The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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36 TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2017 Let's look at reasons these scenarios lead to choke. Feed What feed characteristics seem to cause horses to choke? Any sizable food items, such as apples, carrots, or large cubes, if swallowed whole, can easily lodge and get stuck in the esophagus. Behavior For an example of behavior- related choke, let's take a look at a case study of a 5-year-old Thoroughbred geld- ing that arrived at South Eastern Equine Hospital, in Victoria, Australia, very early one Saturday morning. His owners had found him coughing, with food material and saliva streaming from his nostrils, which are classic signs of choke. The referring veterinarian attempted to relieve the obstruction by passing a tube up the horse's nose to flush out his esophagus, but the feed material remained stuck and would not move down into the stomach. More than likely, this horse ingested a large amount of a dry pelleted feed in a very short period. The feed type itself might not be to blame directly; aggressive eating behaviors, such as bolting, can cause a horse to choke on any feed. In- gesting large amounts of food, either pel- lets, sweet feed, or hay, without chewing adequately before swallowing, can result in insufficient saliva production to lu- bricate the feed. This makes travel down the esophagus into the stomach more difficult. Large group feeding situations increase the likelihood of these aggressive eating behaviors. Dentition Again, let's look at a real-life example of a dentition-related choke case to better understand how it happens. A 30-year-old Quarter Horse mare in Florida arrived at a large animal clinic for choke treatment. The mare's esophagus had been obstructed for approximately 12 hours and, despite multiple veterinarians' best efforts on the farm, her condition was not improving. Whether it's the young horse with erupting teeth or a senior horse miss- ing molars, poor or abnormal dentition greatly reduces the animal's ability to break down feed and can lead to choke. If young horses rapidly consume large pellets or cubes intended for mature horses or dry stemmy hay, they're more likely to choke. Esophageal obstruc- tion tends to be a major concern when caring for older horses; an estimated 95% of horses older than 15 have dental The classic choke presentation is coughing, with food and saliva coming from the horse's nostrils. DR. KEN SULLINS NUTRITION NEW & IMPROVED FORMULA CROUP LOIN WITHERS & BACK Nutrena's unique approach to topline health. Featured in specific Nutrena ® premium equine feeds. Look for the Topline Balance TM emblem. ©201 7 Cargill, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Just like humans, horses have a core muscle group that enables motion, performance, and drive—and proper nutrition is key to a healthy core. Known as the topline, a horse's core plays an important role in how a horse performs, looks, and feels. A strong and healthy topline signifies core strength and proper nutrition. Research proves Nutrena ® feeds are the best when it comes to topline. Experience it by trying new Empower ® Topline Balance TM horse feed. THE FIRST CHOICE IN TOPLINE HEALTH Empower® Topline Balance TM Evaluate your horse's topline health and get a tailored feeding recommendation at ToplineBalance.com.