Hey guys!
It’s been over a year and a half since I moved from North Carolina to Idaho, and I truly thought my days of shopping at Tractor Supply were over!… Until… I found out there’s a Tractor Supply about an hour from my house! Since moving to Idaho, I’ve been shopping at D&B Supply, which is fine, but it’s just not the same… Die-hard Tractor Supply fans know what I’m talking about! Within about FIVE minutes of learning about the illusive Idaho Tractor Supply, I was in my truck and on my way! I got a TON of great stuff that’s not available at my local D&B Supply, so the trip was a HUGE success!
Chopped Hay for my Senior Horse
The most important thing I got on my Tractor Supply run was a few bags of chopped hay for my senior horse Bamboozal. Bamboozal is 24 years old, and his teeth aren’t what they used to be. He’s started having trouble chewing some types of hay. Very coarse thick stalks of hay are hard for him to chew and he ends up quidding them up and spitting them out. He has done well on high-quality timothy and grass hays as well as some supplemental alfalfa added in. That being said, as a boarder, it can be hard to ensure the consistency of hay from month to month. If you’re not inspecting it, buying it and watching your horse eating, there’s not a lot you can do about quality control at a boarding facility.
At Tractor Supply, I found TWO different types of chopped hay and bought a few bags of both! The first one is from Manna Pro / Lucerne Farms and it’s a blend of Timothy, Oat and Alfalfa hays. It’s chopped up and has molasses and oil added to reduce dust. The label doesn’t say how much molasses is in it, so I’m going to feed it sparingly, more as a treat than as an acctual replacement for forage. If you’re concerned about molasses, or if you’re looking for a chopped hay to completely replace your horse’s forage needs, this probably isn’t the choice for you.
The second bag I got is by Dumor, which I think is Tractor Supply’s store brand. It’s a blend of timothy and alfalfa and also has a blend of oil and molasses to reduce dust. They didn’t have it in stock, but they also carry Standlee brand chopped hay, which I believe does not have any molasses added to it. That would be a good choice for people who need chopped hay to meet a significant portion of their horse’s forage requirements without added sugar.
No Tack Haul is Complete Without Grooming Supplies
While I was at Tractor Supply, I picked up a few of my old standbys! Cowboy Magic is my go-to product for detangling high-maintenance manes and tails. I’ve used a ton of other great detangling products, but I keep coming back to Cowboy Magic. It leaves hair smooth and slick. I like to put it in when I first get to the barn and then let it work through the hairs while I ride or do ground work. Before I put my horse away, I detangle the mane and tail with my fingers and then work through with a good brush. I’ve found this method to be the least damaging to beautiful manes and tails! Every hair is precious!
I also picked up a bottle of my FAVORITE coat spray. It’s the Marigold Spray by Eqyss! First of all, it’s a great spray, and it keeps my horse’s coats smooth and shiny. Second of all, it smells amazing! I usually don’t like a lot of scented stuff, but this Marigold coat spray smells so good. Finally, it’s cruelty free, and it’s reportedly safe to spray around eyes! (I’m not going to test that, but I like to know that’s a feature of the product.)
*Sidebar- One of my earliest and most vivid horse memories was of a horse in grooming stocks (metal-frame) flipping over backwards when a lady sprayed fly spray (or some kind of spray??) in her eyes. It was traumatic, for me and the horse. Poor C.P.
Equine Enrichment Products at Tractor Supply
What I’m MOST excited about that I found at Tractor Supply is the Shires Ball Feeder! I’ve seen these on Amazon, and I’ve been wanting one for a while, so I snatched it up immediately! If you’re not familiar with the concept of equine enrichment, it’s all about giving your horse a more stimulating environment. By nature, horses have a very active seeking system. In the wild, they would be grazing and searching for water and the best grasses all day long. In most (not all) modern day domestic equine environments, horses just stand around all day. Horses can get board in modern-day boarding facilities and even in our backyards. This is why we see horses with “stable vices” like weaving and cribbing, and lots of issues related to sedentary equine lifestyles.
Equine enrichment is definitely becoming more mainstream with slow-feed hay nets and slow feeders (they’re not just equine enrichment, they’re good for your horse’s digestive system too!) Products like Jolly Balls and other “stall toys” are designed to stimulate a horse’s mind and keep her from getting bored. Some of these products are better than others, and I’m really excited to try out the Shires Ball Feeder.
You can put grain, chopped hay, cut up pieces of carrots or just about any small treat in the ball feeder, and your horse has to push it around until the food falls out. What could be more fun and interesting to a horse? I can’t wait to try it out, and I will do a full review and let you guys know what I think about it!
I also got a Mega Jolly Ball! I’ve been at barns with these before, but I’ve never had one of my own, so I’ve been tentative to really let me horses play with them. I think this will be a fun confidence-building toy for my horses, and I have some great ideas for clicker training sessions involving the ball. Stay tuned for this review too!
Until next time, Happy Trails!