Garner Equine

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HORSE IS CHOKING?

Choke in horses can look alarming, especially if you’ve never seen it before. When a wad of poorly chewed feed gets stuck in a horse’s esophagus, the muscles may spasm and clamp it in place, causing him to cough, gag and produce prodigious amounts of drool and nasal discharge.

Unlike choking in people, choke in horses doesn’t interfere with the ability to breathe, so it does not pose an immediate threat to life. However, it the episode doesn't subside on its own within a few minutes, you’ll want to treat it as an emergency and call your veterinarian immediately!

What treatment is necessary?
In order to clear the obstruction, a a veterinarian must administer sedatives or muscle relaxants to loosen contractions of the esophagus. Water or other lubricants may then be given by nasogastric tube to flush the material out of place (read --> NOT a home remedy). When the obstruction is cleared, your horse doctor will decide whether to administer antibiotics to prevent infection of the throat or lungs, and they may also prescribe a diet of wet mashes for a few days to give the swollen esophagus time to heal.

To read more on what to do for a horse with choke, courtesy of AAEP Media Partner Equus Magazine, visit https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/response-choke-53083
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Gilberto DeLeon, our client to spotlight this month, competes in Coleadero, a type of Mexican Rodeo. These rodeos are held every weekend with live music and authentic Mexican food. Coleadero, which translates to tailing, is where a bull is released from the pen and runs along the wall which is marked every ten meters. The charro’s objective is to grab the bull by the tail and pull him down in the shortest distance possible.
Like all rodeo events, tailing requires a horse that has lots of mental fortitude, athletic ability, and hours and hours of training. One of Gilberto’s favorite horses to compete on is a seven year old, sorrel stallion named Mister Buen Olena. Gilberto works with Mister 3-4 times per week at home and competes in rodeos about once a month.
Gilberto wants to pass this family tradition down to his son Ivan, just as it was passed to Gilberto by his grandfather. One of the customs that Gilberto’s grandfather taught him was to restrict his horse’s feed the day before so the horse is not too heavy for the competition. Gilberto will only feed small amounts of hay the day before and day of the rodeo and tie his horse up the day of the rodeo to make sure he is light and ready to run.
It is a pleasure to work with Gilberto and his horses and learn about his unique sport.