We know you have horse health questions, and we want to help! Each month, SmartPaker Dan (while SmartPaker Sarah is on maternity leave) and Dr. Lydia Gray, SmartPak’s Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director, will answer questions submitted by you – our loyal subscribers, followers, fans, and friends – so we need your questions!
Have a question of your own that you’d like to have answered? Ask it below in the comments and be sure to use #AsktheVetVideo. We’ll be accepting questions for our November 2018 episode until September 28th. Then we’ll let you vote on here our blog, Twitter, and YouTube for the questions that you want answered! If your question gets voted to be answered, you win a SmartPak Gift Card! Check out this blog post for more details.
Make sure to check to see if your question has already been answered by looking through the video section of our Horse Health Library!
Download our Roku App here or search “SmartPak” on your Roku player to watch Ask the Vet on your TV.
Good luck, and have a great ride!
(281 reviews)
I recently purchased my first horse trailer and have been enjoying using it over the summer months. I live in the Northeast U.S. which can have quite cold and bitter winters, what things should I do to “winterize” my precious equine vessel? Also, once the spring thaws, what items (besides my state’s inspection and tire pressure/wear and tear) should I examine before using my trailer to haul again? Does SmartPak have a checklist for us first timers? Thanks!
#AsktheVetVideo
Hi, I have a 6 yr old gypsy vanner cob gelding named Samson. Like most drafts he has lots of feathers and mane. He and my other horse Aspire(10 yr mustang) have both struggled with dandruff in their makes and his feathers. How can I treat and prevent them from getting dandruff,itchy, and dry skin? Love you videos so much. Keep up the great work. Love Sam, Aspire, and Anna.
Sorry manes not makes.♀️
My horse was diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome. I would like to know the differences between Metabolic Syndrom and Cushings disease? What can I do to help him? #askthevetvideo
I have two Paint geldings that are healthy and easy keepers. Neither needs grain and I feed high quality 2nd cut orchard grass hay or pasture. This year Virginia was very wet and my hay supplier ran out of second cut. First cut is not soft and my horses are not eating it as much as the second cut they normally get. Should I feed them a supplement to counter the new hay or should I get the hay analyzed and then feed accordingly? Do you recommend a hay analysis? #AsktheVetVideo
I’d feed something like Enrich, which is a ration balancer. It will make sure that your guys are getting a balanced diet despite the lack of desire to eat their hay. If they start dropping weight, you can feed something like beet pulp.
What is your take on forage ratios for horses?
Help,
Next March I will be shipping my lovely mare cross country (from Washington to Maryland). I’m using a very reputable shipper. However, my mare is very ulcer prone, and I’m a nervous mom (yeah we both have ulcers). Please let me know what I can do to prepare her, everything from vaccine schedule to, feed, water, grain, supplements, etc… I chose to move her in March to avoid significant temperature shock. She will be on the truck for 4 days with a one day lay over in Kentucky. Should I go back and chose a shipper who has more breaks?. I have her in a box stall to allow her to put her head down. However, I do have the option to fly. Does it make more sense to have 24 hours of stress sans 5ish days??? I could really use some guidance. Thank you for your time and amazing advice. I enjoy falling down the SmartPak YouTube hole.
Respectfully,
Becca Cheney
Here’s a good one…
Sweet itch, causes, treatments, the recently mentioned vaccine from Europe, etc…