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Mike,
I believe you are correct about the terrible experience Ceacy had.
Although someone may correct me if I'm wrong, my limited
understanding of how the ensiling process works is that, by excluding
air, you get anaerobic fermentation Similar to how one makes beer and
wine, but with no alcohol generated, and with creation of a pow pH (=
high acidity).
In Ceacy's case, it was explained to me that the torn plastic cover
may have allowed just enough air to enter that the pH was not low
enough to kill the Botulinum organism that is ever-present, but not
enough air to kill the organism (which does not thrive in aerobic
conditions. (Botulism is a real concern with canning of low acid
vegetable (such as peppers) which may be contaminated by the microbe
by being in contact with the soil (where it is apparently common).
After reading over what I wrote, I imagine I have sufficiently
confused everyone. Suffice to say, there is some risk in feeding
baleage to horses, but apparently not if the plastic is unbroken.
