Some horses and especially ponies are notorious for being greedy, and owners should be mindful of the pony that opens the feed room door!  Overeating, whether it is on horse food or chicken grain, can be serious. 

Initially, the stomach becomes distended due to both the sheer volume eaten and the expansion of the cereal grains in the stomach.  This leads to typical signs of colic, such as restlessness, pawing the ground, rolling and rapid, shallow breathing.  In severe cases, the stomach may rupture and the patient rapidly deteriorates, with a fatal outcome. 

The fermentation of the ingested carbohydrate can also lead to the pony becoming toxic.  This is serious and can affect the pony’s circulation; diarrhoea may result and severe laminitis is sometimes a consequence. 

To try to combat these complications, it is important that you contact your vet as soon as you discover the situation.  Treatment can be given both by injection and stomach tube: the sooner treatment is started, the better the outlook.