I’m kind of obsessed with beauty subscription boxes, so I was intrigued to try A Horse Box, which is a monthly subscription box featuring lots of goodies for your horse.
I’ve received three boxes so far, so I thought I’d review each one. I’m doing the cheapest box, the Tack Box, which is $25.00 per month. They also have a Barn Box, which is $45.00 per month.
I love trying new human beauty products and getting travel-sized things, so I was excited to try out a combination of new brands and trial-sized items. Equine brands aren’t as ubiquitous as human brands, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find some new ones I’d never heard of. Overall the value is very good and the mix of products is excellent. I’ve found some new brands and some new products from old favorites.
I almost wish the box was cheaper and just included sample sizes of things like shampoos and other horse care items, but you really can’t argue with the value when you receive several full-sized items per month. I do think the box would be put to better use in a multi-horse barn, but single horse owners can also build up a good kit with what you receive.
September Box
My first box in September contained the following. I’ve put the value of the full-sized item next to each product and whether it was full or trial sized. Each box also contains a horse treat sample:
Quietex Paste (full size) $11 – I’m not a calming paste person, but this is good to have on hand for travel.
Absorbine UltraShield (full size) $7 – I’ve used this before, and it’s great for putting under bellies and around sheaths when the gnats are really bad.
Absorbine Wonder Dust (full size) $8 – Thankfully I haven’t had to deal with a lot of big wounds, but I’ve put this in my vet kit. You take the top off and blow the dust onto the wound. It’s good for broader wounds and deep scrapes.
Mrs. Conn’s Bath Day Shampoo Filled Sponge in Liniminty Fresh $10 – I’d never heard of this brand, but I recently tried the Pony Tails shampoo-filled sponge. I’ve used it twice so far and it suds up nicely. It smells minty and contains some liniment. The brand makes some other kinds of sponges with nice scents that I’d be willing to try, and while they are meant to last a few uses, I feel that the value of a soap-filled sponge is kind of low for the price. They’re great for travel though!
Aspire Rain Rot Treatment (full size) $13 – I’d never heard of this brand, but they’re eco-friendly, and the bottle is recyclable. Oh So has a bit of rain rot on his haunches, so I’m going to test this out and report back!
October Box
Farnam Cough Free (32 day supply) $13 for a 12 day supply – I’ve been testing this herbal supplement out on Toppers right now, and it seems palatable. He occasionally coughs but since I’m not around as much I’m not able to see the effectiveness. I’ll be checking in with my mom to see what she’s observed. It’s a good value though with enough product to see if it works for your horse.
Absorbine Reusable Mitt $10-$12 – This mitt flips over your hand and arm to keep it clean when applying lotions and sprays. I’ve been using it to wipe down Oh So with a shine spray or fly spray before I ride and so far, so good. It’s waterproof and reusable and can help get that last minute dust off before a show. It can also be used to clean tack.
E3 Tea Tree Shampoo (32 oz.) $13 – This shampoo smells so nice and pleasant. Tea tree oil is good for the skin, and the shampoo made Oh So’s coat nice and shiny.
Leather New Foam (full size) $7 – Foams are super easy to use, and I love this for a quick after-ride cleaning of my boots and tack. I don’t find it particularly moisturizing so I use a conditioner afterwards when I have time.
Cold Flex Show Pro Finishing Spray (sample size) – The company claims this will repel dust and insects, but I didn’t get a chance to try it before winter set in. It does have a nice scent and is all natural.
November Box
Bigeloil Quilted Poultice Hoof Pad (1 pad) $6 – I’ve never tried this, but I’m keeping it in my emergency kit for the next lost shoe.The brand claims it’s not messy and is easy to remove. It contains kaolin clay and epsom salt so it’s perfect for abcesses and sore feet.
Powerflex Vet Wrap (1 roll) $2 – I’m not picky about my vet wrap brands, so this goes in the vet kit!
Charleigh’s Cookies (1 cookie) $23 for 1lb: You’d have to ask Oh So about how these organic cookies tasted, but he ate them right up! The brand makes a Cover Up Cookie to help feed pills, so I’ll keep them in mind.
Farnam Purishield Emergency Wound Kit (4 sample sizes): This sample kit is just what I need for my vet kit. I rarely use products before they expire with just a few horses to deal with. Farnam’s new products include a wound spray, a barrier spray, hydrogel and skin spray. The skin spray is meant for bacterial and fungal skin issues, while the hydrogel is for wound care and is meant to bind to the wound. Thankfully I haven’t needed to test these yet!
Finish Line AirPower (1 syringe/1 dose) $5 for one dose- Meant as a natural cough syrup, AirPower soothes the airway with ingredients including aloe vera, honey and lemon juice. Oh So doesn’t have a cough, but when I gave it to him to test it went down easily, and he didn’t spit it out! I’m not sure how effective this would be for a horse with a cough. I would have to test it over a longer period. Having just written two stories about equine airways, I’m skeptical about supplements, and if my horse did cough, I’d take him to a vet and see if he might have inflammatory airway disease or something more severe like laryngeal paralysis. I could see giving it if your horse had a dusty bale of hay or to help a horse with IAD, but I’m not sure about the effectiveness long term.
Everything Eventing 