horse fields

Question
hi i am wondering about my field that i have planted for my horses i am a new onwer and i asked at the feed store what to plant and i ended up getting brown top millet and rye and planted it a about three months ago but now someone said that that was bad for horse that i shouldnt put them in there with the millet it was bad for horse to colic.have you heard that it is bad?what do you do if they colic and how do you know if their ok?

Answer
Becky,
 I do not know much about grass, as far as what kinds are good to use for fields where horses will be turned out.  I would recommend that you contact Lyn Kamer (another expert listed on this site), she is my mentor, and could probably tell you anything you wanted to know about grass, and best field mixes, etc.  
The colic I have plenty of experience with, and can tell you anything you want to know!  There are many different types of colic, but they all exhibit almost the same way.  Symptoms that you horse is colicing can range from irritability, lethargy, biting at their torso and belly areas, consistant rolling, or if they lay down and are motionless or staying down for a particularly long period of time (greater than 10 minutes or so).  If you notice any of these strange behaviors, get your horse out of the field immediately and call your vet right away!  Walk the horse until the vet arrives, and they will take it from there.  Colic is a funny thing, it can be fatal, but if caught in time, and proper procedures are followed (i.e. calling the vet, and keeping the horse moving) can be perfectly treatable with no long lasting effects.  The most important thing in treating a colicy horse or pony is making sure they don't go down (especially if you are by yourself), and KEEPING THEM WALKING!  
I hope this helps.  Please let me know if I can answer any other questions, or concerns.  Sorry I couldn't help you with the grass issue.

Samantha Brunner