SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Ask the Vet, October Edition

Safe fruit and veggie snacks for your horse, poultice vs. liniment, knowing when a horse is ready to retire… all of these questions and more are answered in this month’s SmartPak Ask the Vet video!

As horse people, we always want to know we’re doing the best possible thing for our horses — from feeding them treats to treating their injuries to making sure they’re living the best quality of life possible within our means. While we all come from different walks of equestrian life, we’re all united in this fact: that’s one of the reasons SmartPak’s Ask the Vet series is going strong! If you’ve had a unique horse health question, chances are someone else has as well — give this video a watch or listen and see what you learn today to help your horses live the best life possible.

Questions answered in this episode:

1. I love giving my horse special treats, so I was wondering what kind of fruits and vegetables are safe to feed your horse?

2. What is the difference between liniments and poultices? Is one stronger than the other? Are there different types of liniments and poultices? Is it required to use paper, plastic wrap, or bandages with liniments and poultices? Also, does climate or weather affect the effectiveness of liniments and poultices? Also, thank you for “changing the world four hoofs at a time!”.

3. What are some signs that your horse needs to retire? What type of lifestyle can you create for a retired horse if you don’t have grass pastures?

4. My 10-year old thoroughbred gelding loves to goof off with his buddies and is a bit on the accident prone side, so he always seems to come in from the paddock with a new nick, bite, or scrape. Although I don’t treat every little injury, I have used everything from Hay Where’s That Blue Stuff to Vetericyn spray to Fura-Zone to triple antibiotic cream on some of the bigger ones – honestly, whatever I happen to have lying around at the time. Most of the time I am more concerned with keeping the wound moist so it can heal naturally without scarring (and keep bugs and dirt out). However, I never really know what I should be using or if it even helps. What is your favorite product or recommendation for how to treat these minor injuries? When is it appropriate to use antibiotic cream vs a spray? Are there any products I should avoid? Charlie and I thank you in advance!

5. What is the difference between Wobblers, EPM, and Lyme?

What did you learn in today’s video? Shout out to us in the comments!

Want to submit your own question for next month? Comment on this video (via YouTube, not here at Horse Nation) and tag your question #AskTheVet. You can also post your questions on SmartPak’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by visiting the SmartPak blog — don’t forget the hashtag! Questions can be submitted directly via [email protected] or at the Ask the Vet Questions submission site.

Bonus: if your question is selected, you win a SmartPak gift card!

Go riding.