Do you leave your horse to eat feed alone?

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Amys_Babies

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I don't know if i have been doing the right thing or not but i always give Buddy his feed when im about to go home, does anyone else do this?

It is just last night one of the other horses had choked on his feed and am so glad i was up there! I don't know what he had ate but their was carrots and apples chopped up in his water bucket so i can only think that maybe he had gone and had a drink a gulped something down which had got stuck in his throat.

The poor lad though he couldn't breathe, i called YO who came down and owners and they were getting a vet out when we left. It just worries me what could have happened if i hadn't of been there! And as im like the last one to come up yard it worries me to think what could happen to Buddy if he choked and no one was up there to help him.

From now on i think am going to wait till hes finished dinner before i go home!
 
I would think he spat the apples and carrots into the water!!

I feed mine and then take the buckets out as my mare would throw the bucket all over and break it if I left it in!! (even though its a rubber one!!)
 
I haven't a clue! It not something i would ever dream of doing.

What annoyed me though was the fact that the owners didn't even want to come up to sort him out. Everyone had tried all they could to try and get it out and it wasn't budging and the poor horse couldn't breathe. And YO basically had to shout at the owners down the phone to get up there because they thought he would be ok and would be fine to just leave him for the night!!!
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Must admit I don't, but I don't feel anything extra chopped up in their feeds either.

One of my mares was brought in from the field and put in an empty stable. Luckily for me the other lady was still up doing her horse when she noticed mine was dribbling green foam over the stable door and was in distress. By the time the vet arrived it had cleared by itself. As it was green foam and she'd not had anything to eat in the stable we can only assume it was something she'd eaten in the field and brought in with her. She'd been in for about 15 minutes before the foaming started. Very strange indeed. Thankfully it's never happened again.

As for apples and carrots in the water bucket; they were probably dropped in by the horse, BUT, that said, years ago I did hear people recommending someone to do that to encourage a shy drinker to drink from their water bucket. Crazy.
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I leave them to eat in peace but am usually around still when they're done. Also, the mare loves her feed sloppy so I'm not too concerned that she's going to choke on it.
I've heard of people putting whole apples in the water bucket to give pony something to do - like bobbing for apples. Never tried it myself and I'd probably go down the treat ball route or the old swede on a string to add entertainment value.
 
I leave mine alone to eat in peace but i never leave untill they are finished and actually eating their hay.. my highland has on a couple of accasions had very mild colic after having his feed so i just like to be sure that everything is okay before i leave.
 
I don't stay with him all the time but I don't put anything in his feed either. If he's having an apple or a carrot I give it to him on the way in from the field.

Can't believe they weren't going to go & see to him
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- I panic everytime our YO rings me (we're very good friends, we speak a lot on the phone). Now she starts every phone conversation with 'it's just a social call, don't panic'!!!
 
I feed my three in the field (they live out) and normally groom them, check them and change rugs as they eat.
I also have to dissuade my two youngsters from 'helping' my oldie eat her more substantial tea....the trouble being they all get on so well I could feed them from the same bucket.
My oldie tends to choke if I put apple in her feed...she has quite a narrow gullet, and I think apple can foam up with concentrates.
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I have put an apple in my mares water bowl before but i was there watching....it was very funny .... but I took it out after about 5 min of her trying and gave it to her!
 
I am usually around when mine are eating, but having dealt with chokes in other horses over the years, I always soak feeds well, to the extent that they are sloppy, and never use apples or carrots
 
i always wait now i didnt before by my 2yr now whos five choked on a carrot that was even chopped up i cant bear it it took me 10mins to dislodge the carrot so now i stand and make sure she ok
 
No, I never leave my horses to eat their feed alone. One of my previous horses had an episode of choke when I was actually there and I've never left them alone again after that. I have made sloppy feeds too but the mare I sold recently wouldn't eat sloppy feeds, she would only eat them slightly damp
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No I don't leave mine alone, my horse has colicked a few times after feeding so not worth risking. His food is very sloppy so unlikely he would choke.
All others on yard do leave theirs - including one which does choke mildy now & then - which I think is totally irresponsible tbh.
 
We never leave until the neds have finished their hard feed. This has made me sit up and think re apples in water etc though. I did that a couple of winters ago to try to keep one of our horses who wasn't used to being stabled interested and occupied with various things. Got recommended that from a Forum, won't be doing it again!
 
I tend to stay until he's finished, but his feed is always damped down quite a lot. During the winter, when he's greedier than in the summer, I put a brick in his manger, so he has to work round it and find the food, which slows him down a lot.
 
I have always fed mine then gone home, never waited until he has finished. TBH ive never thought about it until this post.
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He has his T like soup just the way he likes it and has apples and carrots chopped up. I think i may think twice about leaving him to eat alone in future.
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I'm always around when my lot have their feeds, retired big lad has choked before and would hate for it to happen again when I'm not there...........
 
Have to say, feed them and if they haven't finished by the time I am they get to keep the bucket for the night. I am sure mine is quite happy with this arrangement though, gives him something to throw around to keep him happy!
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The poor lad though he couldn't breathe,

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Choke can be really scary, my horse had it tonight after eating some hay - it took 20 mins til it cleared. But just to add, the horse CAN breathe as choke is not in the horse's windpipe so there is no need to panic.
I would always wait til my horse has finished his feed but the two different times he has had choke, it has been due to the hay - and I can't stay with him all night waiting for him to finish that!
 
9/10 I put the feed out and then go, they all have soft rubber buckets, and if they were going to choke they'll choke.
My OH is always in a rush to go but as soon as Im driving I'll probably stay till they have finished and give them both a good groom everyday. I cant wait till I can drive, I'll spend every waking hour up there LOL!
 
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