Mad Barn
Mad Barn Inc. is a privately held Canadian equine nutrition company that formulates and sells research-backed vitamin, mineral, and specialty supplements directly to horse owners across North America via e-commerce and subscription, supported by an in-house team of veterinarians and equine nutritionists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersLackalänga, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Mad Barn does
Mad Barn (Mad Barn Inc., Ontario, Canada) is a privately held equine nutrition company founded in 2001 by Scott Cieslar, MSc, that develops, manufactures, and sells research-backed vitamin, mineral, and specialty supplements for horses. Its proprietary formulations — including the Omneity all-in-one vitamin and mineral line, AminoTrace+ for metabolic horses, Visceral+ for gut health, and NOCR for respiratory support — are produced at an equine-only manufacturing facility in Kitchener, Ontario, and are formulated to correct common micronutrient and amino acid deficiencies in forage-based diets (copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin E, lysine, methionine). The company employs 14+ in-house equine nutritionists, veterinarians, and research scientists (including PhD and DVM/DAVCP credentials), and underpins its commercial offering with the Mad Barn Academy educational platform and a proprietary research database.
The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce through madbarn.com, with products priced $7.99–$89.99 sold via one-time purchase or subscription autoship (5% discount, free shipping over $40, 100% happiness guarantee). A free diet evaluation service and free nutritionist phone consultations funnel visitors into personalized product recommendations, while select retail stores throughout North America provide a wholesale channel. Mad Barn serves four primary segments — performance horse owners (Olympic/Grand Prix riders), recreational horse owners, metabolic-condition horse owners, and veterinary professionals — and reports 56,072 horses helped cumulatively, 11,786 customer reviews at a 4.7 rating, and 105,298 newsletter subscribers across Canada and the continental United States. Operations are bootstrapped/founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, M&A, or regulatory actions.
Mad Barn firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mad Barn
- Legal name
- Mad Barn Inc.
- Website
- https://madbarn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mad Barn Inc. is a privately held Canadian equine nutrition company that formulates and sells research-backed vitamin, mineral, and specialty supplements directly to horse owners across North America via e-commerce and subscription, supported by an in-house team of veterinarians and equine nutritionists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mad Barn industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Equine Nutrition Supplements
- NAICS
- Animal Food Manufacturing (31111), Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Equine Nutrition & Therapeutic Diets (HLAMAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Equine Supplements & Additives (Vitamins/Minerals, Joint, Digestive, Electrolytes) (AFADAEAG), Equine Concentrates & Balancers (Ration Balancers, Fortified Concentrates) (AFADAEAB), Equine Senior & Special-Needs Feeds (Easy-Keeper, Metabolic/Low-NSC) (AFADAEAE), Organic Equine Feed (AFADAJAE)
Keywords
Where Mad Barn is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lackalänga
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mad Barn business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Product Sales: One-time and subscription purchases of equine nutrition supplements through e-commerce storefront. Products range from $7.99 to $89.99 per unit. Subscription autoship model offers 5% discount and generates recurring revenue.
- Nutrition Consulting Services: Free diet evaluations and phone consultations with expert nutritionists drive product sales. While consultations are free, they lead to personalized product recommendations and purchases.
- Retail Distribution: Products sold through select retail stores throughout North America, generating wholesale revenue through physical retail channels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Entry-level supplements starting at $7.99 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Core vitamin and mineral supplements $45.99-$64.99 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium specialty formulas $66.99-$89.99 |
| Subscription | Monthly | 5% Subscription Discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Mad Barn product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mad Barn formulates, manufactures, and sells research-backed equine nutrition supplements including all-in-one vitamin and mineral formulas, gut health, respiratory, metabolic, joint, and performance products for horses. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its own online storefront (madbarn.com) in Canada and the continental United States, supported by free online diet evaluations and phone consultations with qualified equine nutritionists. Products are manufactured in an equine-only facility in Kitchener, Ontario, and are offered on both one-time purchase and subscription autoship terms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Omneity Pellets All-in-one pelleted vitamin and mineral supplement for horses. Designed for horse owners seeking a single foundational daily supplement to balance forage-based diets.
- Omneity Premix All-in-one powdered vitamin and mineral premix for horses. Provides the same nutritional profile as Omneity Pellets in a powder format that mixes into feed.
- AminoTrace+ Low-NSC vitamin and mineral pellet formulated for metabolic horses. Targeted at owners of horses with insulin resistance, laminitis, or elevated dietary iron.
- Visceral+ Advanced equine gut health supplement for gastric and hindgut support. Designed for performance horses and horses under stress or in training.
- w-3 Oil DHA-enriched omega-3 fat supplement for horses. Supports skin, coat, joint health, and healthy inflammatory response.
