My horses got in the grain.

[Shawn]

Yesterday I came home early to enjoy a bit of the day and get the kids off to trick or treat early. I was standing in the pasture enjoying my new calves when my neighbor called me. She said "Your horses are in my barn eating grain!" Long and short, we don't know how long they had been at it. So I called the vet out and he put 1/2 gal. mineral oil down each and gave them an anti inflammatory shot.
We then went trick or treating. By the time I could get out there again it was 9 pm. I haltered Candy, my mare who seemed to be a little more stressed (could be because she took the tranquilizer harder) and walked her for about 45 min. Star followed us around the corral most of that time, so I guess they both got some benefit. I saw them both poop during the time I was out there, but no grain in it yet. Probably too early.
I went out this am and checked them. Candy still seemed a little sluggish, but she was nibbling at the ground. Star dug into some prairie hay I laid out for her.
I'm praying they're still on all 4's when I get home. Then also, that the founder doesn't go to their feet. Candy would be the one more prone to it as she is the world's easiest keeper, I think.

Part of my distress is I don't know where they escaped from. My hotwire was probably not working, but Candy would normally never touch it, so.... I'm leaving early again today to walk my entire fence line. Hopefully it will be something obvious and I can fix it and feel secure again. I'm so tired of the electric in that one spot. It is not working consistently for a permanent fence. I have been planning on replacing it, but as usual it's hard to do that on an emergency basis.
Shawn.

[suzorse]

I feel for you on this, and hope neither one founders over it . I to have some hot wire as temperay fence and every so often one gets out , It is a worry at times since I do have stallions Suzanne

[Kim in VA]

Shawn,
Hope the two are doing OK. It's a scary thing when they get into feed like that. I also hope you can figure out where they got out so you can try to prevent any future snack attacks.

Kim in VA

[sallymcd]

Horses are usually OK when this happens.
Fresh alfalfa seems to cause more problems (then grain) when they are not used to it.
You took all the steps of precaution after the fact, so now all you have to do is let us know that they are OK. (I'll bet they are.)

[Shawn]

Well 24 hrs later they're still on all fours. ;D I guess I'm taking the attitude I've done everything I can.
I've felt of their feet. They don't seem any hotter comparing front to back. Nobody seems stiff or hobbling around. I think the worst is probably over.
I walked toward my neighbor's (our shared fence line) to ask her a question about what kind of grain, because I forgot to ask last night.
As I did so, I noticed where they were getting out. When we built our north/south fence that butts up against her east/west fence, we left a gap at the end to put a "human" sized gate there. I had a piece of fencing meticulously wired there. But every so often something pushes on it, not completely out, but down and I have to pull it back up and straighten it. Well, it was completely out. (Imagine those fat little horses squeezing through there ) So I walked back by my 8 yo and mentioned to her that I found where the horses were getting out and she said "Uh, oh." I said "Uh, oh, what?" "I forgot to tell you I opened that!"
So we had a discussion about what it probably cost for last night's vet visit. That I didn't know if the horses would be ok, yet. etc. And we again discussed the rule that if a gate is open, leave it open, if it's shut, leave it shut.
So anyway, I'm relieved to know where the breech was. That's easily enough fixed. I went and got a real gate to put there and placed it inside so they can't push it through. Put the girls (horses) back on Weight Watchers in the ponds and called it a day.
thanks for all your words of encouragement.
Shawn

P.S. On an encouraging note I noticed that Belle (due 11/9) was sliming last night after I finished walking the horses. She has no bag to speak of, but I guess something's happening.