SARAH: Hi, guys.
Welcome back.
This is September's Ask the Vet video.
I'm SmartPaker Sarah, and this is
Dr. Lydia Gray, SmartPak's Staff Veterinarian and Medical
Director.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Correct, a mouthful.
SARAH: I know.
It's a good title.
And we are back once again to answer the questions that
were submitted by viewers like you and voted on by you guys
as well.
So thank you so much for voting.
Thank you so much for the great questions.
Today, we will once again be tackling the top five most
popular, based on your votes.
And we actually have a secret question to start things off.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: You know I love those.
SARAH: I know you love surprises.
This one, fortunately, is not for you.
I will be tackling the answer to this one.
Sammy, on YouTube, asked, "Why is SmartPak so awesome?
That is my question."
And first off, I'd like to say, we did not ask Sammy.
We did not pay Sammy to ask this question.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: It was unsolicited.
SARAH: It was.
It was.
And the answer is really easy.
SmartPak is awesome because we have awesome customers
like you guys.
And so we get to serve an awesome audience
full of enthusiastic, passionate, caring horse
owners.
And it makes it so easy for us to do things
like this, where we get to help people take
great care of their horses.
It's a really rewarding job.
So thank you, guys, for being so awesome and inspiring us
to keep pushing the boundaries.
If you guys have submitted a question,
and it's been answered, remember that you
are eligible for a SmartPak gift certificate.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: That's right.
SARAH: If you haven't gotten it, email
CustomerCare@SmartPak.com, and we'll hook you up.
Our first question for this month is submitted--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: This is the first real question.
SARAH: The first real question, this one's for you,
submitted by Meghan, on YouTube.
And Meghan asks, "What do you think
everyone should know before owning a horse, medically,
that is?"
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Right, right, because it
covers a lot of ground.
So this question was music to my ears.
It also made me think of a saying
that my old riding teacher used to say.
"You never learn out."
He was German, so the English was challenging.
But what he meant was you're always, always learning.
So there is a baseline of knowledge
that you should probably have.
It's just right before owning a horse,
before assuming that responsibility.
But you keep learning, which is why we do videos,
and we do articles and blogs and stories,
and all kinds of things.
SARAH: I learn something every month.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Me, too.
Me, too.
So I think that nutrition is first,
with forage being first, understanding
the importance of foraging the horse's diet
and how to complete and balance the diet.
And certainly, you work with people
to help you do these things.
You just don't learn them yourself and do them yourself.
It takes a village.
I'm quoting everyone here.
I think you should learn the most common horse conditions,
like colic, like ulcers, like Cushing's
and metabolic syndrome, that they injure themselves
frequently, those kind of things.
You have to learn what's normal for your horse.
So I like the vital signs, body condition scoring,
all those tests that you record in a journal on your horse.
You want to pick up your favorite journal book
diary, those kind of things.
And then when to call the vet, which includes getting a vet.
Make sure you have a vet before you get the horse.
Have all your professionals lined up--
your veterinarian, your farrier, your trainer.
Have those.
Don't get the horse and then go, I
wonder who I call when I need such and such.
So knowing your support group, having the access to a trailer,
where you're going to board, and then
the nutrition and the medical information,
I think probably that's the baseline.
But that was a really good question.
SARAH: And it's a good place to start,
and it illustrates how much there is to know.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: There's a lot to know.
SARAH: It's not something to take lightly.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: But it's good.
It's fun learning.
SARAH: Yeah.
Yeah.
All right, second question, submitted by Faith, also
on YouTube, Faith is asking, "When does supplementing
become too much?
I've talked to vets, and they have said different things.
What's your opinion, and when does it become too much?"
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Granted, I'm going
to have a little bit of bias, because I work for SmartPak.
But the confusion that I see with this kind of question
and thinking is that certainly, if you're
giving three joint supplements, we
would all consider that to be oversupplementing.
But then if I see a person whose SmartPak strip
has a joint supplement, a stomach support
supplement, a product for hindgut health,
maybe an electrolyte, something for skin and coat and hooves,
to me, that's not oversupplementing,
because each product is supporting
a different area of the body.
