Fed up of getting ripped off

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LukeWill

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After buying several supplements and as a riding instructor who constantly gets asked what supplements to buy, I decided I had enough of all the "this is the best" "this is proven to..." and all the other rubbish that is on advertising.
So I wrote to some companies. Some wrote back, some didn't. Some I then complained about.
My friends said I should start a campaign... so I have....
Please spread the word so we no longer accept getting lied to or ripped off....

https://www.facebook.com/groups/101985773593175/
 
We will have to see if it makes any difference. I hope so.
Unfortunately so far the companies have been more like "complain if you want to" rather than even bother to try and support what they say/claim.
The good news is the ones I have complained about have all been made to remove their advertising so it just goes to show.
 
Well done. I took exception to vbandz advertising, though it was giving false hope to owners of horses with navicular. They could produce no credible evidence.
These companies know people will clutch at anything to help their horse.
 
Well done you - Equifeast are awful, peddling pseudo science which wasn't supported by the real thing. They sold me a "calmer" which was largely calcium, without checking the base levels we already had, and that would negate any magnesium I had been feeding for years to counteract a deficiency. And I know at least one well known horse person with a large stable of horses who was completely taken in by the personality at the top.
Maybe start a pinned post for people to report the result of their enquiries? And recommend those that are based on science and evidence (not anecdotal, there will always be the coincidental good result)?
 
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I know! It's one of the reasons why I got so p****d off with it. It's all smoke and mirrors and when you sit down and go through it it's shameful what goes on. I'm working through all the different joint supplements at the moment, you will not believe how little is in so many of them. Not even enough for a cat let alone a horse! I'm putting a table together and will share it in the group.
 
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fburton said:
Does any company claim to offer detox for horses? (If not, there's a gap in the market!)

Products that promise “detox” are a sham. Yes, all of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw08dtKt4oY
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Yes I think Hilton herbs do. They are awful too. I had a horse with various allergies so called to speak with their vet to find out what might be suitable. They were v cagey, refused to tell me what is any of the products, couldn't / wouldn't tell me how they work, and had absolutely no science to back up any of their claims.
 
I remember that someone did a comparison of the active ingredients in joint supplements and posted it here a few years ago, maybe search for it?
LukeWill said:
I know! It's one of the reasons why I got so p****d off with it. It's all smoke and mirrors and when you sit down and go through it it's shameful what goes on. I'm working through all the different joint supplements at the moment, you will not believe how little is in so many of them. Not even enough for a cat let alone a horse! I'm putting a table together and will share it in the group.
Click to expand...
 
JillA said:
Well done you - Equifeast are awful, peddling pseudo science which wasn't supported by the real thing. They sold me a "calmer" which was largely calcium, without checking the base levels we already had, and that would negate any magnesium I had been feeding for years to counteract a deficiency. And I know at least one well known horse person with a large stable of horses who was completely taken in by the personality at the top.
Maybe start a pinned post for people to report the result of their enquiries? And recommend those that are based on science and evidence (not anecdotal, there will always be the coincidental good result)?
Click to expand...

Yep, seen that Equifeast bloke posting on here and on Facebook and don't like the cut of his jib at all.

OP, I think a lot of horse feed companies have a lot to answer for also, why can't they just sell sacks of micronized linseed instead of various 'conditioning' concoctions?
 
I'm not entirely sure why you are getting so steamed up about it. Most horses don't need any supplements whatsoever, unless they have some medical condition, or on an extremely restricted diet. What works for one horse won't work for dozens of others. I can say that the supplement I used for my arthritic horse was fantastic and really did what it said on the tin, but while I'm happy to endorse it, I wouldn't say you MUST go and buy it. Products are advertised to within an inch of the regulations because the manufacturers want to sell it. I for one, don't believe everything I'm told about anything and frankly, if you are buying something that is advertised on prime-time TV, or a whole page in a publication, then it is the customers who will be paying for that and I tend to avoid on the spot as a result. If people get 'taken in' by advertising then really they need to be looking at themselves and wondering why they are so gullible. Some fancy and expensive face-cream isn't going to make you look like you have had a face-lift - and that's a fact.
 
fatpiggy said:
I'm not entirely sure why you are getting so steamed up about it. Most horses don't need any supplements whatsoever, unless they have some medical condition, or on an extremely restricted diet. What works for one horse won't work for dozens of others. I can say that the supplement I used for my arthritic horse was fantastic and really did what it said on the tin, but while I'm happy to endorse it, I wouldn't say you MUST go and buy it. Products are advertised to within an inch of the regulations because the manufacturers want to sell it. I for one, don't believe everything I'm told about anything and frankly, if you are buying something that is advertised on prime-time TV, or a whole page in a publication, then it is the customers who will be paying for that and I tend to avoid on the spot as a result. If people get 'taken in' by advertising then really they need to be looking at themselves and wondering why they are so gullible. Some fancy and expensive face-cream isn't going to make you look like you have had a face-lift - and that's a fact.
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I think you seem to be missing the point. There are laws about misleading advertising so as not to prey on people or essentially con them into buying something. Not everyone has an equine science degree, or in depth knowledge about nutrition and therefore many many people will read what is being advertised. Just like any other product in any other market. So why should ANY company be allowed to treat people this way? Fact is they should not. Be it with horses, dogs, cats, cars, trainers, tennis racket.... take your pick. If you're going to advertise something and claim it can do something.... then it should do exactly that. You wouldn't get away with in with humans why should be allow it to happen to our animals?
 
Brilliant idea - just asked to join your fb page. Don't suppose you got anything on Riaflex and Protexin Acid Ease did you ..... I'm currently considering these for my boy who has ulcers and joint stiffness.....
 
