SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Ask the Vet, April Edition

Pregnancy, carrots and alfalfa, oh my! This month’s Ask the Vet covers more topics that will keep you in the know and benefit your horses.

You asked, and SmartPak answered! In its never-ending quest to keep horse owners well-informed and horses healthy, SmartPak has created its first “work from home” episode of their monthly series, Ask the Vet. In this episode, Dr. Lydia Gray and SmartPaker Dan answer five new questions on topics like carrots for horses, how to tell if a horse is pregnant, spirulina for horses, alfalfa as the only source of forage, the best horse health reference book and so much more!

Questions answered in this episode:

1. I have a 2.5-year-old from the BLM and she has been progressively getting round in the belly. But she doesn’t really seem fat, if that makes sense. I have suspicions she may be pregnant. Are there any signs that I could be looking for or anything at all I should do aside from just getting the vet out and doing a test? Ultimately that is what I will do. If she is pregnant, how does pregnancy affect a young horse? Is the process harder on them?

2. What is the best reference book about horse health and veterinary care that a rider should be aware of and read some parts of it or look for it if he/she had a question?

3. How many carrots a day can you give your horse? When is the best time to give it? Is it better to give it right after a ride or should we wait for a specific time and then feed him/her or before riding is the best time?

4. What are the benefits and uses of feeding spirulina to horses?

5. Can you explain why alfalfa is not good to feed exclusively? More specifically, is feeding a hard keeping senior full alfalfa forage during winter ok?

If you’re interested in learning more about the topics mentioned in the video, you can read or watch videos about them using the following resources:

Go SmartPak and Go Riding!