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Customer Reviews for Hard Keeper Solution

Hard Keeper Solution

Hard Keeper Solution was designed to help horses gain and maintain weight, as well as a healthy skin & coat. Hard Keeper Solution is an excellent source of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Also contains the extra support of direct-fed microbial cultures for optimal digestive function and efficiency.
Average Customer Rating:
4.194 out of 5
4.2
 out of 
5
(36 Reviews) 30
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating breakdown 36 reviews
5 Stars
23
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
2
1 Star
3
24 of 30(80%)of customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Hard Keeper Solution
Review 1 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
2 of 5
2 of 5

not palatable

March 9, 2012
ByBozz
fromIdaho
I have used this product for:6-12 months
Expertise:Trainer
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Competitor:Rated
Quality:
3 of 5
3 of 5
Value:
3 of 5
3 of 5
Palatability:
1 of 5
1 of 5
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
"I have only 1 horse out of 15 that will eat this product. With my latest skinny guy, I soak beet pulp, hard keeper, and a little sugar plus "Safe Choice" and he eats it. All the others say "No way!"."
Review 2 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
3 of 5
3 of 5

No noticeable effect

February 15, 2012
ByChrisC
fromNew Orleans, LA
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Trainer
Quality:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Value:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"I only used one large container on a 12 horse TB barn. No visible effect. I do have a lot of confidence in Vita-flex. Love Acculytes."
 
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Review 3 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
4 of 5
4 of 5

Only one that works!

February 8, 2012
ByKatherineS
fromNew jersey
I have used this product for:3-6 months
Expertise:Expert
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
3 of 5
3 of 5
"I tried everything to put weight on my tb for 8 months, I put him on this supplement as a last resort before winter, with major doubts because I've never seen these supplements work. Within 3 weeks my horse put on 75lbs...since then he's put on at least another 100!"
 
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Review 4 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Fast results

October 8, 2011
Bychloemom
fromIowa
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Dressage
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
4 of 5
4 of 5
"I've tried a number of products on my thoroughbred mare and this is the first product that has given me results. I noticed weight gain within 1 month. She has been on hard keeper solution for about 2-3 months now and I have gotten many comments from others at the barn about how great she looks and how she is developing muscles and a topline, not just a fat belly. This product works for my mare and I would recommend anyone with a hard keeper try it."
Review 5 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
4 of 5
4 of 5

A Good Option

September 13, 2011
ByShanghaiWine
fromLockport, Il
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Dressage
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Value:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"The product does what it says it can do. My horse liked the taste, but that's not saying much, he'll eat anything! The weight gain is slow which is what you want. But the coat conditioning, showed within a week. Follow the product instructions and consult your vet. Remember that you are introducing something to the equine digestive system that is unnatural even though the animal may need it. Proceed slowly. You'll have better results in the long run."
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Review 6 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
3 of 5
3 of 5

Too soon to tell?

September 13, 2011
ByMrsHedgehog
fromCentral Maryland
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:All Around
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Value:
2 of 5
2 of 5
Palatability:
4 of 5
4 of 5
"Our mare is presumed to be a QH, one of two horses I adopted from a rescue. We're not certain of her age - probably at least late teens. She is purely a companion due to severe arthritis and is on full turn out. In January all the horses at our barn dropped considerable weight, possibly due to the fact the last cutting of hay was not as good quality as usual; her Hennecke BCS was a 3. We upped her grain to the maximum our barn will feed without going to a third feeding, and the vet recommended researching fat supplements. For most of the summer, the mare seemed to be gaining on the new grain ration, although not as nicely as the others; at best she was a good solid 4. A mid to late summer drought affected the pasture quality significantly and she dropped back down to 3. I decided to act on my research. I was looking for a dry supplement so that our barn's feeders wouldn't have to deal with a messy oil. My girl is not a picky eater; I'm not sure how a truly picky eater would like this stuff. After a little more than a month on Hard Keeper we have had to increase her from the minimum dose to not quite twice the minimum, and winter is not here yet. I'll continue with it, and increase to the maximum if necessary. If she continues to drop weight as we increase, however, I'll resume my research. I want to be fair to the product by saying that we have had horrible weather of late and now we are approaching the change of seasons."
Review 7 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
4 of 5
4 of 5

August 25, 2011
Bywren
fromElizabeth, Colorado
Expertise:Intermediate
Quality:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Value:
3 of 5
3 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"I have only just used this product for 2 weeks so in fairness I really can't review it. My horse does like the taste and takes a really big bite with his grain"
Review 8 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Only thing I have found that works!

August 15, 2011
ByJumpersRule
fromTexas
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
3 of 5
3 of 5
"My mare lost significant weight for some unknown reason last winter. I dewormed her, floated her teeth, and got her on Purina Senior. She didn't gain any weight after 3 months. After a blood test confirmed she had no health issues, we tried some steroids on her and NO results! Finally, I switched her to Triple Crown Senior, alfalfa hay, and hard keeper solution! She's gaining weight for the first time in 6 months and I couldn't be a happier owner!
I do agree with many previous reviews that horses find a hard time eating it because of the taste. To fix this problem with my mare, I would wet the grain before I put the supplement on it so it would stick to the grain. This forced her to eat ALL of it and helped her to get used to the taste. After two weeks of that, I stopped putting water on it and she is completely used to the taste and eats every bit of it! Thanks SmartPak!"
Review 9 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
1 of 5
1 of 5

Disappointing

August 6, 2011
ByGusGus
fromIL
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Expert
Riding Style:All Around
Competitor:Rated
Quality:
1 of 5
1 of 5
Value:
1 of 5
1 of 5
Palatability:
1 of 5
1 of 5
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
"My horse is very picky and the 4 smart-paks recommended were very difficult to hide in his grain or mash. He refused to eat anything I mixed this product with, which would have caused him to lose more weight if I would have continued feeding it. There are probably many other more palatable options out there. It is a lot of powder to sneak in...(even though it says granular-it is flake pieces more like a powder to me)"
Review 10 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Works great!

