Choke in horses becomes noticeably more common in autumn, when grass loses its value and owners across Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire begin adding hay, sugar beet and hard feed to the daily routine. Unlike choking in people, the airway is not blocked. Instead, food becomes lodged in the oesophagus, the tube that carries food to the stomach. The sight is alarming, and the team behind horse cremations in the North West know how frightening it can be for owners who have never seen it before.
Understanding Choke in Horses
A horse chokes when a mass of food or another object becomes stuck partway down the oesophagus. Dry, bulky feeds that swell with moisture are the most common cause. Unsoaked sugar beet is a well known culprit. Pelleted feeds, dry chaff and greedily eaten hay can also cause problems. Occasionally, a horse chokes on an apple, a carrot or a piece of bedding.
Because the airway remains open, the horse can still breathe. However, it cannot swallow, and saliva and food have nowhere to go but back out through the nostrils. The condition is therefore an emergency, although it is rarely immediately fatal. The longer the blockage remains, the greater the risk of damage to the oesophagus and of food and saliva being inhaled into the lungs.
Why Autumn Brings a Higher Risk
Autumn is a season of change on most yards. Horses come in for longer, and hay replaces grass. Many also start on hard feed or soaked beet for the first time in months. These changes alone increase the risk. In addition, a horse that has been on grass all summer may bolt its first feeds of the season.
Dental problems play a large part as well. A horse with sharp edges, missing teeth or painful gums cannot chew properly. The food it swallows is therefore larger and drier than it should be. Older horses are especially vulnerable for this reason. Equally, a horse recovering from sedation should not be fed until it is fully alert, since its swallowing reflex may be slow.
Shared feeding adds a further risk. On busy livery yards, horses fed in groups often eat quickly to protect their share. A horse that feels under pressure from its neighbours will gulp its feed rather than chew it. Feeding horses separately, or at least well apart, allows each one to eat at its own pace. Dehydration also plays a part, because a horse that drinks less in cold weather produces less saliva to soften its food.
Recognising the Signs of Choke in Horses
The most obvious sign is a discharge of saliva and chewed food from both nostrils. The horse may stretch its neck repeatedly, cough, gag or appear distressed. Some horses sweat and paw the ground. A swelling may be visible on the left side of the neck where the blockage sits. Meanwhile, the horse will often keep trying to eat or drink despite being unable to swallow.
Some cases are much quieter. A horse may simply stand with its head low and a little froth at the nose. For that reason, any discharge of food from the nostrils deserves attention.
What to Do in the First Few Minutes
The first step is to call a vet. While waiting, all food, hay and bedding should be removed so the horse cannot add to the blockage. Water should also be removed. Keeping the horse calm and its head low helps saliva drain away from the airway.
Gently massaging the left side of the neck may help in some cases. However, owners should never try to flush water down the horse’s throat or push anything into its mouth. Some blockages clear on their own within minutes. Even so, a vet should still examine the horse, since there may be damage to the oesophagus or a risk of pneumonia afterwards. When a blockage does not clear, the vet will usually sedate the horse and gently flush the oesophagus through a tube.
Reducing the Risk Through the Winter
Prevention is mostly about how food is prepared and offered. Sugar beet must be soaked for the full time stated by the manufacturer. Pellets and cubes can be dampened for horses known to bolt their feed. Feeding in smaller portions, or placing large smooth stones in the feed bowl, slows down greedy eaters. Fresh water should always be available.
Regular dental checks are equally important. Most horses benefit from an annual examination, and older horses often need checks more frequently. Hay should be good quality and free of dust, and owners may find that a haynet with smaller holes slows a greedy horse down. Treats such as apples and carrots are safer when cut lengthways into thin strips rather than offered whole or in chunks.
Above all, any horse that has choked once is at greater risk of doing so again, and its diet should be reviewed with a vet.
When Choke Is a Sign of Something Deeper
In an older horse, repeated choking is often linked to failing teeth. In turn, failing teeth mean weight loss and a horse that struggles more each winter. In some cases, careful feeding of soaked mashes keeps a veteran horse comfortable for years. In others, the kindest choice becomes a planned goodbye through planned euthanasia. Rarely, complications such as aspiration pneumonia lead to a sudden loss, and the team then provide a cremation service following natural death. Owners who are unsure whether a yard falls within reach can check the areas we cover page.
Across the region, families rely on Skelmersdale horse cremations, Wigan horse cremations and Warrington horse cremations, as well as Chester horse cremations and Lancaster horse cremations.
Choke in horses is frightening, but calm action and good feeding habits prevent most serious outcomes. For guidance on end of life planning or help at short notice, owners can call the Heavenly Pastures team on 01704 776976.