I found a smartpak supplement that has joint (MSM), hoof, skin/coat, and digestion - that I think i will throw in with the Enrich 32… went and got 2 bags today and already starting the slow process of switching them over from Crypto to the Enrich…
https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/sm…o-pellets-9473
Do any of you buy the alfalfa hay bales from Standlee from Tractor Supply/Atwoods - I was thinking about trying a bale and adding like a flake to the boys regular hay?
I’m not a Smartpak supplement fan. Platinum Performance is a much better product if you want to feed a supplement. But to each their own.
I have purchased the Standlee Alfalfa bales and my old trainer called them Crack for horses. Horses love them. It’s cheaper to buy alfalfa from a local supplier. Your feed store probably has just bales of alfalfa.
One of the reason why I liked the Smartpak is because it has MSM at 10,000mg - and I am considering getting one of those bales and just feed a flake or two in with their regular hay once or twice a week…
https://www.smartpakequine.com/ps/msm-180
This is what I gave my 20+yo dressage horse, and it worked. If it will make you feel good to blow a ton of money on oral supps, the smartcombo won’t hurt anything. But I feel like it’s a waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere. Maybe on Previcox/Equiox if you are dead set against joint injections. The MSM & NSAID combination really works for a lot of horses.
Well if it worked for you 20+yr old dressage horse then maybe it will work for my boys if that’s the case then no i don’t mind BLOWING my money on oral supplements… I would rather try oral supplements FIRST… but when i spoke to my barn owner this afternoon she says that she doesn’t see any problems or stiffness from Scout the one that has the problem, she does see some stiffness in Chief… so this supplement might just do the trick… i would be PLEASE beyond belief if i could get away from having to inject muscle or in the joint… 
If neither horse is being ridden I am not sure why injections would even be considered.
I like the PP Wellness formula, no experience with the Smartpak brand supplements.
IMO don’t change everything at once. If you’ve purchased the Enrich and have started changing them over, I wouldn’t add or subtract anything else immediately. The ration balancer may help with any vit/min, hoof/coat, etc, concerns you have. MSM is cheap and you can always pick that up on it’s own from most any local tack or feed supply.
If you want to feed MSM, why not just feed MSM? What are you trying to accomplish with the Enrich that is failing to the point that you need a hoof/coat/joint supplement? What are you trying to accomplish with the alfalfa that is not being addressed by the other products you mention? Have you analyzed your timothy hay?
The Enrich supposedly is good for the hoof and coat and is highly digestible, so why the Smartpak supplement?
I’d just feed the enrich and see how the horses do. Give it at least 30 days of them being on full ration. Do MSM but I wouldn’t be throwing to many changes at them.
Be patient and see how they do…don’t want to add to many things at once. Alfalfa hay is a good idea, but hold off on smartpak.
If you want to feed MSM, get straight MSM - way, way cheaper. VitaFlex MSM is cheap. If you want a joint supplement with MSM in it, do that.
The Smart Combo has so little of many things, compared to what’s in the Enrich, that you’re paying a lot of money for. 1.5gm lysine vs 12gm in the Enrich for example.
Make changes one at a time, or at least a few at a time as possible. If you change everything, you will have no idea what is actually the cause of any changes you see.
I give the SmartCombo Smartpak to my eight year old gelding. He’s (knock on wood) in good health and is in moderate work, so I think of it as more of a vitamin than anything else. If he develops a health problem down the road, I’d probably switch to a more targeted supplement.
I buy the Standlee alfalfa wrapped compressed bales for my elderly horse. The local Tractor Supply has both an alfalfa/orchard grass mix and pure alfalfa, but I like the latter better. It is pretty crumbly and doesn’t always break off in even flakes, but the quality is consistently good, and I think it is the major reason my old guy is a great weight for 30. Made the mistake of giving a bite to my younger horse and now he demands a little bit too–it really IS horse crack :). They get it in addition to their timothy/orchard grass blend. If you decide to feed it, you might consider giving them a little each day, rather than only once or twice a week for consistency with digestion.
What exactly are you wanting out of the SmartCombo? Just the MSM? Or is there something else in it that really draws your attention?
I think waiting to see what the enrich will do for them is a good suggestion and I will go with that… it makes sense, thanks guys!
Good idea. If fed to both you are looking at $150 a month. Too pricey if they are getting it already in the enrich.
I have fed MSM once to a TB broodmare with arthritis in her front leg. Didn’t do squat for her. May depend on what your horses issues are. The best thing about feeding it solo is you know what works and what doesn’t.
A combo supplement you have no idea what helps and what doesn’t.
You’re the one asking for advice. If you don’t like what you hear, just ignore it and move on. You’ve already made up your mind anyway, so why keep asking and rehashing it?
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