I Don’t Ride My Horse At SmartPak, we are well known for being an office full of riders. We go to the barn after work together, talk about the latest color of…
You Know You Own a Thoroughbred When… I am the very proud owner of an oh so handsome Thoroughbred gelding. His name is Samurai (he will also answer to Sam, Sammy, Samwise the…
Birthdays are Made for Cake: A Horse-Friendly Recipe Recently, my horse Riker celebrated his 23rd birthday. Now I have to admit, in the nearly 20 years I’ve owned him, I’ve never made a huge…
A Day in the Life of a Dressage Show Scribe “Needs steadier connection” = 6.5 “Straight on center line, square and secure halt” = 8.0 “Could have better bend and balance” = 7.0 With…
From Co-op to Boarding Barn Transitioning from a co-op barn where I took care of my own horse to a boarding facility was a necessity, but not one I was really looking…
A Day in the Life of an Eventer “You’re an eventer?! You must be crazy?!” is usually the first comment I hear when I tell other riders that this is my sport of choice. In…
How to Train Your Equine-Turned-Dragon: A Stall Rest Saga Editor’s Note: Since this article was published, the ColiCare program has been upgraded to provide up to $10,000 in colic surgery reimburse…
Summer Fun! Swimming with Horses So what do you think of the title of my blog? Does it make you instantly go into a panic? Or maybe gets you totally excited? Where does it…
Wearing a helmet saved my life! Some days are just another day at the barn. Some days and experiences can change your life. Here is my story, and the reason I’ll never rid…
Moving up – How I knew we were ready In every equestrian sport there are various levels of competition, and a goal for many riders is moving up to the next level. In Eventing,…
Thanks, Mom! Love, SmartPak Mom has been our chauffeur, our #1 cheerleader, our groom, our mentor, our bank teller, and, most of all, our best friend. So this Mother’s…
Getting a horse back in shape for spring Now that the snow and ice have melted, it’s time to think about getting the horses fit for the upcoming show season. Here in New England,…
We Asked, You Answered: Spring Conditioning SmartPak asked 'what's the best way to bring a horse back into riding after winter'. Here's what our community had to say!
We Asked, You Answered: Winter Must-Haves SmartPak asked what your must-haves are at the barn in the winter, here's what you had to say!
Pony-Approved Charcuterie One of my favorite trends is fancy charcuterie boards. However, sunny days and summertime finds me spending lots of hours at the barn over…
SmartPak Equine Valentines Chestnuts are red, ribbons are blue, Happy Valentine’s Dayfrom SmartPak to you! From all of us here at SmartPak, we’re wishing you a Happy…
Sweat With SmartPak – Episode Three Welcome back to SmartPak’s Equestrian Exercise mini-series, where SmartPakers Caitlin and Tori demonstrate helpful tips and tricks on worko…
5 Tips for a horse’s first trail ride – Delilah’s big day out At my barn, where we teach lessons through the year as well as summer camp, it’s imperative that our horses be as “worldly” as possible.…