Well I have just asked to join your group. Might be worth trawling through the feeding section on here as pretty sure some posters have done some of the work you are doing. Thank you for doing this.
 
Well you will only get ripped off if you buy into all the marketing hype and buy the product. I often think that the companies with the glossiest advertising campaigns are the ones I want to avoid as I would rather their money went into product development and not marketing.

However I do agree that a lot of the advertising does prey on people's desire to do the best for their horse even if they don't know what that is.
 
Be aware that "experts" are often paid to write blurb to promote a product. Provided their views are written as informed opinion and not fact, they are doing nothing wrong. Caveat emptor -- Let the buyer beware. I won't be buying any supplements unless my ponies have a deficiency and it is recommended by the vet (who doesn't sell it!).
 
LukeWill said:
I think you seem to be missing the point. There are laws about misleading advertising so as not to prey on people or essentially con them into buying something. Not everyone has an equine science degree, or in depth knowledge about nutrition and therefore many many people will read what is being advertised. Just like any other product in any other market. So why should ANY company be allowed to treat people this way? Fact is they should not. Be it with horses, dogs, cats, cars, trainers, tennis racket.... take your pick. If you're going to advertise something and claim it can do something.... then it should do exactly that. You wouldn't get away with in with humans why should be allow it to happen to our animals?
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OK, well report the adverts to the advertising authorities then surely? I don't have an equine degree but I have 40 years experience which is worth way more than a piece of paper from a college. Back in my day we had straights, hay, and canvas rugs for when it was really bad weather. Horses seemed to do perfectly well on it. After all, given that most compound feeds have molasses as a binding agent, do all horses actually NEED all that sugar? Uh, no. Its there simply to keep the dust down which would make me very suspicious about the quality of it in that case.
 
Will be requesting to join! My mare only gets mag and turmeric in the way of supplements, dont see the point of feeding all this other stuff, better things to spend my money on!
 
This yes!! FINALLY! I have requested to join your group. Thank you for taking a stand. The freestep calmer spray one, i was horrified when i saw it! These companies need stopping until some credible evidence can be seen!
 
Great page thankyou! I too have requested to join.
I feel huge guilt not feeding a supplement for every flaw I see in my horses so this may save me a fortune! (and ease the guilt in doing so!)
 
I tried equifeast on my 'crazy' pony who has RER which is a muscle calcium regulation issue. I had tried other things and he was still 'crazy' so thought I'd give it a try. Two unusual things happened. It says you should do 5 days on the supplement and 2 days off. I'll admit I forgot this and fed it continuously for 2 weeks. Then I remembered, took it out of his evening feed, the next morning he had an hour long episode of major muscle fasiculations, his whole body was in spasm. I believe this is likely to be because he had become dependent on the supplemented calcium and basically went into withdrawal. I appreciate that had I fed the supplement properly this might not have happened but I think there should be a warning that it COULD happen.

The other thing that happened was he became very footsore, despite being on a mostly hay diet. Since taking him off it his feet were quickly back to rock crunching. I doubt I will ever see my feedback on their website.

He is now on a non faddy diet of unmolassed chaff and spillers lite pellets and he is the most consistently calm and well behaved he has ever been, not because of his diet but because I investigated and tackled other issues like hayfever.
 
KatPT said:
I tried equifeast on my 'crazy' pony who has RER which is a muscle calcium regulation issue. I had tried other things and he was still 'crazy' so thought I'd give it a try. Two unusual things happened. It says you should do 5 days on the supplement and 2 days off. I'll admit I forgot this and fed it continuously for 2 weeks. Then I remembered, took it out of his evening feed, the next morning he had an hour long episode of major muscle fasiculations, his whole body was in spasm. I believe this is likely to be because he had become dependent on the supplemented calcium and basically went into withdrawal. I appreciate that had I fed the supplement properly this might not have happened but I think there should be a warning that it COULD happen.

The other thing that happened was he became very footsore, despite being on a mostly hay diet. Since taking him off it his feet were quickly back to rock crunching. I doubt I will ever see my feedback on their website.

He is now on a non faddy diet of unmolassed chaff and spillers lite pellets and he is the most consistently calm and well behaved he has ever been, not because of his diet but because I investigated and tackled other issues like hayfever.
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They seem to feel very strongly about this 'loading' stage, like they're covering up something that shouldn't be in there. As though something in the supplement has a greater effect than is ideal for a horse in it.

I actually had a talk with the bloke and wasn't too keen on his tone. I now feed Science supplements ProKalm and find it has really made a great difference on my little horse.
 
fatpiggy said:
I'm not entirely sure why you are getting so steamed up about it. Most horses don't need any supplements whatsoever, unless they have some medical condition, or on an extremely restricted diet. What works for one horse won't work for dozens of others. I can say that the supplement I used for my arthritic horse was fantastic and really did what it said on the tin, but while I'm happy to endorse it, I wouldn't say you MUST go and buy it. Products are advertised to within an inch of the regulations because the manufacturers want to sell it. I for one, don't believe everything I'm told about anything and frankly, if you are buying something that is advertised on prime-time TV, or a whole page in a publication, then it is the customers who will be paying for that and I tend to avoid on the spot as a result. If people get 'taken in' by advertising then really they need to be looking at themselves and wondering why they are so gullible. Some fancy and expensive face-cream isn't going to make you look like you have had a face-lift - and that's a fact.
Click to expand...

The trouble is there are lots of horse owners who have very little knowledge of basic horse nutrition, they want the best for their horse and some pseudo scientist tells them if you feed this it will do that. If only life was so simple.
 
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