Introducing: SmartTherapy

Developing the SmartTherapy line of ceramic-infused fabric products for horses

SmartPak just unveiled SmartTherapy™, a new line of products for horses featuring ThermoBalance™, a ceramic-infused fabric that reflect body heat back to the horse as soothing far infrared rays that decrease inflammation, reduce pain, and improve recovery. But how did this go from a dream to a reality? We asked a few SmartPakers about their role in bringing this exciting line of product to life!

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First, key members of our Merchandising Team had an idea.

“Dan and I came into this idea of a therapeutic line of products wanting the best for all the healthy horses we support. We’re always listening to our customers’ concerns, and learning more about what they need from SmartPak to make their lives easier.”

 -SmartPaker Kayleigh

“We gathered a team of riders and ran through every detail of each product, their likes, their dislikes, and any suggestions. This was a pivotal moment in development and so many suggested improvements came out of the meetings with the riders; it was energizing! From there we started development, layering in all the valuable comments from our SmartPak team and customer feedback together.

-SmartPaker Dan

Once the individual products were decided on, next came the design elements. That meant it was time to find someplace to produce the product line and get some samples!  Terri from our Product Development team took the reins on leading the project through this phase:

“The right manufacturer is key to developing new products and recently, we were introduced to a great partner who is strong in therapy products throughout Europe.  After Dan and Kayleigh presented their ideas to us, we all worked together to bring the products to life.  Throughout the sampling process we made changes based on feedback from our teams here, but we also listened to our manufacturer, and did some lab testing on raw materials. A trip to the factory helped finalize the details.”

– SmartPaker Terri

As the products started to come together, they needed a name of their own, so we reached out to our friends in the Creative team to help us out:

“The name SmartTherapy may seem like the obvious choice, but we actually spent hours going through what felt like hundreds of other options! After smashing so many words together, we finally realized it was simple. We were trying to name our new line of therapy products that are designed smarter than the rest and are the smart choice for our customers, thus SmartTherapy just made sense.

 Once we picked the name, designing the logo for SmartTherapy was easily one of my favorite projects at SmartPak. It was fun to incorporate the science behind the products into the design. So much thought went into every step of the process and I couldn’t be happier with how it all came together.”

-SmartPaker Al

Finally, we wanted to spread the word about SmartTherapy to our customers, so we enlisted the help of our fantastic Marketing Team to launch this exciting product line:

“Having battled with injury and recovery myself, this line is close to my heart. Training is so important, but recovery is equally if not more important, and having the right products to do this is key. At our first meeting, as our Merchandising Team talked about the incredible products they designed, flashes formed in my head of what the visual brand direction for this line could look like. Bold, edgy and clean. We want the customer to feel the comfort, innovation and support of these products through the visuals. Our studio photographer Curtis helped pair his photography with the texture, color and typography we created, and as a team we successfully brought this vision to life. Developing this brand has been one of my favorite projects at SmartPak. We look forward to seeing our riders train better and recover faster for years to come.”

–SmartPaker Sam

Developing new products is one of the most fun and fulfilling parts of our job at SmartPak. Some of our first products were focused on horse health, like our flagship SmartPaks, the innovative and affordable way to feed your supplements.  We developed our SmartSupplements line to combine the best ingredients possible to help you support your healthy horse. Apparel and equipment for the rider and horse evolved out of our desire for better fit and function at great prices, like our Piper line of comfortable, fun, and affordable breeches and the beautiful leather tack found in our Wellfleet, Harwich, and Plymouth brands. Now, as our newest addition, SmartTherapy combines our horse-health focus and rider-driven innovation. It’s a full line of saddle pads, wraps, and mesh sheets designed for horses, by riders.

At SmartPak we strive to bring you the products you need at the prices you love and we’re always looking for new product ideas, so share yours here.  Who knows, the next product launch could be something you’ve been dreaming of!