When a Horse Chokes!

The scariest thing I have encountered in horse ownership is a choking horse.  I have been through colic, parasites, cuts and stitches, seizure, moonblindness illness, but next to a life threatening disease, Choke is the one that springs you into action.  The horse will have mucous and salivia, coming out the mouth and nose, they may thrash or just get up and down, Their ears may twitch from the discomfort every time they try to swallow.  Horses don't throw up or burp and what goes in must go through to come out. They are also nosy and touch things with their lips always looking for a morsel of food.  So one track minded the horse.  They can't even seen their mouth to know what they are putting in therir body.  Once they have been given treats, they will always be checking things out just in case their is some declicious tidbit just for them around every corner or every knook and cranny. I've had only two horses choke and they are both minis. 

Sparkle our oldes mini at 23 years had choked twice, both times we know the cause. Once was on acorns, which is her favorite thing to eat in the fall.  The next time she bolted her food.  Now she gets her food soaked and we keep her contained in the fall as acorns are not suppose to be good for horses due to the toxins they contain. Sparkle doesn't agree and she will still compete with the squirrels for acorns every fall. 



Mariah sharing hay with her best pal Dreamer

 Mariah is next oldest at 21 years. She has choked twice,both times we have no idea what the cause was.  Her teeth were blamed both times.  She has also suffered colic multiple times and her teeth determined as the cuase.  Mariah was born with split molars in the back of her mouth and that has caused her many problems. finally last year on set became loose enough for the vet to pull them out.  She still has the other side to go. Maybe when she has her teeth worked on this year.  Mariah is called the cookie monster around her because she will gladly take anything out of your hands and gobble it up, so you have to be careful wht is in your hands around Mariah.  She has to have her molar cleaned out when she eats fresh grass or alfalfa. She chews dry hay the best and loves her mush of senior feed.