# Damage control - Horses got into the grain



## wild_spot

This has never happened to us before - At our normal place feed is kept in a locked shed. We have just moved to a different paddock to eat it out for summer, and we can't keep grain in the shed because of mice. So we keep it in garbage bins with click on lids just outside the shed. 

Last night either someone left the gate open or the horses jigged the catch and got into the paddock with the shed. They knocked both bins down and ate about 8 kilos of Showtorque (A grain free complete feed) and almost 20kg of oats between four horses. It's likely that two of them got the majority of the grain as they are higher in the pecking order.

They were all ok this morning - Two were lying down but not rolling and got up after a while. We rode two of them gently, they seemed ok, except Lucy was coughing a little bit (Dust from the oats?). All were grazing. Not too much heat in the feet of the two we brought in. The two lying down and Wildey were grunting a bit but no colicky signs.

Is there anything we can do besides keep an eye on them? Is it 100% that they will colic or founder, or is it just a chance?


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## iambatmanxx

I can't really give you much reassurance, but I will say this has happened to me before. My mom sometimes forgets to close the gate that leads into the barn from the paddock, and the horses get in.

We usually don't notice until a couple hours later when we wonder where the horses are. They've knocked down both garbage cans that were full of grain and there had been absolutely nothing left. 

Nothing ever happened to them, they were completely fine and dandy. So I'd say to just keep an eye out, but I personally wouldn't worry too much.

But again, I'm sure someone has a better input than I.


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## Speed Racer

It's not 100% they'll colic/founder wild, so really all you can do is what you're doing already; keep an eye on them.

If they're passing manure normally, the likelihood of impaction colic is probably pretty slim at this point. Founder is what I'd be most worried about, but that will present itself soon enough if it's going to happen.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that the only thing bad that comes out of this is that you have to buy more grain.


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## equiniphile

This has happened to me once before. Scared me to death, too. Keep an eye on them, check their manure and check for gut sounds every so often, and of course look out for any abnormal behavior.


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## Joe4d

equiniphile said:


> This has happened to me once before. Scared me to death, too. Keep an eye on them, check their manure and check for gut sounds every so often, and of course look out for any abnormal behavior.


Keeping an eye is too little too late, laxatives should have been given immediately. That much grain is a medical emergency. You could end up with serious founder issues that ruin the horse for life. Not much you can do about it now but hope it doesnt develop.


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## wild_spot

I'm well aware of the implications of founder. Hence I asked here. 

Thanks for the info everyone. Dad is keeping an eye on them during the day and I might call our vet for her opinion on my lunch break.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wild_spot

There was a lot of manure around the shed so they were in there for a few hours at least. Hopefully that means they ate the grain over a longer period of time.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## trailhorserider

The plus side is that oats are safer than sweet feed or other grains because they have the husks still on them and no added sugar. Plus, hopefully the horses that ate the oats also ate some of the complete feed, so even though you don't want them over-eating on either, maybe the complete feed helped dilute the grain a bit. 

Sorry, no help, but it could have been worse. Hopefully all will be well and it will be worry for nothing. Please keep us posted.


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## kevinshorses

That's not a lot of grain spread between four horses. I'd bet that any founder will be so mild that it won't make a lot of difference in the long run. The kind of founder that cripples horses is more often the chronic kind versus the acute situations like this.

Anyone that has horses will have something like this happen eventually. Over the summer I was carefull to keep the grain locked up but I never considered the dog food. I woke up one morning and one of the horses had knocked over my dog food barrel and eaten most of it. That particular horse had a strange affinity for dog food and would eat it out of my dogs dish if I didn't put the dish out of his reach.


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## wild_spot

Horses still looking okay at lunch time. I'll be out there after work as well. 

Kevin - the horses don't like the dog food, but my dog sure likes the horse food!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse

Joe4d said:


> Keeping an eye is too little too late, laxatives should have been given immediately. That much grain is a medical emergency. You could end up with serious founder issues that ruin the horse for life. Not much you can do about it now but hope it doesnt develop.


I've never heard of doing this, can anyone else comment on it?


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## trailhorserider

Re: the laxatives. I've never heard of it either. I would think it would be an almost guarenteed recipe for colic. However, I am not a vet, so maybe there is a legitimate medical use in these instances. Wyominggrandma would know.


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## natisha

I believe the reason to give mineral oil via tube is to help flush out the bowel before it has time to absorb the extra nutrients & toxins that can form, get it out of the system ASAP.


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## highlonesome

ive a little banamine or Dexamethazone,drench with a gal. of mineral oil.Future prep.sounds like they dodged it this time.


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## wild_spot

Thankfully horses are all good. yay!


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## Hunter65

kevinshorses said:


> That's not a lot of grain spread between four horses. I'd bet that any founder will be so mild that it won't make a lot of difference in the long run. The kind of founder that cripples horses is more often the chronic kind versus the acute situations like this.
> 
> Anyone that has horses will have something like this happen eventually. Over the summer I was carefull to keep the grain locked up but I never considered the dog food. I woke up one morning and one of the horses had knocked over my dog food barrel and eaten most of it. That particular horse had a strange affinity for dog food and would eat it out of my dogs dish if I didn't put the dish out of his reach.



Hahaha thats funny. Hunter swiped a mouthful of dogfood from the bowl in the barn one day while we were going to his stall. I didn't realize that a horse could spit that far - there was dog food flying everywhere. lol Never tried that again.


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