Nutra-Flax: First Impressions

While I want a quality product first and foremost, a reasonable price point and excellent customer service are also required. I don't care how good your product is; if you can't sell it to me with a smile, I am not coming back. My very first experience with HorseTech has left me convinced that these people must be smiling in their sleep. A few days ago, I ordered HorseTech's Nutra-Flax, a milled flaxseed that is incredibly stable with a two-year shelf life. The box came on Friday.

Handwritten.

Since the company had been recommended to me by a real person rather than via reviews or a Google search, I sort of knew what to expect. Seeing that cheerfully written "Thanks" on the top of the box with my own eyes though definitely left a very positive first impression. HorseTech isn't as big as Amazon, but still, I bet they ship out a boatload of boxes every day. Making sure that their shipping department takes that extra few seconds to thank every single customer sure sends the message that they appreciate your business.

And a second thank you.

When I cut open the box, my invoice was resting in a plastic sleeve along with this very large Thank You! note. I smiled again. Included with my bucket of Nutra-Flax was also a bag of cookies. Not horse cookies, which you might expect, but Famous Amos cookies. Um, yes please. When I flipped over the card, I was thanked yet again. Now they're just showing off!

I am losing count of the thank you's.

But of course, putting lipstick on a pig doesn't change the fact that you've got a pig. As much as I loved the feel good greeting, it was what was in the bucket that really mattered. I wasn't disappointed.

Nicely sealed.

The bucket itself was tightly sealed with one of those pull tab things, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the ground flax was also bagged for  an added layer of protection against dust and the elements. As I ran my fingers through the flax, it felt uniformly ground and had a delicious, nutty scent. While it didn't taste great, it wasn't horrible either. The cookies were definitely better.

So much easier to read than the lines.

It's obvious that the fine folks over at HorseTech are very, very detail oriented. I have more than a few of these little two ounce scoops laying around from different supplements and feeds, but I really appreciated how clearly the scoop was labeled. I didn't have to hold it up to the light and tilt it from side to side to confirm the measurement. They labeled it so there was no guessing. Thank you, HorseTech, that was very considerate labeling.

I started both boys on a single ounce; no sense in rocking the boat too much. Speedy likes anything I feed him and never has an adverse reaction. Izzy's the one that I need to watch. When I rode him yesterday morning, after a single ounce of Nutra-Flax, he seemed fine, and was maybe even a bit behind my leg. He got another ounce yesterday, so today's ride should offer more data.

Given that Izzy did well on flaxseed oil, I can't imagine the ground version will be any different. While Cool Calories didn't work for him, I am hopeful that the Nutra-Flax will give him those extra calories he needs without turning him into a rocket.