We arrived to the showgrounds and got straight to work setting up our booth in the main trade show area. We found a rug to fit our booth, figured out to hang our SmartPak banner and cleaned and displayed the buckets of all sizes of supplements we brought.

Our joint and coat supplements were very popular at this show. I enjoyed talking with current and new customers to help solve problems and make their horses more comfortable and to perform better.

My time away from the booth was spent exploring the show grounds and seeing the variety of classes and rings. When classes were held in the International Arena that quickly became my favorite place to eat lunch and watch. I would grab a crepe from the French booth in the main trade show area or a bite at the Tiki bar and head over to watch a few rounds.

Despite a few very windy days and one day of rain, the weather stayed pleasant all week which was a nice change from the Boston weather. The highlight of my week was definitely meeting our customers. As a product specialist I work mainly helping customers over the phone and it is always a treat meeting them face to face! I was able to meet several of our new and current customers that were here to compete and to watch. It’s great to hear how long they have been using SmartPaks, what supplements they use and to simply trade horse stories! Thank you for a fun, warm week in Florida!

Rather than toss it out in the paddock and risk the horses being so scared of it they slammed each other into the fences, we carefully planned to introduce each horse to the ball in the safety of the indoor arena under direct supervision. And what better way to encounter a new scary object than with a pal? So we incorporated the buddy system. Erika’s Thoroughbred “Jag” and my Trakehner “Newman” were first.

Scary? At first, especially when it moved, but soon categorized by the amazing equine brain as “another stupid thing my owner makes me do.” Only when we added clicker training and made this the “target” did Jag and Newman wake up and take notice. Then it was “how far can I push this” and “how many times can I bump it with my nose” before I get clicked and treated.

Heidi’s two Trakehners “Tanner” and “Willaker” were not scared of the ball at all when they first saw it. In fact, “Willy,” our “Curious George” of the barn, soon had a front foot on top of it and learned how to pick it up and carry it around (I have to say, these balls ARE durable).

Now for my retired Thoroughbred “Leader.” It’s not that I was putting this moment off. No, I just wanted Newman to be really really comfortable with the ball first, because I knew Leader’s acceptance of the object would depend upon it.

I put Newman in the indoor. I put Leader in the indoor. I rolled the ball from behind the half wall. Newman fell asleep. Leader, however, grew taller and taller, and puffier and puffier, with the whites of his eyes showing. He let out a big snort. This woke Newman up, who looked around, searching for the danger. Upon seeing the red ball, and realizing Leader was snorting at the red ball, he promptly fell back asleep.

For the next hour, I patiently rolled the ball around the indoor, using all my natural horsemanship skills to try and get Leader just to smell it. He didn’t have to bump it or paw it or roll it, just smell it. I tried the ‘advance and retreat method’, I tried the ‘roll it at him when he was facing away and stop rolling when he looked at it method’. I was about to give up when I stumbled upon the ‘roll it under Newman’s belly method’.

See, all this time Leader had been smoothly keeping Newman between him and the ball. So while we were all resting quietly awaiting the next round, I just rolled the ball under sleeping Newman’s belly towards Leader. He smelled it. We quit for the day. Unfortunately, as Leader’s owner for the last 16 years, I know that his brain “reboots” every night while he munches his hay. So I’m quite prepared to do this again tomorrow.

At about 8 months I brought Jack to get neutered. I was short for cash so I went through Friends of Animals and found a cheaper neutering facility rather than my normal vet. I got a call an hour later from the vet in their office saying they did a quick check up on him before putting him under for the procedure and noticed a heart murmur (a heart murmur is an extra or unusual sound heard during a heartbeat. Murmurs range from very faint to very loud. They sometimes sound like a whooshing or swishing noise).  She said I should probably have my vet look into it before he had the surgery. I called my vet that day and asked to have an appointment.

A few days later I headed to my vet. Jack had his Echocardiogram and I found out that he had Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia with stenosis.  Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia (TVD) is a congenital, inheritable heart defect that seems to be increasingly prevalent in Labrador Retrievers. The tricuspid valve is one of four heart valves and allows blood to flow in one direction from the right atrium into the right ventricle. If a puppy inherits the gene responsible for the defect, its tricuspid valve will be malformed in utero. I was devastated when I found this out. What was even worse was that our vet never detected it and the vet who took the Echocardiogram told me he would not live past a year old and there was NOTHING I could do for him.