It's when you double up or triple up
on a product for each specific category
that you're overdoing your-- and many times, not even adding
too much of something.
You're just not getting additional benefit.
That's the issue.
So if I'm giving three times as much glucosamine or chondroitin
sulfate, I might not be adding any more benefit
than if I'm just giving the usual maintenance serving.
So that's what you want to be careful of, that your diet is
completely balanced and that your supplement program is well
thought out, and you're supporting,
you're providing solutions, for the different areas
that your horse needs.
Like I don't give my horse a hoof supplement,
because he has great feet.
That's one thing he has is great feet.
SARAH: Newman.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: But he has a large strip,
because he gets a lot of other things,
because I've figured out that he needs support
in many different areas, just not feet.
SARAH: So like most things with horses,
it's not black and white.
And it is more of a balance, being thoughtful
about what's unique about your horse
and having a balanced approach, rather than just going
whole hog in a bunch of different directions.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah, being thoughtful,
and then there might be some seasonal changes
that you have to do based on what your horse's workload is
and where he lives, if he moves or he shows, doesn't show.
So 'thoughtful' is a really, really good word with it.
SARAH: And you guys, because this stuff
can be kind of challenging, we know
horse owners have questions.
That's one of the reasons we're here.
And that's one of the reasons we think SmartPak is so awesome.
We have a team of experts, and we also have our Supplement
Wizard on the website.
So if you guys need help picking supplements,
you've come to the right place.
Our third question is submitted by Rebecca, also on YouTube.
And Rebecca is wondering what the pros and cons
are of 24/7 turnout.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Oh, another good question,
very practical questions this time.
So we'll do pros first.
And when I think of the pros, the good reasons, for turnout,
I think of horse health.
I mean, horses are supposed to be turned out.
We keep them inside for convenience.
So movement is huge, right?
Movement helps your joints not be stiff.
It helps your hooves with the circulation.
It even helps your digestive system.
You need movement to get things working and flowing.
And you can jump in here any time
that you can give something.
SARAH: As a runner, I can relate to movement helping things
in a lot of those areas.
You know, I think with the joint one, a lot of people
think, if my horse is sore, I should probably keep him
inside so that he rests.
But I think what most people actually
see is exactly as you described, that the horse does
better and is more comfortable if he's not
standing and getting stiff and getting stocked up.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Correct, yeah.
Other pros are if they're turned out together,
it could be socializing.
They really like other horses.
SARAH: For the most part.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Horses think horses are cool.
Yeah, and they have to know each other.
It's healthier as far as fresh air.
It's well ventilated in the outdoors.
SARAH: Not a lot of cobwebs trapping a lot of dust.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Dust and urine doesn't build up.
And speaking of manure, it could be easier
to clean up if you're turned out on a limestone paddock
or something.
So any pros I'm missing?
SARAH: Is there, in terms of the movement,
not just being good for things like hooves,
joints, circulation, is it also beneficial for weight
maintenance?
DR. LYDIA GRAY: It can be.
I mean, if you're creative in how you set up a food station,
if you ask them, use a small hole hay net or something,
and put them in different places on their turnout
and put a flake in each one, they're
going to have to walk to graze.
So you're simulating grazing, unless your 24/7 turnout
is grazing.
And then that's awesome, because horses are designed to meander,
to wander, and also to trickle feed,
to eat small amounts frequently.
So all those are good things.
I thought of another one.
If you're not keeping a horse in a stall,
it's a money savings, because you're using less bedding.
You're not using bedding.
SARAH: You're not using any bedding.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
So shall we move to cons?
SARAH: Sure.
What's the downside?
DR. LYDIA GRAY: You have to catch
them, which, for some horses, can be a problem.
So if they're outside, they might be dirtier.
So you have to catch and then clean them.
If they're outside, they're probably not going
to be supervised 24/7.
So depending on where you live, there
could be predator-type dangers.
Or there just could be-- horses, like we
talked with the first question, they're accident prone.
