Great, thank you for the responses-I think we wil pass on it after reading everything- some things just appear too good to be true! 
One thing to consider also is yes, you are paying $550 a year fro the SmartDigest Ultra which includes insurance for colic surgery but you are giving your horse something (hopefully!) that decreases the likelyhood that you will need it and improves (hopefully!) his digestive health. An insurance policy isn’t preventative. I am hoping that Smartpak feels that this supplement will truly improve a horses digestive health enough that they are backing it with an insurance policy.
I agree with the above poster. I do not think Smartpak would do this deal if they did not think the supplement helped prevent colic. I have all of mine on the program. They love their feed and look and act great.
I have had horses for years, and the only two times I have used medical insurance was for two colic surgeries.
[QUOTE=deltawave;7064442]
Given the number of colics that require surgery (a minority) I’m guessing SmartPak has had their actuaries on the job and that the predicted profit margin is going to be LARGE. No way am I buying a supplement as a form of gambling.[/QUOTE]
This x a million. I know so many people who have fallen for this stupid marketing scheme. Brilliant, really.
I see what everyone is saying-good points all around.
However, I think what the main factor for me is that it only covers Colic Surgery, as well as it must be fed from the SmartPaks ‘to ensure it’s fed correctly’. For us, we prefer a bucket to feed from, not the Paks-economically/environmentally, etc.
I do not think Smartpak would do this deal if they did not think the supplement helped prevent colic.
SmartPak wouldn’t do this if they hadn’t done the math and the actuarial estimates and come up with a profit margin.
Let’s say the incidence of colic in a year per horse is 2%. How many colics are surgical–10% tops? If they have 10,000 people paying $500 a year they’re bringing in $5 million for this program. If 2% of the horses colic (200 of them) and 10% of those require surgery (20 of them) they pay out $150,000 and keep the rest. Nice deal. 
Bottom line. Place all of the money you’d spend on supplements in a good mutual fund, and your odds would be a lot better of staying ahead of the game.
Curious to hear if anyone has actually USED the Colicare coverage yet for an actual colic surgery?
I have one horse enrolled in the colic care, and the rest on the product, but in buckets.
I agree with deltawave about the actuaries and the profit margin and a great marketing scheme. I also think it is a good product, thus the others on it.
I do not like that they do not cover colic hospitalization however. for example, if a horse goes into a clinic/hospital, a good amount of money and effort is to avoid surgery…its the last thing if they can manage it medically. That will not be reimbursed. Only surgery. Part of the reason my others are not enrolled…they are not surgical canidates unfortunately for various reasons.
I really only feed it for the benefit of the digestive factor. It is pretty darn expensive too.
Given the number of colics that require surgery (a minority) I’m guessing SmartPak has had their actuaries on the job and that the predicted profit margin is going to be LARGE. No way am I buying a supplement as a form of gambling.
This is true and I thought the same way until one of my horses became that “Minority”. You never think it’s going to happen to you but it absolutely can. This horse was a pleasure trail horse and not one of my show horses so he was one that wasn’t insured and I can tell you this now I wish I had Colicare at the time. Because I didn’t I had to put a beautiful 13 year old bombproof horse down that definitely died way too young. Hindsight is 20/20 and until you are put in that position, you will never know.
Program is worth it and I have noticed a difference in all my horses digestion (one is a tb that is sensitive to colic, though she is not eligible for the program due to a previous colic treatment (not a surgery) I will still continue to have her on this stuff because it WORKS).
So what if the company makes a large profit, isn’t that what most companies strive for??
All four of mine are on it, and have been for at least a year now. I like the product very much, and they have all done great on it. My formerly picky eater licks his tub clean now.
Bingo. This is not Smartpak’s contribution to the greater welfare of horsekind. It’s a marketing plan. Doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with using the supplement or enrolling… but let’s be clear. They ran the math and decided the costs of paying out were outweighed by the profits. NOT that they truly believe this supplement can prevent colic any more than any other supplement on the market. Compared to similar supplements, feeding this in Smartpaks is quite pricey.
[QUOTE=vxf111;7232620]
Compared to similar supplements, feeding this in Smartpaks is quite pricey.[/QUOTE]
Can you tell me what the similar supplements are? You can PM me. I have a friend who just started her horse on SmartDigest Ultra and couldn’t find anything comparable for $35 a month. Of course, since so many of ingredients of the different brand products are secret, it’s hard to tell what’s really comparable.
