Thank you for your suggestions. I think using a big pan is a good idea and not a feed bucket. But I have been feeding her in this bucket for 2 weeks now. It is shredded beet pulp with molasses. She is boarded and I have them give her 1/2 can of OATS in the a.m. and p.m. She gets a flake of hay in the a.m. and 2 flakes in the p.m. I was supplementing her (about 4 x's a week) with beet pulp to help with hydration and for mixing other *stuff* in the future. She is a 13 year old Morgan mare. About 15.1 H - her weight is steady - no seasonal loss/gain. (*Stuff: wormer, meds, etc. I can't do conventional medicine method via syringe. She is very sensitive to the mouth - she has had an abusive past and trust in people is pretty low)
I am NOT an endurance rider or competitive rider, but was given your site by a friend who does some competitive, and I am in the learning level. Your site is very friendly, honest, and informative.
The first time she choked was with pellets; she was in pasture and was run pretty hard by the herd. I (unknowingly) took food to her in order to catch her. Little did I know about the hazards of pellets, esp to a horse that is run so much she lost weight. That time, I saw how she INHALED it - and learned my lesson (with pellets). I also keep a mineral brick in her feed box so she doesn't eat her oats too fast.
But yesterday seemed rather ordinary - same place, same bucket.... BUT I didn't let it soak long enough, nor did I mix it up. <KICK ME- KICK ME-KICK ME> I am going to wait a week before I feed her the beet pulp again, and will buy a BIG pan, soak it real good and hold my breath til she is done!
So the theory of "if they choke on it once, don't give it again" doesn't count except with pellets? Oh, AND, does massaging the area in the throat ever help or hurt the situation? ... you feel so helpless watching them wretch and sputter!
