Another boring Grazing Mussle question .... laminitus help!

[canteron]

So my 15hh do-gooder type retired laminitic prone horse is putting on weight and I am scared of him getting laminitus again!!

He is currently in 6 hours, out with grazing mussle 6 hours and free grazing 12 hours overnight.

Clearly need to cut that down, but does anyone leave a shires bucket type mussle on for 12 hours overnight??

I just hate the thought of having to stable him 24hrs a day.

Thanks

 

[Divasmum]

It sounds as if the 12 hours is proving too much. Can he come in at night?

 

[canteron]

I was going to keep him in for 12 hours during day with hay and put him out for 12hours with grazing mussle at night (less fructose, etc, etc).

The question is does anyone else leave a mussle on for that long??

 

[Murphy88]

Is there any way you could section off a tiny paddock for him at night? Alternatively, what about bringing in all day then turning out in the evening and bringing in early. Our cushingoid, laminitic pony is only stabled when she gets footy, but she spends the rest of her time on a tiny starvation paddock with no grass, and gets 2 hours a day out in a slightly greener but still poor paddock, with a grazing muzzle on. Beauty takes her muzzle off within minutes,and it would be too much of a risk to leave her overnight in it as we know she rubs it to get it off. TBH, none of my horses ever go out with headcollars on, but other people might no more about whether there are any grazing muzzles that are a) ok for leaving on 12 hourds a day and b) safe for use of overnight.

I am getting paranoid that my horse (another 15hh good doer) will be coming down with it soon, as although he has never had it *touch wood* he is jumping into the hay field constantly at the moment, no matter how high the fence is, so he is just getting fatter and fatter....

 

[badgerdog]

I think your horse will be fine. I used to leave a grazing muzzle on overnight. The horse was much happier and settled in the field with a muzzle on, than being in a stable overnight without it.

 

[Ashgrove]

I have the Shires muzzles, they go on about 10am and come off at about 9pm, so that's nearly as long.

My horses are fine with this

 

[amzy]

My pony is out all night with his Shires muzzle and he isn't at all bothered. I bring him in during the day when the grass has more sugar levels in it. I did work up to leaving it on for so long so he could get used to wearing it.

 

[canteron]

Thanks everyone - will give it a try tonight!!

 

[eoe]

One of my liveries has a Shires muzzle on 24/7 unless she is in being exercised. My big Irish is out 24/7 with a Greenguard Grazing muzzle on. It is the only way we can keep the weight down on these horses.