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We received a call from an individual with a sick draft horse
who could not afford veterinary care. She had little knowledge of horses and could not explain the problem with the
mare clearly. We went to investigate and discovered that she had been treating a choke, a condition when food becomes
lodged in a horse's esophagus and the horse begins to choke, with penicillin.
Upon arrival, we discovered the horses grazing and it appeared that the condition had cleared.
The big mare was lame and extremely thin. Her chin was covered with scar tissue, her nasal cartiledge had suffered damage,
and her lips showed the effects of harsh treatment with a bit. The owner had not had the horse for very long and was
trying to rescue her. We offered to take her to the sanctuary and give her the care she needed.
By the time we got the mare back to the sanctuary it became evident that the choke had not
cleared. The vet was called immediately. Cherub was given IV fluids and the vet worked for hours trying to dislodge
the substance from Cherub's throat.
Finally, we decided to take her to a special
clinic for endoscopy and surgery if necessary. Endoscopy proved that her choke had finally cleared and we took Cherub
back to the sanctuary.
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