ColiCare Helped Me Save My Horse’s Life

PLYMOUTH, MA – July 31, 2014 – Kelsey Herring is a lifelong rider, and is living her dream as a rider and student at Clemson University in South Carolina. But this past spring, she was living every horse owner’s nightmare when she got the news that her horse had to go to colic surgery. While the uncertainty was scary, Kelsey knew she had one thing by her side—she had ColiCare.

“When I got that call (that he needed surgery), I was very scared, but having the ColiCare program there to support me through the whole process was a weight off my shoulders,” said Herring. “I had first heard about the ColiCare program from my vet, Dr. Liz Maloney. She had recommended it, and I thought it’d be nice to have the $7,500 of colic surgery reimbursement, if anything were to happen. But I never dreamt I’d actually have to use it. As it turned out, having that coverage meant I didn’t have to make that extreme decision — there was no second guessing; he was getting the surgery. We were going to do everything we could to save him.”

The ColiCare program is open to horses that are fed any of the four ColiCare eligible products in SmartPaks™: SmartDigest^® Ultra, SmartGI^™Ultra, SmartCombo^™ Ultra and SmartCombo Senior Ultra.   Horses enrolled in the ColiCare program are required to participate in a veterinarian-directed wellness program. These Annual Wellness Requirements include vaccinations administered by a veterinarian, physical and dental exams performed by a veterinarian, and a veterinarian-directed deworming program that includes at least one fecal test and two deworming administrations per year.

Should the horse ever need to go to surgery, filing a claim through ColiCare is simple and easy. Start by calling SmartPak to initiate the claim, and SmartPak will provide you with 2 forms for the veterinarian and surgeon to fill out. Once the claim is approved, a reimbursement check will be mailed within five to seven business days. “When it came to the reimbursement, filing the claim with SmartPak was really easy,” said Herring. “It just felt like you were calling a friend. All the SmartPakers were really concerned about how Kat was doing and how I was doing. So, it was really nice to have a little support system there.”

“When Kat came home, walking him back into his own stall was very emotional. I was so relieved and so happy to have him back. He’s doing great in his recovery; we’re back in light work and focusing on building up his muscle. I’m so looking forward to getting him back out on trail rides and eventing.”

“Looking back on everything, I’m so grateful everything was so smooth. I’ll definitely keep Kat on SmartDigest Ultra, and I’m keeping my mare, Lex, on it as well. For me, the main benefit of the program is the daily digestive support. My horses move with me between New England and South Carolina, and I know changing environments, traveling, and competing all can lead to digestive stress. While I know firsthand that nothing can completely prevent colic, I firmly believe that supporting digestive health is a smart choice for my horses.”

“I’ve told all my friends about ColiCare, and I’m sure half the horses in the barn are enrolled by now. I would 100% recommend it to anyone. It’s simply worth it.”

Want to protect your horse? Visit online at www.SmartPak.com/ColiCare or by calling 1-888-752-5171 to learn more about the ColiCare program.