Latest news with #equine
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tractor Supply Named Exclusive National Retailer for SmartEquine SmartPaks Leading Equine Supplement System
SmartEquine products are now available nationwide in stores and online, with SmartPaks pre-portioned supplement packs designed for essential equine wellness available exclusively at Tractor Supply and BRENTWOOD, Tenn., July 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO), the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, announced today it will add SmartEquine's health and wellness solutions to its extensive lineup of industry-leading equine products. Beginning today, customers can find SmartEquine's SmartPaks supplement varieties in Tractor Supply stores nationwide, with an expanded product lineup available at SmartPaks daily supplement packs provide pre-measured portions of SmartEquine's scientifically formulated supplements for precision, convenience and consistency. Tractor Supply is the exclusive national retailer for SmartPaks. "SmartEquine and SmartPaks changed the game for equine nutrition by making precision supplementing simple—and effective," said Nicole Logan, Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager at Tractor Supply. "It's not just convenient—it's customized, research-based care delivered in a way that fits real equestrian routines. By bringing SmartPaks to the national level exclusively at our stores and online, Tractor Supply continues to raise the bar for equine wellness and meet the evolving needs of the horse community we proudly serve." SmartPaks supplements are ideal for every type of horse, from competitive athletes and lesson ponies to trail mounts and beyond. Supplement options include joint health, digestion, electrolytes, hoof health and more. For those unsure of which supplement is right for their horse, offers a SmartEquine Solution Finder that directs users to the ideal products based on their horse's unique needs. SmartEquine has been elevating equine wellbeing through scientifically developed supplements, innovative wellness solutions and expert guidance from industry leaders for more than 25 years. Its unique customized supplement programs are formulated to address specific health challenges—from advanced joint support to precision hindgut protection—to give each horse exactly what it needs. In addition to the SmartPaks supplement system, Tractor Supply will also offer an expansive lineup of SmartEquine supplements in stores and online. Tractor Supply and provide equine customers with an extensive range of horse pharmacy items, horse feed and treats, bedding, waterers, grooming supplies, riding gear and more. To shop SmartEquine supplements and all things equine, visit About Tractor Supply Company For more than 85 years, Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ: TSCO) has been passionate about serving the needs of recreational farmers, ranchers, homeowners, gardeners, pet enthusiasts and all those who enjoy living Life Out Here. Tractor Supply is the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the U.S., ranking 296 on the Fortune 500. The Company's more than 52,000 Team Members are known for delivering legendary service and helping customers pursue their passions, whether that means being closer to the land, taking care of animals or living a hands-on, DIY lifestyle. In store and online, Tractor Supply provides what customers need – anytime, anywhere, any way they choose at the low prices they deserve. As part of the Company's commitment to caring for animals of all kinds, Tractor Supply is proud to include Petsense by Tractor Supply, a pet specialty retailer, and Allivet, a leading online pet pharmacy, in its family of brands. Together, Tractor Supply is able to provide comprehensive solutions for pet care, livestock wellness and rural living, ensuring customers and their animals thrive. From its stores to the customer's doorstep, Tractor Supply is here to serve and support Life Out Here. As of June 28, 2025, the Company operated 2,335 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and 207 Petsense by Tractor Supply stores in 23 states. For more information, visit and View source version on Contacts Mary Winn Pilkington (615) 440-4212Chris Mainz (615) 647-1991corporatecommunications@
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
View from the Paddock: the threats and challenges of farming in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, had an undulant journey through the 70s and 80s meandering between a 'bush-war' and independence. Zimbabwe's post-independence was marked by periods of progress and set-back with significant political and economic landscape shifts. So it felt like quite the oxymoron standing on my mate's farm – 15,000 pecan trees (planting started in 2018), and 1000 head or so of cattle grazing under centre pivots. Dr Jeremy is a world renowned equine surgeon mate of mine; we vetted Derbies in Mongolia and Argentina over the years. He's hung the scalpel up to build projects and equity – it was incredible to see his vision before me as we sipped coffee on the top of a red-soil ridge about 40-odd kms out of Bulawayo. Dr Jeremy's family had farmed next door for over a century. Family members are buried there, albeit they had been 'moved on' in the late 90s during an illustrious period of African land reform. What unfolded was agricultural enterprises being run into the ground – put plainly, people started starving. But as the old colloquialism goes 'You don't grow when you're comfortable' and it appears that farming and agriculture is now welcomed back to postcodes that had shunned its certain principles previously. But farming in Africa doesn't come without its challenges – sure there's threats