This week, I welcome my first guest, good friend and colleague, Kristen Janicki, MS, PAS to the podcast! Recently, a social media post went viral on the topic of choke in horses and soaking feed. Kristen wrote an outstanding response that broke down the myths and misconceptions of this frightening condition. Choke is something different in horses than it is in people. When a person is choking, their trachea (windpipe) is blocked and breathing in obstructed. In horses, choke refers to a blockage of the esophagus, the muscular tube that brings food from the mouth to the stomach when swallowed. Choke is a veterinary emergency, but managing diet is absolutely part of mitigating the risk. Listen in to our conversation as we talk about risk factors and mitigations of choke! (Episode art image by Dr. Maxine Brain in Equestrian Life Magazine).