24/7 muzzling?!

E

EquestrianFairy

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 October 2006
Messages
6,502
Visit site
How long are you supposed to keep muzzles on for?

I bring my mare in so she has a rest from it being on her face but my friend leaves hers on all the time...
confused.gif
 
Yes, I wondered that but mostly I wondered how the horse doesn't get rubbed raw by the muzzle being on permanently? Maybe I've been unlucky in the past but it's either been the headcollar or the muzzle that's rubbed when I've used one for just a few hours per day.
 
I posted about muzzles recently and the answer I got back wa that it shouldn't really be left on for more than 12 hours at a time but some people did and hadn't had problems.

My wee fattie wears his during the day and is in at night with it off. X
 
I wouldn't use one 24 hours a day but I suppose if it means the horse can stay out and not have laminitas. Hope he doesn't get his little face rubbed raw of the muzzle though, they can be quite vicious
frown.gif

My friend use's one and regularly leaves it on for 24 hour, it's all furred up so it won't rub but it still seems a shame.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
So when does your friends horse eat?

[/ QUOTE ]

she can still eat when muzzled!
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not having a go EF, what I meant was if the pony/horse has the muzzel on 24/7 he surely can't be getting enough to keep his gut working properly?
confused.gif
 
Mine has his on 24/7 but if I'm not riding I'll bring him in for an hour/hour and a half to have it off. Or if I'm riding he'll have it off then (obviously
tongue.gif
) for however long
smile.gif
.
 
My shetland wears a best friend muzzle. It does not rub him at all. I am surprised so many people say that muzzles rub, they must have the wrong size !

My pony wears his from 7am to 6pm when he is out in the field. Then he comes into his stable with a very small amount of hay. I have to say he is still very fat. I have thought about leaving the muzzle on 24/7 because he obviously gets plenty of grass even though the hole is the size of a 10p.

if anyone has any bright ideas about how to get the fat off I'd love to hear them.
 
I'd heard that 12 hours was the recommended length of time - I probably wouldn't leave it on longer than that mainly due to concerns around the muzzle rubbing.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm not having a go EF, what I meant was if the pony/horse has the muzzel on 24/7 he surely can't be getting enough to keep his gut working properly?
confused.gif


[/ QUOTE ]Depends on the size of the hole(s) in the muzzle, the length/amount of grass in the field and how canny the horse is with a muzzle (some are terribly dense and don't really work it out). If an overweight horse is shedding pounds gradually, or an up-to-weight horse is maintaining itself at a constant, then I wouldn't be worried. Consider, in snowy winters turned-out horses can work quite hard digging snow out of the way before they get a few bites, or during summer they may have to wander for miles to get any real quantity of forage if all the grass is parched away, or if stabled overnight, once the hay runs out there's nothing to eat at all. As long as they are not drastically dropping weight and it isn't rubbing their face, then as long as she's checking horse and muzzle at least daily, I wouldn't be too upset. I'd rather see them out in a muzzle all day (if their face can cope with it) than inside for half of it bored senseless.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top