemical's efficacy aside, in this industry, it's not clear that manufacturers are obligated to give you what they told you you were buying.