October 2022 Issue

Page 36 October 2022 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Go ahead... Ask da Mare By Malorie de la Mare Dear Mal… I have a friend who has invited me to go to her barn and ride one of the horses there while she rides her horse. I’m a little “iffy” about that plan for a couple of reasons. For one thing, I’ve never been on a horse. For another, she is an experienced rider, and says that she’ll make sure nothing happens. She wants to do a trail ride. She mentioned that she often “borrows” one of the farm’s other horses for friends to ride, and that nothing has ever happened. I asked her if I could just go and watch her ride and maybe talk to the people at the farm about the possibility of a supervised trail ride. She is adamant that that would not be a good idea, because, she said that the people at the farm would make it too complicated and expensive. This friend is someone I’ve only known for a couple of months. She recently started working at the same company where I work. Do you think it's a good idea for me to do this trail ride? To be honest, I’m kind of nervous about the whole thing—not the least the part about “borrowing” one of the other horses. -Nervous Dear Nervous… No! Don’t go along with your friend on this “adventure.” You seem to have pretty good instincts, and I suggest you listen to them. Someone who is an experienced rider might be a great partner for a trail ride. But someone who is in the habit of “borrowing” a horse for her friends to ride seems a bit…how shall I say this… irresponsible and untrustworthy. Horses can be dangerous, espe- cially for people who have never been on a horse, and who have no idea what to expect. Trail rides can be a lot of fun, but not if you’re on a horse that spooks, and certainly not if you’re nervous and worried. This friend doesn’t seem to be very interested in your safety and comfort, otherwise she would make sure your introduction to horses was entirely safe and above board. She doesn’t want you to do what I’m sure the barn’s owners would want you to do; that is, abide by their rules. Your friend probably doesn’t have permission to take one of the other horses out for a trail ride. The fact that she seems entitled to “borrow” horses for her friends to ride is her admis- sion that she is basically stealing from the barn. I’m sure that if the barn offers trail rides, they don’t do them for free. As you think about all this, perhaps you might Entitled to Borrow? want to redefine what this person is. I don’t actually think she is a “friend.” Dear Mal… What does it mean when a horse chokes? I was with a friend visiting her horse last week. We were outside the horse’s stall, and the horse was making funny noises and seemed to be trying to swallow. My friend went to get the barn manager because she said the horse was choking. He was still breathing, though. When a person chokes, they can’t breathe. But a horse can. So, is it dangerous for the horse? Can a horse die from it? What causes it? I didn’t want to pester my friend with questions, because she got really busy with the barn manager and I felt it was better for me to just get out of the way and leave. I called my friend later and she said that her horse is okay, but she was going to go back to the barn for a few hours to be with the horse. -Curious Dear Curious… A horse can choke when something blocks the esophagus, which carries food from the mouth to the stomach. It may be par- tially chewed hay or a big chunk of carrot. Often a horse with bad or missing teeth can’t chew food properly and when he swallows partially-chewed food, it can get caught. You’ve probably seen dogs that practically inhale their dinners. They don’t seem to be chewing at all. There are horses that eat too fast to chew their food properly, and it can get caught. There also may be a problem with a horse’s esophagus—a lump or a scar—that narrows the esophagus and makes choke more likely. A horse that is choking will often try to cough to expel the food. If they can’t manage to do that on their own, outside intervention is required. A tube is passed through the horse’s nostril down to the blockage and water is flushed through the tube to help dislodge the blockage. The water is siphoned out repeatedly and the blockage eventually gets cleared. This is a treatment that requires care and a lot of patience, and should not be undertaken by someone who is not qualified to do it. Choke can be a serious emergency and horses that are not treated, and that cannot clear the blockage on their own, can die from it. Thank heavens your friend was there, knew what was happening and acted quickly. Have a question for Mal? Email her at PAEquest@aol. com.