Grateful by the Bucket: The Heart Behind FullBucket’s Giving Mission

Tis the season for Giving

As horse people, we all know that “thankful” isn’t a seasonal word, it’s a way of life. Every day in the barn comes with a reason to be grateful: a soft nicker at feeding time, a sound step after a long haul, a healthy foal in the spring.

But for our team at FullBucket, Thanksgiving holds special meaning. It reminds us why we started and how far a simple idea can reach when it’s built around care, community, and giving.

Dr. Keith Latson, DVM, DACVS, co-founder of FullBucket, says:
“We never set out to build a company. We set out to make a difference, first in the patients we treated, then in the animals who could never make it into a hospital.”

How It Started: A Bucket, a Problem, and a Bigger Purpose

In 2007, Dr. Rob Franklin, DVM, DACVIM and Dr. Keith Latson, DVM, DACVS were searching for better tools for their patients.

The supplements available at the time often cut corners or prioritized marketing over medicine. Rob and Keith decided to create something different: veterinary-grade formulas built from science - not shortcuts - and a company grounded in the belief that doing good for horses should also do good for the world.

The supplements on the market at the time weren’t cutting it: shortcuts in formulation, inconsistent ingredients, and flashy marketing that put profits before horses.

So they built something better.

A probiotic formula that actually made a difference.
A company that would never compromise on science or ethics.
And a promise that for every bucket sold, another would go to an animal in need.

That’s how FullBucket and the 1-for-1 Giving Program began.

From Pro Rodeos to Remote Villages

Today, FullBucket’s equine probiotic and performance formulas are trusted in barns across North America: from top training centers to backyard stables.
But the same products that support elite athletes also fund something much bigger: the FullBucket Care+Care Program.

Every year, our founders and volunteers travel to remote regions of Central America to provide veterinary care, nutrition, and education for working equids: the donkeys, mules, and horses that power daily life for families in developing communities.

What Giving Looks Like in Action

On a recent FullBucket Care+Care Trip, the volunteer team treated more than 1,000 equids - performing dental work, wound care, deworming, and nutritional support.

They also distributed locally made FullBucket Giving Products: supplements formulated specifically for these hard-working animals, using local ingredients to support regional economies.

This is a grassroots effort that brings together veterinarians, students, and horse owners from all walks of life.

Each trip delivers more than medicine. It delivers dignity, for animals and the people who depend on them.

Why We Give and What We’ve Learned

The giving side of FullBucket doesn’t just change the animals we treat.
It changes us.

“When we started doing these trips,” says Dr. Latson, “we realized the real impact wasn’t just on the horses. It was on us: the perspective we gained, the relationships we built, and the reminder that what connects all of us is care.”

Giving has a ripple effect.
When horse owners choose FullBucket for their own animals, they’re not just improving one horse’s gut health, they’re fueling a chain of good that stretches across borders.

Grateful for You

This Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for every person who’s filled a bucket, shared our story, or joined a giving trip.
Your support makes this possible.

For every FullBucket product purchased, from Equine Probiotic Pellets to Probiotic Paste, we provide an equivalent Giving Product to a working equid and the family who depends on it.

It’s simple.
One for One.
Horse to Horse.
Human to Human.

And it’s proof that good things really do start on the inside.

From our team to yours:
Thank you for believing in better care, cleaner products, and a world where every horse, from show barns to small villages, gets the chance to live well.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at FullBucket.