They see a fence, and they feel compelled to run into it.
SARAH: I think on the flip side of horses
being social animals, too, is sometimes they choose
who they like and don't like.
And so managing a herd and introducing a new horse
is more challenging than just throwing a horse in a stall.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
And that liking and not liking does change from day to day
sometimes, it seems like.
We talked about the manure management.
It can be easier or harder in a stall.
SARAH: Certainly, it's less space to cover and to clean up.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: It's a smaller area,
but depending on how deep you bed, it can be trickier.
And then you have the added cost of it.
SARAH: Plus, if your horse keeps a messy stall,
and he's one of those ones who as soon as he poops,
he spreads it all over--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Walks around in it.
SARAH: --and then everything gets dirty.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Or poops in the water, one of those.
They're less inclined to do that when they're outside.
So bedding.
The ventilation, that's a huge con
for horses that have a respiratory sensitivity,
because it's enclosed.
And so the ammonia builds up, and the dust builds up,
and it's harder for them to breathe
because of all the small particles that
are going down their lungs.
SARAH: Aside from the danger, either from potential predators
or from each other, due to mood swings,
it doesn't sound like there's a lot of cons
in terms of the horse's health.
It seems like a lot of the cons we're focusing on
are on the convenience side.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: They are.
SARAH: So it seems like you're landing on if you can,
turnout's--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: I'm definitely landing on--
SARAH: --the best.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: if you can.
I understand that--
SARAH: I know you to be--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: --space--
SARAH: --for the turnout.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah, well, my horse
has not been in a stall for three, going on three years
now.
So I'm a firm believer in that.
SARAH: And it's not because he's not a fancy dressage horse,
because he is.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: We do a lot of cleaning and catching.
But yeah, I think turnout is the way to go if you can.
Realize that not every place in the country and every barn
allows it or has room for it.
So you are limited by geography at times.
SARAH: But there are things you can
do to mimic it if you can't provide turnout
all the time, like you were saying,
providing the small hole hay net in the stall
to make it more like--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: To mimic grazing.
SARAH: The small intake of grazing,
making sure that your horse is exercised, especially if he's
a horse that tends to get stiff, making
sure he gets out every day.
So I think provide the turnout if you can.
If you can't, do your best to fake it.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Even if you can't
do 24/7 turnout, as much turnout as you can is great, yeah.
SARAH: All right.
And I will say on the hard to catch note, on the flip side,
that can be a pro--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Exercise.
SARAH: --because if you-- exercise for humans,
I like where you're going.
But if you go out to the field and your horse
comes up to you, what a feeling.
That's love.
All right.
Question four, this is submitted by Jesseanne And Jesseanne
on YouTube, is wondering, "My horse
has developed gigantic windpuffs in both legs."
First of all, I just want to picture
how gigantic these must be.
"My vet assures me they're only cosmetic,
but I'm concerned this may indicate joint discomfort
and/or weakness, and want to know
if there's anything I should be doing to help combat it."
So I think we should probably start with, what are windpuffs?
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yes, because they sound exciting, right?
Windpuffs.
SARAH: Sounds like a Pokemon.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Oh no, don't go there.
They're just swellings.
And your vet's right, usually cosmetic and harmless swellings
in the lower legs behind the cannon bone,
behind the suspensory ligament and digital flexor tendons
also.
And they're just a stretching of the tendon sheath,
the lining of the tendons.
Sometimes it's a stretching of the fetlock joint capsule
itself.
But you see them as outpockets.
Is that a word?
Outswellings of puffs--
SARAH: Puffs.
Puffs, windpuffs I don't know why they're called windpuffs,
but of the lower leg.
They're usually not hot.
They're not painful.
They're not active.
They're just a result of a lifetime of use, and not
even really hard use.
It has to do with conformation, size of the horse
and the way he's built, and the footing and the shoeing
and a whole range of components.
SARAH: You can say no.
Is it like when the tops of your socks lose their elasticity?
Because it sounds like you're talking about over time,
they become less likely to snap back into--
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Can I say I don't know, but I think so.
