SmartPak Monday Morning Feed: Ask the Vet, August Edition

What information is useful to keep in an equine journal? What are some good exercises to try on a hot day? These questions and more are answered in this month’s SmartPak “Ask the Vet” video!

Have you had a nagging question that you forget to ask your horse’s veterinarian (or else, the veterinarian has politely requested that you stop calling them every day with your latest question)? Looking for new ideas from a fresh source to get your question answered? Stop your searching: SmartPak is back with medical director and staff veterinarian Dr. Lydia Gray and SmartPaker Sarah on the job. The August Ask the Vet video is here!

Questions answered in this episode:

1. I was wondering if you could go into detail about what kind of information you track in Newman’s journal? Do you keep track of every ride? Or just monitor his general health? I would like to start a journal for my two horses, but would like some more detail on what kind of information is useful to keep track of!

2. I was wondering what the pros and cons of packing your horse’s feet are. I know some people who recommend packing horse’s feet when they’re finished showing, and others who pack their horse’s feet when they have abscesses. If you do recommend packing the horse’s hooves, what do you recommend packing them with?

3. How do you tell when it is too hot to ride your horse? Does SmartPak have any items that would help with keeping cool this summer?

4. What exercises could I do when it’s hot? Lunging? Poles?

5. What is the difference between tying up and colic?

The “how hot is too hot” question comes up every summer — don’t you feel better now getting a good answer from a professional?

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].

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

Go riding.