I want to share a CHOKE experience that hopefully will help others in the future -
I started feeding my mare beetpulp (for a couple weeks now)- for many reasons - and I always soaked it. Last night, after a mild 4 hour slow, beautiful trail ride, I mixed water to my beet pulp and let it set for only a few minutes. My mare looked hungry so I let her start in - I did not stir it or make sure it was thoroughly soaked, because I had read that beet pulp could be fed dry - After a few bites she stopped eating. Not too much concern, or so I thought then. I put her in her stall where her grain and hay was waiting for her.
Only moments later I heard the "awful" cough. Only one who has had experience with CHOKE will truly recongnize that ugly sound. I have only had my mare for 5 years and within the first 6 months, I learned the hard way about feeding pellets to a horse and had my first experience with the dreaded CHOKE.
When the vet arrived he asked me (more than once) what I gave her....I went over exactly what she ate: grass on the trail, a few carrots before we left for home, a few straws of hay before unloading from the trailer, which she had carefully picked through some of the shavings...the beet pulp. I wasn't sure if she had inhaled some of her grain that was waiting for her in her stall and wondered if the dust had caused the coughing.
We soon found out that it was, to the vet's surprise, beet pulp. In his 15 years of practice, he said this was a FIRST.
I could kick myself for not soaking it thoroughly and not stirring it... but hindsight is 20/20. Then I wonder to myself, NOW what can I feed her? This is her second episode, so, obviously prone to it.... I have decided that next week I will go back to the beet pulp, which she likes(d)... but I will not only WATER it down 30 minutes prior, but I will make sure it is with GRAVY. Other than baby food, I am not sure of any other alternatives.
If any of you have any suggestions for my prone choke horse, I will listen!