I was lucky to have one of the best veterinary hospitals in the country right around the corner from me. My mother and I headed to Tufts Veterinary Hospital with Jack to meet with Dr. John Rush who works in cardiology for dogs and cats. He decided we could try a balloon catheter (a balloon catheter is a type of “soft” catheter with an inflatable “balloon” at its tip which is used during a catheterization procedure to enlarge a narrow opening or passage within the body) to relieve Jack’s stenosis (an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel or other tubular organ or structure). We were relieved he felt that Jack wouldn’t need a valve replacement yet but a smaller surgery that was at least less expense. He had high hopes that the surgery would work well. We made an appointment for the surgery and monitored Jack.

Jack starting going downhill rapidly, very shortly after we made the appointment for the surgery he went into Congested Heart Failure (CHF). He had two balloon catheters put in and did very well. He came home two days after the surgery with a huge improvement. Over the weeks and months he seemed to get better and better (he turned into a real lab puppy!).

After a very frantic and scary start to life Jack is doing great! He will be turning 5 in April and hasn’t had another surgery. He comes to work with me and runs in the field with other dogs all the time just like a normal healthy lab. He loves to play fetch and swim (he tends to go all the way under the water like a seal).

He gets yearly checkups and his TVD gets a little worse every time but he is not in CHF. Eventually Jack will either have to have another balloon catheter put in or he might need a valve replacement. We’re taking things day by day and when we come to that bump in the road we’ll deal with it.

I feel like Jack came to me for a reason, without my help he might not be here today. Jack’s success story has had an impact on not only my family and I but other patients at Tufts. We were the first to go through with this particular surgery and now others have gone through it because they are told how critical Jack was and how well he is doing now.

The excitement started before we even left the parking garage. Dogs and their handlers could be seen everywhere you turned! Upon entering the show, we were greeted with even more wagging tails and owners anxiously waiting for their group to be called into the show ring. Surrounding the nine competition rings were nearly forty different vendors selling anything and everything you could ever want for your pup. With the holidays right around the corner, exhibitors and spectators alike could be found with shopping bags of goodies for their four legged friends.

The SmartPak Canine booth attracted countless visitors as we fielded questions about our custom PortionPak feeding program. One lucky attendee, Frank Angeloro, took home a $100 SmartPak Canine gift certificate after winning our raffle.

By the end of the weekend we had befriended some of the top contenders for Best of Breed, Best in Show and Best of Opposites, as well as some dogs that were clearly just happy to be there! All in all this was a great experience for SmartPak Canine and we look forward to many more dog shows to come!

On Tuesday night, a small group of us headed out to Springfield to get settled in before set up day. Getting off to a great start on Wednesday, our truck of supplies and products arrived bright and early and brought reinforcement SmartPakers. While event staff put in our carpet (thank goodness for padding on those concrete floors!) and hung our banner, we unpacked the truck and started organizing areas for buckets of supplements, racks of clothing and shelves of horse treats and Painted Ponies. By early evening, we were ready to open shop!

Thursday morning early-bird attendees filtered in to get first pick of the goods and enjoy the relative tameness of a weekday at Equine Affaire. We also hosted a series of focus groups with barn managers and trainers Thursday afternoon. Though I was not able to attend any of the sessions, I heard the series went quite well and we would like to extend our gratitude to all that participated! We love to learn more about our customers, listen to your feedback and implement changes that will make your life easier. Be sure to keep it coming!

Friday and Saturday were abuzz with families and friends meeting and greeting each other, riding, attending clinics and lectures and of course shopping! Our Equine Couture apparel, SmartPak exclusive bridles and SmartSupplements all proved to be very popular, while SmartPak flip-flops and other “stocking-stuffer” items were also in high demand as the week wore on. Stationed at the SmartPak table throughout much of the weekend, I was also the happy provider of tote bags, baseball hats and the ever-popular treat samples! By the time Sunday rolled around, we didn’t even have that much to pack up and were home in time to catch three quarters of the Pats game!

Which brings me to the best part of my time at Equine Affaire – it was local! I love to travel and the Kentucky Horse Park (where I have traveled to most often with SmartPak) is beautiful. However, so many of our earliest customers are from the New England area and I think they ALL attended Equine Affaire. It was really great to see everyone in person and have the chance to talk. I was even able to put a few names to faces! It’s not often that someone in Customer Service gets to do that and it was truly a great experience!

Because Congress spans nearly the entire month of October, my colleagues and I came to work the booth in shifts. I anxiously watched the days pass until it was finally time for me to head out to the home of the Buckeyes and join the rest of the SmartPak Team. After an eventful cab trip tour of Columbus I was relieved to finally arrive at the correct hotel and fall into bed, ready for a fresh start and new experiences at the SmartPak booth.

