As a sophomore pursuing a business degree at McNeese State University in Louisiana, Zack Jongbloed knows the importance of building and working from a solid foundation—in business, and when it comes to horses.
Zack is a rodeo rider who, as of mid-July, was leading the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Rookie of the Year in steer wrestling and all-around, and third in tie-down roping. He also qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo this summer in Casper, Wyoming, where he took second in tie-down roping and 27th in steer wrestling. All in all, Zack was having a pretty good year.
But at the Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo in Vernal, Utah, in July, Zack tore his ACL while competing, which, in his words, “put a halt to things.” With surgery recently completed and a 6- to 8-month recovery time, Zack won’t be back on the rodeo circuit until early next spring.
Still, the college sophomore isn’t too concerned. His sister and another friend on the rodeo circuit have offered to help keep his horses in shape. This will give Zack an opportunity to heal up, and to continue focusing on college, where he earned academic honors in his first year. “It’ll be good for my horses to let them have some rest,” Zack says. He’s also not too concerned about his horses’ digestive health, since, as a SUCCEED-sponsored rider, he feels like he’s doing everything he can to keep their digestive systems in good working order.
Why Zack Started Feeding SUCCEED
Part of Zack’s confidence comes from his experience with SUCCEED in the past. He’s been a fan of the digestive conditioning program for the past five or six years, when he first encountered a horse with some GI challenges.
“My experience with SUCCEED dates back to when I had a horse that had really bad stomach issues,” Zack says. “I just kept doing research on it and kept trying a little of everything until I came across SUCCEED. And now I feed it to every horse we’ve got. I really believe in it.”
Feeding SUCCEED on the Road and at Competitions
As a rodeo rider who was competing almost constantly until his accident this summer, Zack knows that he asks a lot from his string of horses.
In addition to a rigorous training and competition schedule, following the rodeo circuit means a lot of travel time—for horses and humans alike. “I was hauling my horses to over 100 rodeos and doing over 60,000 miles a year,” Zack says. “SUCCEED makes my job a lot easier as a rodeo athlete.”
The SUCCEED Difference
Although Zack first encountered SUCCEED as part of ongoing research to help a specific horse, he now keeps all of the horses in his barn on it.
My horses spend a lot of time traveling in a trailer from one rodeo to another. I like the fact that when I get somewhere and it’s time to feed, or when I feed them on the road in the trailer, they are always ready to eat with a great appetite.
While Zack relies heavily on SUCCEED to keep his horses interested in feed on the road, he also turns to the digestive conditioning program when he has a horse that just isn’t quite as healthy looking as the rest of his string. For example, he had an older horse in his barn about a year ago that he described as “just not as bloomy as the rest of my horses.”
“He was a little underweight and not as interested in his food when he got here,” Zack notes. “We started feeding SUCCEED and it really helped him out. Now he’s much more of an aggressive eater and it seems like it’s really helping him get all of the nutrients he needs. Plus, he eats all of his feed now!”
How Zack Feeds SUCCEED
Zack’s horses all use the paste form of SUCCEED, which he feeds to them either by squirting directly in their mouths, or on top of their feed at night. He says his horses love it, and eat it before they eat their feed. In addition to feeding SUCCEED, Zack also aims to keep his horses turned out all day as long as the weather is good. At night, they get hay to munch on to keep their digestive systems working by providing the roughage they need.
Why Zack Recommends SUCCEED
Zack has had a few people on the rodeo circuit approach him to ask about SUCCEED, and while he says he relies on SUCCEED for a variety of different reasons, he often tells his fellow rodeo riders that the best thing about the digestive conditioning program is that it keeps his horses interested in their feed—even while traveling.
“If they’re not eating, they don’t feel good. If they feel good, they don’t perform good,” Zack says. “I’ll do whatever it takes, so long as they’re eating right. SUCCEED helps keep my horses eating and healthy. Without your horse out there, you’re not very good. You need a good horse and you need SUCCEED.”
