A Horse Box March review

So in my usual bad-budgeting self, I subscribed to A Horse Box. This is perfect for me as it merges my love of subscription boxes with my life-consuming hobby (and currently my job as well) of working with horses. I'm attempting to make this review a bit more user-friendly for the non-horsey subscription boxes lovers who just want to read about any sub box for curiosity's sake. So horse people, please forgive me if I simplify or over-explain some things.

Box: A Horse Box

Cost: $29.99/month (cheaper with longer prepaid plans), free shipping

Products: 4-6 horse and equestrian products with a total retail value of $35-$100

Address blurred because you really don't want to visit redneckville. Trust me on this.

It's here! It's here! In the subscription box world, the packaging would be a disappointment. No fancy box? No snazzy packing material? No problem for me! The prices in the equestrian world often make the notoriously overpriced makeup and skincare world look cheap by comparison. No frills needed in this barn, save the fancy-box money and put it into substance.

 March's box is A Horse Box's 3rd anniversary! I didn't really detect a "theme" in this, but that's neither here nor there. Themes for boxes are nice, but not really needed if the products are good.

Leather Therapy Saddle Pad & Blanket Wash (16oz for $13.00): If there is one thing you can count on with horses, it's dirt. Lots of dirt and fur. On everything. Saddle pads and blankets get especially grimey, and this washing detergent is designed specifically to get those items clean and leave no irritating residue. Plus it's lavender scented.

No Thrush Powder (Sample size, maybe 1oz or so based on full-sized images online. 2.5oz retail for around $15, so I'll guess the RV is $7.50): Thrush is a bacterial infection of the horse's hooves that is exacerbated by moist and damp conditions. Wetness is the enemy here! No Thrush Powder claims to help dry out the parts of the hoof that are infected and fight the bacteria. I've read some mixed reviews of it, but that's normal as hooves aren't the easiest thing to fix when something goes wrong. It's kinda like skincare, where even if you have a product with science backing it, it might work better for one person's acne than another's.

Pony Pizza Company horse treats (3 treats for approximately $6, as their website sells 4-packs in a fancy box for $8.99 and jars of 20 for $19.99): Horse treats that look like pizza! I love cutesy horse cookies, so these were nice to get. Big Mike wasn't quite sure about the flat shape at first and took a bit of coaxing to try it, but Ready and Redwing inhaled their treats in a heartbeat! These are supposed to be peppermint and apple flavored (I'll take their word for that, no interest in eating horse cookies myself). They also included a coupon in the box for $5 off your next purchase.

Showsheen Finishing Mist (15oz for $11): This is a non-aerosol spray that repels dirt and makes the horse's mane, tail, and coat shiny. It is a very quiet mist sprayer so even people with nervous horses can use it without upsetting them. I like that it contains silk proteins and pro-vitamins to nourish and strengthen the hair rather than just providing an aesthetic finish. I'm going to try this on my friend's horse Ready, who is the most dirt-loving horse I've ever met. His tail also needs a bit of help, whereas Big Mike's tail is already long and full.

Vetrolin Deep-Penetrating Liniment Gel (12oz for $11): Liniments are always popular in amongst the horse competition crowd. Do they do anything? Yes, no, and maybe. Many contain some ingredients that can be soothing to sore muscles and joints, but they aren't miracle workers. That being said, I adore liniments! Even if their effect on the horse is miniscule, the physical act of massaging your horse's legs and back with the liniments is cathartic for both horse and rider. This gel also contains hyaluronic acid to help condition the horse's coat as you massage them.

Overview: So this box contained 5 products (3 full sized) with an approximate retail value of $48.50. I say approximate because the prices for most products vary by a dollar or two depending on the store, and that's not even adjusting for potential shipping costs to order things online! Are these things that I "omg need to have"? Nope, but they're all interesting things that I'll definitely use.

I purchased this box with my own money, much to the chagrin of my cat who is a bit of a judgemental little pick about my purchases. I'd buy her a cat box, but she'd probably just ignore the toys and eat the packing tape (again). Questions, Comments, and Casual Insults welcome.