Choke in Horses and What To Do.

Otto in the early hours of Monday morning,

🐴 Otto’s Choke Incident and What You Need to Know About Choke in Horses

In the early hours of Monday morning, our senior draft horse, called Otto, suffered a distressing choke episode.

Thanks to quick action and a fantastic on-call vet, called Peter, I’m pleased to report that Otto has made a full recovery.

He’s now back to his usual cuddly self, eating and drinking well, and thankfully showing no signs of any aspiration, which is always a concern after a choke when food or saliva enters the lungs.

💡 What Is Choke in Horses?

Choke occurs when food or a foreign object becomes lodged in the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.

While the horse can still breathe, choke is painful and dangerous, and can quickly lead to dehydration, oesophageal injury, or aspiration pneumonia if not treated promptly.

Common signs include:

 • Flemhen Response-lifting the top lip up repeatedly

 • Nasal discharge containing food and saliva

 • Coughing, gagging, or wheezing

 • Drooling or stretching the neck out

 • Anxiety or colic-type behaviour such as looking at or kicking at the belly, pawing, or even trying to roll

🚨 What to Do If Your Horse Chokes

1-Call your equine vet immediately.

This is an emergency and should not be left to see if it clears by itself.

2-. Remove all food and water.

Do not offer water to try to wash it down as this can worsen the obstruction or cause fluid to enter the lungs.

3- Do not administer anything orally.

No feed, drenches, or medication should be given as they can make the situation worse and definitely no hosing down the mouth with a hose pipe as I have worryingly heard of in the past.

4-. Stay calm and be mindful of slow, steady breathing to reassure the horse.

Your horse will be frightened. Try to control your breathing, speak softly, and project calmness to reassure them.

5- If your horse is calm, light walking or a gentle downwards neck massage may help dislodge the blockage, but avoid any exertion or stress.

🩺 What Your Vet Will Do

Your vet will usually:

 • Administer an antispasmodic to relax the oesophageal muscles

 • Administer an anti-inflammatory to reduce pain, irritation, and swelling in the throat

 • Possibly sedate the horse

 • Pass a nasogastric tube through the nose into the throat to relieve or flush the obstruction

After treatment, your vet will check for any signs of aspiration and may recommend a period of rest and a modified diet to prevent recurrence.

🌾 Preventing Choke

 • Make up your horse's feed with plenty of water to make it into a soft mash, which reduces the risk of choke significantly.

 • Provide feed at ground level to encourage natural chewing and swallowing posture

 • Ensure teeth are regularly checked and floated at least yearly.

 • Feed smaller meals more often if your horse tends to eat quickly

• Feed anti-inflammatory foods to reduce inflammation in the oesophagus

 • Avoid feeding treats like apples or carrots in large chunks

  •Spray hay with the hose or steam it with a home-made steamer to reduce dust particles ( see our blog or other posts for how to make a steamer )

❤️ A Happy Ending

We are incredibly grateful to Peter for his fast response and care, and to Otto for being such a trooper through it all.

He’s back to being his affectionate, curious self with no complications, and we’re reminded how important early action and calm handling are in any emergency.

I sincerely hope that this information will help you to understand choke better and prevent it from happening in your horse.

Tracy @ NaturalHorseNZ