Originally published in Faces & Places of San Diego by Local Umbrella Media.
San Diego boasts a vibrant equestrian community, from exhilarating Del Mar Racing to the many riding schools and events in the region. However, high-performing horses don’t come along without one key component: strategically balanced nutrition.
That’s where animal nutritionist Brad Kloss comes in. The secret behind many of the healthiest competitive and recreational horses you’ll find in our community is Symphony — an all-in-one horse supplement packed with highly bioavailable nutrients. It was formulated by Kloss, who owns horses himself.
“For us horse folks, if we have healthy horses, we’re happy owners,” says Kloss. “I created Symphony for my horses to deliver the three basic components that are very important: healthy hoof and hair, great gut health, and a strong immune system.”
It wasn’t just about packing these ingredients into a single supplement. Kloss also wanted to deliver it easily, in a form that the horse enjoys, and at an economical price.
With easy-to-eat pellets flavored with apple and coconut and a cost of just $1.97 per day, the supplement has quickly become a go-to solution for horse owners in San Diego and across the country.
“If you were to individually buy the ingredients found in Symphony at the store from big-name companies, you’d probably pay 50 to 75 percent more per horse, per day, than what Symphony retails for,” says Kloss.
A Formulation That Started in a Barn
Visit Kloss’ ranch in Northwest Las Vegas and you’ll notice a peaceful barn with Gypsy Vanners, draft horses known for their “feathered” feet, long manes, and stout stature. It’s in this barn where Kloss spent months trying many different supplements and nutrients for his own family horses.
However, he came across the same issue many other horse owners have: There were too many products claiming to do different things to support horse health — and at a huge monthly cost. Kloss, who has 40 years of experience in the animal nutrition space, started mixing ingredients together in the barn to feed his own horses.
As he did so, Kloss didn’t pay attention to or care about what other nutrition companies were selling. As an animal nutritionist, he built Symphony purely from what he personally saw horses need and benefit from. His goal was to fill the nutrient gap in horse nutrition.
After many trials, he landed on the perfect combination of ingredients that became the foundation for Symphony. Next, he consulted with equine nutritionist peers to fine-tune the formula for an all-in-one supplement that features the best ingredients on the market.
The result was an industry-shaking formulation of research proven ingredients. Symphony has leading levels of biotin, zinc, copper, manganese, cobalt, selenium, and methionine to ensure strong hooves and a mane and tail that resist breakage. Fatty acids add shine to the horse’s coat, while zinc and copper prevent sun damage.
It also promotes gut health with TruEquine™, which stabilizes the hindgut environment, promoting feed utilization. Calcium helps to regulate stomach acidity and naturally occurring glutamine is fuel for small intestinal cells to promote a robust gut lining. Meanwhile, the Zinpro Performance Minerals® in Symphony uses a unique absorption pathway for advanced nutrient uptake.
Horses on Symphony also experience noted improvements in immunity. The supplement has a combination of inflammatory regulators, antioxidants, natural vitamin E, and antibody constituents to support their natural cellular defense system from every angle.
How Symphony is Fueling San Diego Horses
Well-known hunter jumper trainer Alixe Garcia, owner of DVG Show Stables in Escondido, has over 35 years of experience in the horse industry. Within one month of putting her 20 show horses on Symphony, she says she saw a transformation.
“Since we started using Symphony, I’ve noticed a huge change in my horse’s coats and weight retention,” says Garcia. “Every show we go to, people comment on how good they look.”
Her horses that had previously experienced stress and extreme frothy sweat saw improvement from being on Symphony.
Rosie Cowley of Cowley Performance Horses, based in Temecula, says she also experienced a striking transformation in her 10 horses using Symphony. They had better cognitive function, improved muscle mass, and resolved skin issues within 30 days.
“My horses also have a healthier looking coat and their hooves are stronger,” says Cowley.
Because her horses are allergic to flaxseed, having a fat-based coconut source was imperative for Cowley. The fats found in Symphony also have other benefits: They largely come from CoolStance®, which has medium-chain triglycerides. These fats absorb into the bloodstream much faster than most polyunsaturated fats, providing a more immediate energy delivery and absorption.
What’s Next For Symphony
Kloss and his team are partnering with barns throughout the San Diego region and beyond to connect horse owners with education and resources.
As a nutritionist himself, Kloss offers his customers the unique opportunity to receive personalized nutrition recommendations for their horses.
“Our goal is to build a program around what your forages are by testing them, considering your discipline and horse’s breed, and reviewing the health and performance goals for your horses,” says Kloss. “To provide the best recommendations, we look at the nutrient gaps in your feeding program by analyzing your current inputs compared to these factors.”
Kloss does this as part of the company’s free-of-charge ration balancing service. It’s exactly the type of personalized, one-on-one attention you would expect from someone who truly loves horses himself.
You can find Symphony locally at Hawthorne Country Store and Joe’s Country Feed and Pet. It can also be ordered online at www.AHorseOfCourseNutrition.com.