Posted on August 3, 2018
A trusted name like Hoffman’s Horse Products doesn’t just appear out of nowhere- it takes experienced horsemen with foresight, dedication and passion for the animals to create something truly ground breaking in the equine industry. Kirstin Smith, with Country Junction Feeds and Hoffman’s Horse Products knows those traits and more when it comes to delivering effective horse feed to horse owners across Canada and the United States. Growing up in the family business has provided Kirstin with the experience and insight into a company deeply rooted in high standards of equine care.
Q: Where did Hoffman's Horse Products originate?
Hoffman’s Horse Products was started by my grandparents, Lorne and Marian Hoffman, during their years as Quarter Horse breeders. At the time, they were breeding over 100 mares a year and were continually running into the same issues in terms of heat cycles and foal development. After being put in touch with Equine Nutritionist, Bernie Grumpelt, things quickly began to change. Bernie developed a mineral supplement for my grandparents that revolutionized the way their breeding operation worked. The mineral quickly solved many of the problems my grandparents were seeing and became a huge part of their business.
Q: How has Hoffman's Horse Products changed over the years?
Since my grandparents dispersed their breeding herd in 1997, Hoffman’s Horse Products has evolved quite a bit. Their breeding customers created a demand for the mineral, after my grandparents quit breeding, so they quickly found a new route to distribute the product, rather than sending it home with clients when they came to pick up their mares. UFA was the first distributer of Hoffman’s Horse Products and still is today. In 2006, Hoffman’s joined the Country Junction Feed Mill family and has been growing ever since. In a little over 10 years, the line has grown to 15 products, all with a specific focus on “cool energy” sources and low sugar and starch formulas. Our products are designed to help horses get the most out of the forages they are provided with in the first place.
Q: What makes Hoffman's Horse Products different?
Hoffman’s is backed by a team of real life horsemen. From ranchers to CFR qualifiers and Champions, Hoffman’s is run with a very real-world approach to feeding horses. All of our products are formulated to have low feeding rates, which is easier on the pocket book, while still being effective in terms of results. Our team uses the products that we create and sell, so we really put our money where our mouth is.
Hoffman’s is also milled in an ionophore free environment which provides another very important reason for horse owners to feed with confidence. Working with Country Junction has allowed us as a company to take another step towards providing our customers with an added level of security and comfort when feeding our products, by ensuring that all of our mills are free of any feed additives that may be harmful to horses.
Q: What is Hoffman's Horse Product's approach to equine nutrition?
Originally, the focus was on improving conception rates in brood mares and maintaining nutrition during pregnancy, however we are learning more and more all the time about new approaches to equine nutrition. Currently, we focus on developing rations that support strong hindgut health. By developing rations with low sugar and low starch, while providing cool energy sources, our goal is to maintain the horse’s natural stomach environment while being able to provide the necessary nutrients for the horses to also be competitive during performance. The percentage of horses that deal with ulcers in some form over the course of their life is very high, which means it is our job to do our best to mitigate challenges such as this.
Q: What are some of the favories in the Hoffman's Horse Products line?
Our mineral has obviously been a staple from the beginning, and continues to be, but we do have a lot of other really useful products on the market. Our Pro Fat is one of the most popular products for performance horses as it helps maintain a strong healthy body condition without causing too much excess energy. It is one product that I personally, get fairly excited about. Another favorite is our Hoffman’s Developer. It is a great foal and weanling ration that allows foals to develop properly and to maintain a healthy appearance through some of those critical early months of development. Though it is very hard to pick a favorite, I could tell success stories about all of them.
Hoffman’s is continually expanding and improving their brand to ensure that they are reaching the highest standards of equine nutrition, customer support and feed safety. Their dedication to the species shows in every aspect of the business. Their expanding line of products demonstrates a multitude of range and understanding amongst their nutritional expertise and equine experience.
