Smartsox

Does anyone on this forum use it? I've been trying to read critiques but I'd like to hear what folks use it for and how they feel it works.

SmartSox® Pellets - Horse Hoof Supplements from SmartPak Equine

Yes, I have used it. I used SmartSox for my 19 year old mare with navicular, as I wanted to get one more barrel racing season out of her. It was actually suggested by my vet, because it increases blood flow and therefore alleviates heel pain. It worked well, I weaned her off of bute as I used it more. She stayed pretty sound until the end of the season. I took her off of it because I had pretty much gotten what I wanted out of the season, and it is a bit pricey.

Would you use that on top of like a farriers formula or would you drop the farriers formula and replace it with that? Also, on show weekends, what about this?

Magic Cushion Xtreme Hoof Packing - Hoof Care from SmartPak Equine

I am not sure what your horse's hoof issues are, but Farrier's Formula and SmartSox are completely different supplements and provide different benefits. Farrier's Formula provides healthy hoof growth, prevents cracking, and provides ingredients for healthy skin and coat, etc. SmartSox is essentially a pain-reliever. Horses that seem to have sore feet and heels, or are known to have poor blood circulation will benefit from SmartSox. Therefore, if your horse is just having soreness issues, and his hooves are in good condition with no cracks or flaking--then I would maybe reduce the Farrier's Formula dosage or cut it out. I myself just used SmartSox because my horse's hooves are in great condition but because of the navicular she was suffering from extreme heel pain.

If you are considering using Magic Cushion Xtreme Hoof Packing, that tells me your horse suffers from sore feet. So yes, I would use it before, during, and after a weekend of showing to prevent/reduce pain. I have never used this myself, but do believe in additional supplementing/treatment during times of stress (show weekends, traveling, etc).

Thank you! That was extremely helpful. I think I'm going to order the smart sox in my next smartpack shipment. I will also try the magic cushion at the next show. He has had an insane amount of abscesses over the last year. He has one heel that has begun to atropede (forget the correct horsey word). We've taken x-rays and changed his toe and heel angles.

You are very welcome. Good luck!!