I honestly was not prepared for what I saw the next morning. Yes, I had seen the pictures on our Facebook page of our Congress set-up, but I had no idea that the literal towers of supplements would look so amazing and yet extremely scary for someone prone to physical accidents. After a momentary second of panic, I took a deep breath and entered the fortress of supplements…crossing my fingers that I wouldn’t cause the most horrendous booth accident in Congress history. I made it through my first day without a single bucket casualty and secretly gave myself a gold star and left with a greater confidence that I wouldn’t completely mess things up.

While I missed a few of SmartPak’s highlights at Congress, including the Small Fry Horsemanship and the Youth Team Tournament Awards, I got to spend some quality time talking horses with anyone who had a second to share a funny story or who just needed some general advice. I was also the designated chauffer and bucket retriever. If you and your bucket of supplements needed a ride to the car, barn, or trailer the SmartPak golf cart and I were there to help! Despite the cold and sometimes rainy trips (no, our golf cart did not have a convenient plastic cover) I heard many funny stories and life lessons about the tried and true Quarter Horse.

Whether you were at Congress to show or just to do a little bit of shopping (I walked away with a new saddle) it was truly an amazing experience. The days passed quickly and all too soon it was time to close up shop. While I had never been to a show with SmartPak I still think I can claim this one as a success. With new lessons learned and only one bucket lost to my clumsiness we packed the truck and headed back home.

My horse’s name is Carpe Diem — Diem for short. It means “Seize the day.” He is a 9-year-old OTTB with a willing attitude and tons of power.

I competed somewhat unsuccessfully for two seasons at low-level schooling events. Diem’s bravery and physical ability alone powered us through. We had a lot of fun, but you don’t get blue ribbons for having fun. I thought I was holding this talented horse back, and we’d probably be stuck jumping 2’7” forever. His stall front was filled with green and brown ribbons and I was tired of dressage judges writing “Nice pair with potential” which felt like a nice way of saying, “Needs a lot of work.”

When I started working at SmartPak last winter, I moved Diem to nearby Valinor Farm, a barn with a serious eventing focus. After my first lesson, I saw a little spark of potential. All winter we worked on the building blocks of dressage and jumping. My trainer, Erin, was patient and insightful. We never jumped very high, but after several months, it turned from a frantic gallop after a crossrail to a calm, relaxed and happy 2’3” course (or a jumping a gridline with my eyes closed!).

When spring came, Diem learned how to canter through water and on the hills, and how to add or subtract strides in a line. In June, we competed in our first USEA recognized event. He had a meltdown in the indoor ring when he saw the judge’s table, and then I started riding the wrong test. But he jumped clean without hesitation on either course. I was thrilled with that. We had some really excellent cross country lessons, sometimes jumping Training Level fences; others ended with me on the ground. But I dusted myself off for a second recognized event, and this time we pulled the dressage together and finished sixth (I know, another green ribbon—but we earned this one!)

Over Columbus Day weekend, I competed in a schooling horse trial at the Novice level. The dressage test was our best ever, a score of 35—enough to put us tied for second going into the jumping. His stadium round was relaxed and quiet, and the cross country was phenomenal. He gave everything I asked for, and all of the scariest fences turned out to be our best!

Now I’m looking forward to the possibility of competing at Training Level by the end of next season. This eventing season has taught me that hard work can turn the “impossible” into reality!

Congratulations to Team SmartPak Rider  Tom McCutcheon and McCutcheon Reining Horses
Press Release- NATIONAL REINING HORSE ASSOCIATION

Oklahoma City, OK – October 2, 2009 – With the stars aligned in his favor, Smart Starbuck was destined to become an NRHA Million Dollar Sire. Paired with Million Dollar Rider Tom McCutcheon, he has over $60,000 garnered in the NRHA show pen. The 1995 sorrel stallion is owned by McCutcheon and his wife Mandy, NRHA’s only Non Pro Million Dollar Rider, as well as the only woman to achieve the distinction. Smart Starbuck is by Million Dollar Sire Grays Starlight and out of the Smart Little Lena daughter Smart Marlena.

In the show pen Smart Starbuck was a perennial finalist in all of the major events, including the NRHA Futurity, NRHA Derby, and the NRBC. He also earned his Register of Merit in the American Quarter Horse Association. But it’s his offspring’s earning power that made his Million Dollar Sire status possible; total $1,001,628.

