SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Ask the Vet, May Edition

Kick off your week with a good dose of horse health information from SmartPak Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray and SmartPaker Sarah!

No matter how long you’re involved in the horse industry, you’ll never know it all. For some, that’s a comforting thought. For others (such as those who already thought they knew it all…) that’s a scary thought. Fear not, readers: we have the solution to help you keep on learning. Check out this month’s Ask the Vet video from SmartPak, chock-full of real, researched, verified advice from SmartPak’s Staff Veterinarian and Medical Director Dr. Lydia Gray, accompanied by SmartPaker Sarah!

Questions answered in this episode:

1. You guys have mentioned in the past that it’s not healthy to feed more than 5 lbs of grain per feeding. Is it safe to feed around 5 lbs of say beet pulp or alfalfa pellets since they are technically not a grain? I’m looking to put weight on my OTTB and have been soaking both alfalfa pellets and beet pulp (comes out to around 5-6lbs in weight). Is there an alternative where I can feed less but maintain his weight? Thanks!

2. What is HYPP?

3. Now that summer’s coming up my horse is completely irritated by the flies. I have a fly sheet, boots, and a mask as well as loads of fly spray. It just doesn’t seem to work. My horse either gets too sweaty with all the sheets, boots and masks, or they just don’t keep the bugs away. Are there any alternative options to keep my horse healthy and happy or recommended products that keep the flies away without getting her sweaty and uncomfortable (It’s extremely difficult because she needs to be covered from head to toe because of her melanomas, the sun could cause more)?

4. What supplements should every horse have?

5. What would be the reasons to give a magnesium supplement to your horse? Will it really help a horse be less spooky, and how much magnesium should a horse be getting on a daily basis?

As Sarah mentioned, a lot of questions have already been answered in past episodes: search the individual questions playlist to see if your burning horse health question was already tackled in the past!

Have some of your own questions? Ask on social media using #AsktheVetVideo! If your question gets selected to be in one of our Ask the Vet videos, you win a SmartPak gift card!