01 September 2008 15:58
My 10-year-old Irish Sports Horse mare has had difficulty digesting her food. I only feed her a scoop of grass nuts to keep her happy as she lives out all year. Recently she has been choking on this feed and has coughed up a lot of phlegm after eating. I have changed her feed now to beet pulp and coarse mix so it’s digested easily, but I would like to know what caused this. Could it be her teeth?
Answer
By Your Horse
Vet Gil Riley replies:
You are absolutely right to suspect teeth as being the source of the problem. The great majority of chokes are caused because horses are trying to swallow food that has not been sufficiently chewed. This happens when sharp enamel points on the cheek teeth develop and cause ulcers on the adjacent cheeks. These ulcers make it painful for the horse to chew.
The good news is that it is likely the problem will be very straightforward to solve. You need to arrange for your vet or a qualified equine dental technician (EDT) to come and inspect your horse’s mouth and remove any enamel points that may be causing trauma. Your horse will be chewing food better almost immediately and she should also feel easier in the mouth when riding.