Does anyone use grazing muzzles?

[Bec]

It was recommended that I use a grazing muzzle for my mini. I'm not sure that I like the idea but I have to do what's best for her, don't need her foundering! They are allowed out into the pasture from about 8:30 am until 7:00 pm. In the evenings they get hay to munch on all night. Is this enough grazing for them? I have 2 thoroughbreds, a quarter horse and the mini. Until I was told this about my mini, they were out on the pasture 24/7. I don't want to isolate her (the mini) and have her off while everyone else is out so I limited for everyone but not sure if this is good.

So is there anyway to get around having to use the muzzle?

What are your experiences with the muzzles?

 

[EweSheep]

If she was used to grazing then she should not have a muzzle. Or if she is a known grass hog, the muzzle would benefit her.

Never had used them but my friends did and with those obese QHs they had, it limit their grass intake instead of "hoovering" the grass down to nothing. They just had to take smaller bites and longer to take any grass thru the muzzle.

 

[patandchickens]

Some horses tolerate them ok, others don't.

Really the best thing for your mini if she is in danger of laminitis would be much more confinement, in a dirt paddock. That is still a lot of grazing for an at-risk animal, especially this time of year. A drylot like that can be in sight of the other horses; most horses get used to that, and you could always get her a companion with similar needs. It would also save you money as you would not have to hay the other horses (and they'd be healthier, being out 24/7 as opposed to being put in at night)

If you DO put her on grass, make it long (not grazed-short-to-stubble) grass, preferably in the a.m. not afternoon or early evening, and be extra careful when the grass is growing rapidly (like now) or is drought-stressed or has just started back into growth from rain after a drought.

Here is one reasonably up to date article on the subject:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=14441

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Akane]

My horses are out 24/7 with no hay for 3/4ths of the year. We ended up with a gelding that had a metabolic disorder and foundered on the clover that grew when the grass got over grazed. We used a grazing muzzle on him and kept him off the grass in spring, when it was stressed, and if the clover started to take over. Eventually he did have to be put down. I doubt even a dry lot would have helped and I don't really agree with having to keep a horse that way. They end up not living a life a horse should. All ours could eat in the end was beet pulp and black oil sunflower seeds and he couldn't go beyond a hobbling walk from past damage to his front hooves.

 

[Fairybee]

it may be diffrent in the US to England but we try not to dry pasture any animal there is a danger of sand colic when horses intake sand and dirt, my friend has a grass muzzle on her horse and she has never looked back he was a major grass hover and is out 24/7 and was eating nearly all the time it made him deathly ill and the vets said if he ever got into that condition again he would surely die so the grazing muzzle was a last resort but she now says she wishes she would have put it on him years ago he's doing really well

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Laminitis is also a big danger though.

Horses can certainly be drylotted safely. It just requires you to feed their hay on rubber matts or something like that.

Again, not all horses tolerate grazing muzzles -- some won't keep them on, and some eat too much grass despite them.


Pat

 

[MacPoultry]

I have 2 horses that were severely obese. One even grass foundered in the middle of the winter! I did not have a dry lot to keep them in, and they were very unhappy being stalled. I decided to give the grazing muzzles a try. We are now in our 3rd year of using them and while they don’t like the muzzles, overall they are much healthier and happier horses. At first the muzzles caused some skin abrasions, and rubbed them pretty raw in a few places, but I found that mole skin on the inside of the muzzles helped. Just keep an eye on them for awhile to make sure that they do adjust to them – I have heard that some horses refuse to eat with them on. Good luck with how ever you decide to handle your problem.