If you thought it was a great convenience to be able to shop for horse supplies and feed supplements in the evenings at a strip mall, you’ll be disappointed to hear that retail giant Petsmart is discontinuing the sale of horse feed and horse care products in close to 200 “box” stores throughout the USA. The company made the announcement today via press release; they also said that they are seeking strategic alternatives for the State Line Tack catalogue.

The announcement was quite candid and included this statement: “Unfortunately, as we’ve grown to understand our equine and pet customers better, we’ve learned that equine is not something we do best. It is much different from our core pet product and services business. We’ve concluded that exiting State Line Tack and focusing solely on our core pet product and services is the best thing for our business.”

The buying habits of horse owners are fascinating. When seeking a special horse care item or supplement, many seem to seek the advice of knowledgable local feed stores and tack shops, where they can also see, touch and smell the product, read the label, and compare it with other similar products. Others scan web sites and mail order catalogs in search of the lowest possible price. Petsmart’s acquisition of State Line Tack and the opening of horse products aisles in many of their stores was another alternative for horse owners.