This evening while eating his beet pulp, my gelding suddenly stopped eating and rolled his top lip up (flehman's response, or however you spell it..) he struck out a couple of times with his front hoof and then just stood there with his head down. My immediate thought was that it could be choke, so I gently massaged his oesophagus and kept a close eye on him. After a couple of minutes he perked back up and went back to eating his dinner as if nothing had happened.
While this was happening, I looked up "signs of choke" on my phone but they didn't really seem to match. However, I have no clue what else it would have been. Has anyone seen these symptoms in a horse with choke, or have any ideas what else it could have been?
I should probably mention that his beet pulp had been soaked for nearly two hours. I normally soak it for longer, but it seemed nice and mushy by the time I fed it.
Sounds like he just tried to swallow too much, as Grey mentioned. Since it's soaked, it will pass easier and won't likely lead to a true choking response. I have two horses that are prone to choke. I add just enough water to their feet to help lubricate the throat as they swallow it. Works like a charm!
Thanks guys! It does sound like it was probably just that. He's doing fine now, but I will make sure to watch him the next few times I give him his feed.
What the heck?! I have never seen that before - wholly schmolly! Nelson is a choker - yay me *rolls eyes* - and the beginning signs of his episodes are coughing and a grumbling noise he'll make, then comes the goop coming out of his nostrils. "Great times"
It could have simply been he smelled something near by that he did not like or was trying to figure out what it was. That coincidentally happened while he was eating.
I see nothing wrong with keeping an eye on him for a while to make sure he is eating fine but that does not truly sound like a case of choke to me.
My mare chokes too, and just like MIE, she starts coughing, she does paw at the ground, keeps her head down, and gets the nasty green coming out her nose. To me it is quite obvious when a horse is choking, and I agree that it sounds like your guy just swallowed a bit too much at once, and it felt funny going down.
My horse chokes and does the exact same thing your horse does!! Luckily he stays calm and lets me rub his throat. He has done it so many times he just stands in the corner and waits for me to notice. He has some rocks in his food bin but that doesn't always work. I've been feeding him on the ground and making sure his food is almost like soup. He has a soft palate however you spell that deformation and that is why he chokes. It's so scary, but i'm so used to it now, that we both just look at eachother like not again. I wish i didn't have to feed him grain at all, but he is old and skinny and gets senior and beet pulp soup. Also you could try giving him a small amount at a time, i don't know how much he gets, but i do that with my guy sometimes too if i don't have time to make soup.
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