June 27, 2011
ByRachel1786
fromNortheast Pa
I have used this product for:1-2 years
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:All Around
Competitor:Local/Open
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"I have a gelding who is in his mid 30's and goes through bouts where he will loose weight. Every time he looses weight I start him on this and he grains it right back and gets a nice glossy coat to boot. I tried cool calories before, because it's cheaper, but I saw no results and I learned that cool calories is actually hydrogenated fat, which is proven harmful in humans, so how good could it be for your horse?"
 
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Review 11 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
1 of 5
1 of 5

Horse will not eat

June 17, 2011
ByOTTBsaver
fromVacaville CA
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Expert
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
1 of 5
1 of 5
Value:
1 of 5
1 of 5
Palatability:
1 of 5
1 of 5
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
"My hard to keep horse will eat food with Ultra Shine, and Repair pellets in it. I took out Ultra Shine and added this supplement and he will not touch his grain. Needs to be more palatable."
Review 12 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

worked w/i days

June 7, 2011
Bybarnslave
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Expert
Riding Style:Barrel Racing
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"I have a 4 y/o filly that has been started on barrels. She is about 14.3 at this time and has never been a hard keeper. She has stayed muscular, but as I have moved her around at our barn(away from her personal friends), she began losing weight in the flank. I wormed her again and started feeding her more feed and hay. Nothing helped. I read about this product and after feeding this supplement for 2 weeks, I realized that her flanks had filled out. This has been a great product and I would recommend it to anyone."
Review 13 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Best Product

December 10, 2010
Byd2dfarm
fromFlorence, MA
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Competitor:Rated
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"I asked friend what they thought were the best weight supplement and everyone said beet pulp or rice bran. Well beet pulp made my horse have way to much energy and rice bran didn't do anything. When I went into my feed store I looked at weight supplement and Hard Keeper Solution was cheaper and lasted longer then a bag of rice bran. Within a couple of weeks I saw a difference in her weight! I will always use this product from now on"
 
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Review 14 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Hard Keeper Solution

December 8, 2010
Bywalburg
fromcentral tx
I have used this product for:1-2 years
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Leisure/Trail Riding - English
Competitor:Non-competitor
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"In my opinion, this is a great supplement if you have a horse that is a hard keeper and needs to gain some weight. After feeding this to our finicky eater, she gained what she needed and her weight has stabilized. We sprinkle it on her grain, mix a little bit, and she gobbles it down. She is a founder recovery (5 yrs. ago) and use to be prone to digestive upsets. None since using this product!"
Review 15 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
2 of 5
2 of 5

No results

July 21, 2010
ByDressagePassage92
fromDavie, FL
I have used this product for:1-3 months
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Dressage
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
2 of 5
2 of 5
Value:
2 of 5
2 of 5
Palatability:
3 of 5
3 of 5
"I have an 18 hand warmblood that struggles to keep weight on. Ive had him on Hard Keeper for three months now and haven't seen any real results. I'm switching him to Cool Calories through SmartPak and some beet pulp. Hopefully the Cool Calories won't disappoint like Hard Keeper did."
Review 16 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

great product

July 14, 2010
Bybeebee
fromnj
I have used this product for:1-2 years
Expertise:Expert
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
3 of 5
3 of 5
Palatability:
3 of 5
3 of 5
"really helped to put on weight,controlled loose stools, and gave a great shine to his coat."
Review 17 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Good product

July 6, 2010
ByKristin10
fromWashington, DC
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Eventing
Competitor:Rated
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
4 of 5
4 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
"My picky eater seems to like this product. After 2 weeks I think his coat seems to have a little extra "sparkle"."
Review 18 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Great product

January 16, 2010
ByBlugirl
fromPittsburgh, Pa.
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Hunter/Jumper
Competitor:Non-competitor
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
"I just started to give Hard Keeper to my horse. I am very satisfied with the product. Everyone I talked with recommended this product in high regards."
Review 19 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Great product

August 24, 2009
ByDorny
fromIowa City, IA
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Intermediate
Riding Style:Leisure/Trail Riding - Western
Competitor:Local/Open
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
"Hard Keeper supplement is a great way to keep the weight on our "hard to keep" gelding. It also does wonders for his coat and overall health. An awesome product!!"
Review 20 for Hard Keeper Solution
Overall Rating:
5 of 5
5 of 5

Awesome stuff!!!

August 6, 2009
ByBarnCat
fromIowa
I have used this product for:less than a month
Expertise:Expert
Riding Style:Trail Riding
Competitor:Non-competitor
Quality:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Value:
5 of 5
5 of 5
Palatability:
5 of 5
5 of 5
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
"After a Colic scare I put my super picky OTTB on the Hard Keeper to reduce his grain intake, but keep his weight up. He's not just keeping his wieght, he's gaining! I started him on a double dose since we feed twice a day and he's VERY hard to keep weight on. It's taken him 6 mos on high fat feed plus oil and alfalfa to get his ribs covered. Regular teeth floats help, but his molars are like a roller coaster. This stuff is amazing. He wasn't sure about the taste at first, but after a few days he dives right in and licks his feeder clean. He's getting the Hard Keeper, Smart Gut, 2 lbs of Progressive Pro Advantage Grass formula and 2 lbs of Envision Classic with 4 oz of Healthy Coat oil. Gaining like a champ! He's also shedding a coat, and shines like crazy!"
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