I agree that businesses don’t generally do things for altruism, but for profit. Is anyone so naive to think otherwise?
[QUOTE=Greyhorse3;7231828]
This is true and I thought the same way until one of my horses became that “Minority”. You never think it’s going to happen to you but it absolutely can. This horse was a pleasure trail horse and not one of my show horses so he was one that wasn’t insured and I can tell you this now I wish I had Colicare at the time. Because I didn’t I had to put a beautiful 13 year old bombproof horse down that definitely died way too young. Hindsight is 20/20 and until you are put in that position, you will never know.
Program is worth it and I have noticed a difference in all my horses digestion (one is a tb that is sensitive to colic, though she is not eligible for the program due to a previous colic treatment (not a surgery) I will still continue to have her on this stuff because it WORKS).
So what if the company makes a large profit, isn’t that what most companies strive for??[/QUO
Love this point
So unless I’ve missed something, no one has ever had to make use of the “insurance” from Smart Pak???
[QUOTE=Discobold;7232633]
Can you tell me what the similar supplements are? You can PM me. I have a friend who just started her horse on SmartDigest Ultra and couldn’t find anything comparable for $35 a month. Of course, since so many of ingredients of the different brand products are secret, it’s hard to tell what’s really comparable.
I agree that businesses don’t generally do things for altruism, but for profit. Is anyone so naive to think otherwise?[/QUOTE]
If you look at the ingredients and sift out what is likely to be the effective ingredients from the more bells and whistles stuff, it’s essentially Sand Clear (I don’t happen to put much stock in psyllium but I know many people do), fiber (i.e. metamucil or bran would do that for you too), brewer’s yeast (i.e. succeed without the price tag), and probiotics. If I wanted to replicate the effects, I’d feed some increased fiber and probiotics and call it a day. A big bag of bran and the cheapest probiotics is WAY less than SmartDigest Ultra.
I certainly don’t mind Smartpak making a profit. Not at all! It’s brilliant marketing. But to assume that the offering of colic coverage is evidence of efficacy is misplaced-- it’s more of a cost/benefit analysis.
Thanks, vfx111. From what this friend (fellow boarder) told me, Smartpak didn’t make any false or exaggerated claims when she spoke to a rep on the phone, and I believe she has a 60-day money-back guarantee. Personally, my preference is to feed alfalfa cubes. Even if they don’t do anything, my horse loves them
[QUOTE=vxf111;7232839]
I certainly don’t mind Smartpak making a profit. Not at all! It’s brilliant marketing. But to assume that the offering of colic coverage is evidence of efficacy is misplaced-- it’s more of a cost/benefit analysis.[/QUOTE]
Totally agree. I’m just surprised anyone would think otherwise. I realize that what you and Delta are really saying is that the benefits of the supplement aren’t factored into the cost/benefit analysis. The statistics would be on their side even if they were selling air.
Exactly
I have two horses on it now …I was using a probiotic last year with one horse for 8 months and had zero vet calls for gas colic. I stopped using it … and had a whopping $2k in emergency vet calls in two weeks when the weather changed for a displacement that would have sent him to surgery had I the funds. Both horses are on it now and they seem overall brighter, less gassy, and no vet calls! YAY! If there are no vet calls for colic in the next year, they are covered under the program. I consider it a small investment compared to vet visits and the risk of serious colic. And, I agree with other posters - SmartPak would not make the offer unless they had run the numbers and saw what their risk/exposure was. Anything to improve gut health (which in my herd translates quickly to rideability) is getting my vote.
I’ve read through this thread and not seen anyone who has answered the question of whether they’ve actually ever filed a claim through the Smartpak Colicare program, so I’m asking it again. My now-17-year-old horse has been enrolled in the program for a year or two, and I also have regular mortality and major medical on him. Time to renew the latter, and because of his age, his mortality valuation is being mandatorily reduced (which I expect), but also the premiums on both mortality and MM have been jacked up tremendously this year. Because I have the $7500 colic surgery coverage through Smartpak (and he was already on the supplements, so I didn’t really buy them for the Colicare), I’m thinking of reducing my MM coverage from $15K to $10K, still debating what monetary level for the mortality at his age. The cost of my insurance is just becoming prohibitive. Anyway, agent at Blue Bridle, through which I get my insurance, just told me she’s heard “horror stories” about people actually trying to collect on the Colicare program when their horse did require colic surgery. Does anyone here have personal knowledge of this question?? Has anyone ever collected on a Colicare claim?