from foot and mouth, and lumpy skin but there's the very African-esque clashes between 'centre pivot guards' and miners. As the price of gold skyrockets globally, so does the thirst for its procurement – locals go into the bush and start digging, even if it means going onto a farm. What is a centre-pivot guard? Literally staff who sleep and boil a billy with the farming plant at night and make sure it doesn't get stolen. Dr Jeremy elaborated that they have had to burr the centre-pivot gearbox bungs off because the oil would be stolen out of them, which had resulted in multiple gearboxes seizing on the pivots. You literally can't write this stuff… What brought me to Africa? I had been giving lectures at the African Cattle Vets conference on bovine trichomoniasis and the world's first approach to mobile testing. The Africans have been battling this disease for some time and attempted to get more calves on the ground – the recent FMD outbreaks had also been a headache. Luckily my portable machines can be used for that too – the Africans are rejoicing on these solutions! © Copyright The Zimbabwean. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Telegraph
29-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
The expressions that reveal how a horse is feeling
There is more to horseplay than meets the eye, scientists have found after discovering a wide range of equine facial expressions and their meanings. A total of 22 facial behaviours were identified, falling into one of four categories – playing, friendly, alert or aggression. Scientists gathered videos of 36 horses at an equine centre in Winchester, Hampshire, and used a computer system to track precise muscle movements in the face. Each facial change was linked to specific muscle actions to allow for precise matching of behaviour to expression. When horses were in a jolly mood and playing around, they tended to open their mouths, the scientists found. This, they said, was similar to how carnivores and primates are agape when playing with a friend or family member, suggesting a universal origin of horseplay among mammals. Other telltale signs of playfulness were lots of eye white being visible, rotated and flattened ears, and a raised chin. In contrast, signs of agonistic behaviour that foreshadowed aggression were a lowered head, flared nostrils and raised eyebrows. When on alert, or in a high attentional state, horses had their ears facing forward and blinked more, often raising or lowering their heads to see or smell better. Friendliness was harder to identify, the scientists found, with neutral expressions often meaning the horse was in a good mood. Pushing noses forward was the only big indicator, according to the study. Dr Leanne Proops, the study's author and an associate professor in animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Portsmouth, said: 'This work is a game-changer for anyone working with horses. 'It gives us a new lens through which to view and interpret their behaviour, ultimately leading to better care and stronger human-animal relationships.' Horses have a more limited range of facial expressions than humans or dogs, the scientists wrote in their study, and as a result many facial movements are seen across different behaviours. 'Based on the systematic measurement of individual muscle movements, we have provided the first comprehensive ethogram showing that the domestic horse is capable of producing a wide range of distinct facial behaviours,' the scientists wrote. 'While this is a comprehensive ethogram of captive horses, the full range of horse facial behaviours is likely to be wider when we consider sexual interactions, male herding behaviours, adult-young interactions and rarer/lesser performed behavioural interactions.' Conventional wisdom in horse care has stated that if a horse has its ears forwards it is happy, and if they are back it is upset or in pain, but this study has challenged this. Its authors wrote: 'We therefore recommend that care is taken to not automatically attribute ears back or flattened to aggressive intent or pain.'
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
They Nail Shoes on Horses' Feet. Millions Watch.
At the London premiere of the latest Marvel movie, 'Thunderbolts,' last month, the usual crowd was invited: models, celebrities and Hollywood types. Slipping between them, his tattoos peeping out of his button-down, was a less typical invited guest: a 32-year-old man who makes a living nailing metal shoes onto horses' feet. No one was more surprised that a farrier from West Yorkshire, England, nabbed an invite to a film premiere than the man himself. For half his life, Samuel Wolfenden has pared and filed horse hooves in relative obscurity alongside his father at his blacksmithing business in Halifax, just west of Leeds, SW Farriers. He was happy to hammer shoes onto the overgrown hoofs of stout Suffolk Punch horses and little Dales ponies, and go to bed in his hometown, satisfied with the polished equine toes he left behind. Then one day two years ago he propped his phone on his toolbox of rasps and nippers in the barn while he was nailing a shoe onto a shaggy Shire horse and pressed record. 'I wanted a portfolio of what I'm doing to look back at,' Wolfenden said in an interview in May, recalling why he filmed and then posted that 10-second clip on Instagram before going to bed that night. 'I woke up the next day and had millions of millions of views; I had one hundred thousand followers,' he added. 