FullBucket Giving Program
FullBucket was created to improve the health and wellbeing of horses of all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Whether it’s the latest million dollar thoroughbred to join the Triple Crown trail or a mule that spends most of its day helping subsistence farmers finish up the next harvest, they all benefit from a quality diet and good medical.
So much of what we do every day at FullBucket is based around probiotics to promote a healthy gastrointestinal system and supplements to improve vitality and performance. Being on the cutting edge of equine probiotics and supplements means having a detailed understanding that when it comes to a horses ability to perform to expectations - it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
FullBucket products are found in the barns of some of thoroughbred racing’s top trainers and if one of their next big contenders fails to win a race then it’s back to the drawing board and possibly some turn-out time at the farm.
But if a subsistence horse owned by a family in rural Nicaragua can’t perform, whether he’s lame, sick or suffering from a combination of issues, then that’s a serious problem, Not just for the horse - but for the family and their entire village. Horses and working equids are incredibly important to farmers in developing countries and a few sick or injured horses in a village can result in a lot of people going hungry.
Not every horse can be a champion sport or race horse - but every horse is deserving of quality care and a healthy diet. That’s what inspired FullBucket’s Giving Program.
Each year, FullBucket’s founders and a group of industry-leading experts in the field of veterinary science and animal surgery team up with local veterinarians and animal welfare advocates in parts of Mexico and Central America to perform free veterinary exams and surgeries on the working equids that impoverished families depend on.
We call this the Care+Care Program.
On a recent FullBucket Care+Care Giving Trip in Mexico, FullBucket’s all-volunteer team treated more than 1,000 equids for an assortment of different afflictions in addition to providing basic services such as floating (or filing) the sharp points of teeth and deworming horses who hadn’t had anti-parasitic treatment recently.
In fact, it was during an equitarian initiative in 2011 that former fraternity brothers Dr. Keith Latson and Dr. Rob Franklin conjured up the idea of using the equine probiotics they were developing in America to assist the working equids of Mexico and Central America as well. Since the GI system has a knock-on effect with horses recovering from surgeries, treatments or enduring any type of significant stress, they realized how much these animals could benefit from a proper probiotic regiment.
Recalling the experience, FullBucket co-founder Rob Franklin declared “Keith and I got really frustrated with the way our patients were responding to surgery and the problems some were having with gut issues and diarrhea. I recommended a formulation of probiotic that was surviving medical scrutiny in humans and with some modification would do well in horses.”
FullBucket worked with some top equine nutritional experts in our targeted regions to develop customized “Giving Products” - which are made in-country and contain specially formulated palatable nutritional supplements to address the unique needs of these equids from developing areas. Animals in these areas, fulfilling this type of role have specific nutritional requirements and FullBucket created a customized product that meet those nutritional needs.
These are not the same commercially available digestive support supplements you’ll find on the FullBucket Website or any of our retail partners, they are specifically designed equivalent products that also add to the local economies because the products are sourced, produce and distributed locally.
FullBucket is a company whose origins stem from charity and all of our founders believe that giving back - and giving back often - is one of the key ingredients in what makes FullBucket such a different type of enterprise when compared to their competition. That’s why FullBucket has introduced it’s 1 for 1 Giving Program - where every FullBucket product that you purchase for your horses will result in an equivalent Giving Product being distributed to a horse (and family) in need on one of our Giving Trips in the Care+Care Program.
By helping your horse enjoy the advantages of probiotics and proper GI function with FullBucket products, you’re able to make a real difference in the lives of many individuals - some with four legs and some with two - in developing countries.
To learn more about our Giving Trips and the Care+Care Program click here.
PARTNERS
World Horse Welfare
We are an international horse charity that improves the lives of horses in the UK and around the world through education, campaigning, and hands-on care. When WHW founder Ada Cole witnessed a procession of work-worn British horses unloaded at the docks of Antwerp and whipped for four miles to slaughter, she was determined to stop the appalling cruelty of these journeys. Ten years later our campaign succeeded, and almost 90 years on World Horse Welfare is still driven by the same desire to stop unnecessary suffering, using a practical approach and scientific evidence to deliver lasting change across the full spectrum of the horse world.
Therapet
Therapet currently has 90+ dogs, 5 cats and a cockatoo working in our programs. The animals do far more than just visit patients. Therapet establishes goal-oriented therapy programs as well as visitation programs.
We have also helped establish programs in other parts of Texas, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, New York and Virginia. Therapet holds educational seminars across the country to help clinicians, educators and volunteers learn how to use animals in health care, education and other therapy and visitation related settings.
TEVA Equitarian Project
Website: https://texasequineva.com/tep-find-out-more/ Overview: The Texas Equine Veterinary Association provides veterinary care to working horses and donkeys in the rural areas around Chimaltenango and San Andres Iztapa in Guatemala. Dr. Franklin leads a trip biannually to work with local veterinarians to educate and provide services to animals that improve or care for the lives of thousands of impoverished people. TEVA offers scholarships to veterinary students to accompany us. Groups are based in the UNESCO Heritage city of Antigua and typically include 6-8 veterinarians, though veterinary assistants, equine volunteers and industry partners often make the trip. Requirements include being a TEVA member or sponsor.