- Optimum Probiotic High-potency 5-strain probiotic supplement (20 billion CFUs) for horses. Supports hindgut microbial balance and digestive function.
- Optimum Digestive Health Pelleted equine probiotic and prebiotic supplement combining digestive support ingredients in feed-format pellets.
- NOCR Respiratory Formula All-natural respiratory supplement for performance horses combining Tienchi, Milk Thistle, Jiaogulan, and Spirulina. Supports lung function, oxygen delivery, and post-exercise recovery.
- Free Diet Evaluation and Nutrition Consultation Free online diet evaluation and phone consultation with equine nutritionists that analyzes a horse's current diet, identifies nutritional gaps, and recommends Mad Barn products.
Quantifiable outcome
- 56,072 horses helped through free diet analysis service
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Mad Barn
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mad Barn technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Mad Barn partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mad Barn competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nutrena (Cargill): Mass-market animal feed brand under Cargill with a complete equine feed and supplement line. Comparable product category but competes via broad feed-dealer distribution rather than DTC education-led acquisition.
- Farnam (Central Garden & Pet): Established equine supplement and care brand with deep retail distribution across feed stores and tack shops. Comparable product category (joint, hoof, coat, electrolyte, gut supplements) with a much broader mass-market footprint than Mad Barn.
- Purina Animal Nutrition (Land O'Lakes): Major feed and supplement manufacturer with a dedicated equine line (Purina Equine). Comparable in equine nutrition but operates at vastly larger scale across feed, supplements, and complete feeds with full retail distribution.
Emerging players
- Equithrive: Veterinary-developed equine joint and inflammation supplement brand with a focused specialty product line. Comparable science-led niche positioning to Mad Barn, with narrower product breadth.
Direct peers
- Uckele Health & Nutrition: Equine and companion-animal supplement manufacturer with a focus on whole-food and research-backed formulations. Comparable product category, scientific positioning, and DTC-plus-practitioner distribution.
- Tribute Equine Nutrition: Equine-focused feed and supplement brand emphasizing fixed-formula, low-NSC, and researched ingredient profiles. Directly comparable to Mad Barn's metabolic and forage-balancing product philosophy.
- SmartPak Equine: Direct-to-consumer equine supplement retailer built on a daily-dose SmartPaks subscription model. Highly comparable to Mad Barn on DTC equine supplements and subscription/autoship mechanics, with a broader multi-brand catalog.
- Platinum Performance: Veterinary-formulated equine nutrition supplements sold direct-to-consumer with practitioner endorsement. Closely comparable to Mad Barn in target customer (horse owners), product category (premium supplements), and DTC + vet-channel distribution model.
- Kentucky Equine Research (KER): Equine nutrition research organization that develops and licenses science-backed feed and supplement formulations. Comparable to Mad Barn in research-led positioning, equine-only focus, and technical credibility.
Regional players
- Cavalor: Premium Belgian equine nutrition and care brand strongly positioned in European performance and competition markets. Comparable high-end positioning and performance-horse focus, but operates primarily outside North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mad Barn social profiles
Digital presenceMad Barn financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mad Barn leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Mad Barn funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mad Barn M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mad Barn
What does Mad Barn do?
Mad Barn formulates, manufactures, and sells research-backed equine nutrition supplements including all-in-one vitamin and mineral formulas, gut health, respiratory, metabolic, joint, and performance products for horses. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its own online storefront (madbarn.com) in Canada and the continental United States, supported by free online diet evaluations and phone consultations with qualified equine nutritionists. Products are manufactured in an equine-only facility in Kitchener, Ontario, and are offered on both one-time purchase and subscription autoship terms.
Is Mad Barn a public or private company?
Mad Barn is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Mad Barn founded?
Mad Barn was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mad Barn based?
Mad Barn is headquartered in Lackalänga, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Mad Barn make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are nutrition Consulting Services and retail Distribution.
Who are Mad Barn's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nutrena (Cargill), Farnam (Central Garden & Pet) and Purina Animal Nutrition (Land O'Lakes). Equithrive is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Uckele Health & Nutrition, Tribute Equine Nutrition, SmartPak Equine, Platinum Performance and Kentucky Equine Research (KER). Cavalor is listed as a regional player.
Does Mad Barn have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mad Barn.
What industry is Mad Barn in?
Mad Barn's product category is Equine Nutrition Supplements. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAMAHAE, Equine Nutrition & Therapeutic Diets, with a secondary code of AFADAEAG, Equine Supplements & Additives (Vitamins/Minerals, Joint, Digestive, Electrolytes). Its NAICS code is 31111 and its SIC code is 200.