'It was wild.' The combination of adorable animals, good-looking men (and some women) and the satisfaction of watching a shabby hoof get scraped and hammered into something seemly, has emerged as must-scroll viewing for the millions of people — many with nothing to do with horses — who appear to be transfixed by farrier content. Today, Wolfenden's farriery Instagram account has a million followers; on TikTok his posts have garnered 8.7 million likes. His videos, paring down the frog, or fleshy, central toe on the underside of a hoof, or painting on polish, regularly get hundreds of millions of views. They have thrust the blacksmith into the life of an influencer, with sponsorship deals, glamorous appearances, modeling gigs and even a publicist. And he's not alone: a host of blacksmiths, male and female, from around the world have jumped onto the trend, drawing global audiences and sometimes lucrative influencer deals for what was once toilsome work hidden in the back of the barn. Theories abound to account for the appeal: to some horseshoeing is #SoSatisfying, akin to pimple popping videos. Others said they believed viewers find it intriguing because of the window it offers into an esoteric world. Whatever the draw, some industry leaders say they are beginning to see the impact seeping past the screen, driving new demographics, such as young women and people from nonequestrian backgrounds, to pursue what has traditionally been a male-dominated and insular trade. 'I think a lot of people, they see horses, they understand horses, but they don't understand what goes into horses,' said Sam Dracott, a farrier from Surrey, England, who has four million followers on YouTube and TikTok. 'It is the unknown — and it is quite satisfying to watch; they enjoy escaping reality and watching that and numbing their mind.' Horse hooves are made of the same material as a human fingernail and grow constantly, necessitating shape-ups about every six weeks to keep the animal in good conformation. Humans began nailing metal shoes onto horse's hooves to protect them in battle as early as 300 B.C., according to David Chaffetz, the author of 'Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires.' When the Roman Empire popularized hoof-bruising stone roads, the skill of farriery rose in importance, only dwindling into obscurity centuries later as cars replaced horses. Blacksmithing has managed to buck the decline in interest from young people in other trades like heating, ventilation and cooling repair and masonry, Martha L. Jones, the executive director of the American Farrier's Association, said in an email; in recent years, she wrote, there has been a large influx of young women to the discipline, once a rarity. 'That could be a direct effect of the craftsmen and women posting their work, reels,' Jones added. 'Or even drilling down from there, of the 'so satisfying' hashtag that really seemed to take off for a while — that drew attention to what otherwise might be seen as menial, day-to-day tasks, or in our case, of hoof cleaning, trimming and shoeing.' The influencer farriers seem to have heralded a new heyday for the craft. As he travels between polo barns and show jumping stables across the south of England, Dracott now has an entourage working with him to keep up with content demand. He has a dedicated videographer, a social media manager and — naturally — a publicist too. He charges £125 (about $165) for a set of shoes, and can bang out between six and a dozen horses a day. His influencing, he says, has doubled his income. Wolfenden's operation is less glamorous — it's still just a phone propped on a toolbox, he said, or held by his blacksmithing apprentice, Tom Rowbottom, 19. He declined to say how much he earns from either business venture, but said that horseshoeing still made up the bulk of his income. He did reveal what else his internet fame has attracted: suitors. Tattooed with a six-pack and unafraid to shoe horses shirtless (like a number of other influencer farriers), Wolfenden said he had to remove his contact information from farrier registries because of an onslaught of love letters, flowers and chocolates. More welcome are the many letters from fans that describe hard times, he said, and how his videos were a soothing distraction that got them through. About a year ago, Louis D. Bryant, a farrier from Howell, Mich., who is a board member of the International Association of Professional Farriers, was stunned to learn that the doctors at the hospital where his wife works chill out on their breaks by watching farrier videos, he said. 'I said to her, 'I can get a side hustle — if they want to ride with me, I will show them firsthand how to trim a horse.'' He soon also became a fan — of Wolfenden. 'The one guy, he's just a good looking dude,' he said with a laugh. 'Heck, I watch him just for that.' At the Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School in Plymouth, Calif., Amanda Smith, 35, the lead instructor, has noticed an uptick in enrollment of students with zero horse experience, something she attributes to the proliferation of shoeing content. 'It makes me wonder: How did you think of this? Because you never put a halter on a horse, and now you are thinking of putting shoes on their feet?' Smith said. 'I will have to admit, every time they come, my first thought is: 'Did you see one of those videos?'' She had her own brush with influence. Recently, she posted a video of a pair of bright pink novelty horse shoes she tacked on a horse. When the views spiked to five million, colleagues began calling, she said, warning her if she influenced their clients to ask for goofy pink shoes, she would be the one they would blame. She quickly took it down. 'I don't like the attention,' Smith explained. 'I like shoeing horses.'
The Standard
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Standard
The French 1,000 Guineas Call Was Correct. It Shows The Need For Global Standards
What's in a name? Why there's a new Beauty Generation but can't be another Golden Sixty