I think that works.
I'm always looking for good analogies.
I might.
I have to think about that one for a day or so.
But it's just a stretching.
And then once they're stretched, they don't go back.
Yeah, yeah, OK.
SARAH: And it's very-- it's cosmetically unappealing.
It's not a good look.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah, so you can ice.
You can poultice.
You can wrap.
You can cold hose, that kind of things.
Turnout, turnout is very good for windpuffs.
SARAH: OK.
Back to the last question.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: If there's a lameness associated or any heat
or whatever, then have your veterinarian out
to look at them, because maybe there is something going on.
But on the whole, they're not a problem.
However, she was very insightful.
It makes you think, is there something not quite right
with the footing or the shoeing?
Or is there lameness trying to rear
its ugly head, another reason to have the veterinarian out?
I don't get terribly excited about them,
especially if they are-- I'm trying
to think of a word to use today that's scientific that we
can spell on the screen.
Bilateral?
Bilaterally symmetrical, meaning that the left and right
legs both have them?
If only one leg has it, then that's probably something--
SARAH: More concerning.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
But if both legs have them, and they
are mostly in the hind legs, but sometimes horses
have all four legs.
So you're not going to like this advice,
but sometimes, if you've decided,
and your vet's looked at them, and they're
not they're just windpuffs and they're not
indicating something more serious,
the best advice is don't look.
SARAH: I like it.
Last but not least, _equestrian_joy_ on Instagram
is wondering, "What vaccines should I be giving my horse?"
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Ooh.
SARAH: This is a good one.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
Where's my 10-foot pole?
Now, this one, this is kind of straightforward,
because the AAEP, which we talk about almost every time,
the American Association of Equine Practitioners,
has released a white paper, or a guideline, something,
about vaccines.
And they separate them into two categories.
One they call core vaccines, that every horse should have,
no matter where you live, or if you're
the only horse on the property and you don't even go anywhere.
And then risk-based vaccines, and those
depend on where you live in the country
and if you do go somewhere and expose to other horses.
So in that group, you think of things like influenza
and Rhino or herpes virus, because you're being
exposed to contagious diseases.
And the core vaccines would be things
like tetanus, which you get from the soil,
rabies, which you get from skunks and bats,
and Eastern and Western sleeping sickness,
and West Nile virus, which are from mosquitoes, so
ubiquitous things.
But the vaccine choice is something
that your veterinarian helps you with.
That's why you have these really good conversations
with your vet, because he or she will tell you, in your area
and what you do with your horse, which vaccines are appropriate
and when and how often and all that.
So it's really a conversation that you have with your vet,
but you can get a head start by going to the AAEP
and reading that white paper about what
they think about vaccines.
Because it was put together by a committee of experts
in that field, and so there's some really good information
there.
It talks about young horses and adults and older horses
and pregnant mares and just everybody.
SARAH: All right.
It's always good when you get a lot of really smart people
thinking about the same thing, and especially,
if you can get them all to agree.
That's pretty impressive.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Yeah.
So vaccines are pretty straightforward.
SARAH: All right.
Well, that's all we have for this month.
Thank you, guys, so much for submitting your questions.
We will start accepting questions for next month's
video right now.
So you can submit those on our blog,
on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, using #askthevetvideo,
so we make sure we don't miss your question.
You can also ask in the comments right here on YouTube,
or you can e-mail CustomerCare@SmartPak.com,
and we will be sure to pass your questions along
to the right group.
We'll put them up on the blog.
They'll be open for voting just like they
are every other month, and the top five
will be answered on air by Dr. Gray.
DR. LYDIA GRAY: Plus maybe a secret question by you.
SARAH: Maybe.
Keep those secret questions coming.
And we'll look forward to answering those questions.
And you will be rewarded for asking your very brilliant
questions that get Dr. Gray and I thinking and learning
every month with a SmartPak gift card.
So what could be better than that?
You get to learn, and you get to shop, which
is what SmartPak is all about.
All right.
So that's all we have right now for this month.
Thank you, guys, so much for watching.
And have a great ride.