Smart Starbuck has sired such stellar performers as Starbucks Sidekick
(2003 Congress Reining Futurity Co-Champion, 2005 NRHA Derby open reserve champion, 2006 Team USA Reining Gold Medalist. Owner Adair Reiners LLC., $192,986 LTE); Starbucks Jazz (perennial major-event finalist. Owner Anne Peters, Ft. Myers, FL. $101,228 LTE); Gimme Major Bucks (2007 NRHA Derby Level 2 Limited Non Pro Reserve Champion; 2009 NRBC Level 1 Limited Non Pro Champion. Owner John McElreath, Prosper, TX. $62,255 LTE); and Smart Scat (2008 Cinch/NRHA Non Pro Category 4 Champion. Owner Sunrise Ranch, LLC., Fayetteville, AR. $54,041).

The NRHA is proud to congratulate Smart Starbuck, and owners Tom and Mandy McCutcheon, on this historic achievement as he joins 17 other Million Dollar Sires. He’s in good company.

Incorporated in 1966, the National Reining Horse Association is the governing body of the sport of reining. NRHA, with their International Headquarters in Oklahoma City, is responsible for promoting the sport and working to ensure the highest standards of competition. To learn more about NRHA, programs like Entry Level “Green, Ride and Slide” Reining, or its family of corporate partners, visit nrha.com.

The Bayer Select World Show is unique as it is the world’s largest, single-breed horse show open exclusively to amateur exhibitors age 50 and older. Exhibitors showed throughout the year to qualify their Quarter Horses in 41 different events ranging from halter to huntseat equitation, working hunter, cutting, trail, western pleasure and working cow horse. Exhibitors traveled from as far away as Canada, Florida and New Hampshire for the chance at being crowned a World Champion and walking out of the ring with the prized custom-designed trophy and belt buckle.

We had a great time at the show and had the opportunity to meet many of our long time customers and welcome many new ones. Conveniently our booth was located outside the entrance to the arena which allowed us to enjoy the Texas sunshine and be a part of all the action. We quickly learned that our SmartPak horse treat samples were very popular with   all of the horses and even a few dogs as well!

Amarillo, Texas is not just home to the Bayer Select World Show. It is also the home of the American Quarter Horse Association offices and the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum. On Wednesday night exhibitors and AQHA partners were invited to a “Walk Among Legends” reception at the Hall of Fame & Museum. It was an evening of great food and cocktails, and we were even able to tour the museum and Hall of Fame. A neat feature of the Hall of Fame & Museum is that you can watch any world championship run from any of the past World Shows. As we walked through the Hall of Fame we saw many of the exhibitors entertaining themselves by watching old championship runs of their trainers or their first world championship run with a few added laughs.

It was a great week spent in Amarillo and we would like to thank everyone who stopped by to visit us at our booth. Congratulations to all the World Show qualifiers and to Susan Johns and Majestic Scotch for winning the Sooner Trailer Bayer Select All-Around Amateur award. We look forward to seeing you all again next year!

Christine McCrea and husband Jon operate one of the Northeast’s premier show stables, Windsor Show Stables in Windsor CT. Since 1999 Chris has had a presence on the national and international show jumping circuit claiming many wins and top ten finishes. Being on the winning team for the 2007 Nations Cup Hickstead was only to be followed by 3rd in the 2008 Hermes Grand Prix, 2nd at the I love New York Grand Prix, a win at the $100,000 Budweiser Invitational. 2009 has also been a great year for Chris with a 2nd place at the CN Grand Prix in Wellington, 3rd at the Tampa Classic and was a member of the MeyDan FEI Nations Cup Tour One Team. We are really excited to have Chris on board and wish her the best of luck. For more information on Christine McCrea and Windsor Show Stables visit www.windsorshowstables.com.

The Chronicle of the Horse/Molly Sorge

 Kate Levy also joins us from the Northeast with a boarding and training facility in upstate New York, as well as a winter retreat in Wellington. With a major international presence, Kate has had an incredible few years as 2008 proved quite successful. At win at the Grand Prix Norten hardenbeg, Germany, 2nd at the German Masters, 3rd at the 4*Grand Prix Liege, Belgium, Short listed for the Olympic Team after h WEF Trials and it goes on and on. 2009 hasn’t fallen short for Kate getting 2nd in the CSIO Grand Prix in Wellington and having a great trip to the Vermont Summer Festival. More information on Kate Levy can be found on her website at www.katelevyllc.com.

The Chronicle of the Horse/Molly Sorge

 Sandy Ferrell is our newest addition from the hunter ring and is the current World Champion Hunter Rider! Sandy enjoys her time between Pennsylvania and Wellington and is kept quite busy on the show circuit throughout the year. Being well known in the rings for her horsemanship, as a great clinician and person has made Sandy a wonderful addition to our team. Be sure to look for Sandy out in the hunter rings.

We welcome all of our new riders to Team SmartPak and wish them health and happiness for them and their horses, clean rounds and many blues!