Another WWYD

[atlantis]

So I put a which yard post up last week (post here) http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?749390-Which-yard

where most people recommended changing yards due to better hacking and facilities.

So I have been pondering and I'm 90% staying where we are... I think. I'm not sure...

So my issue with my mare is how sensitive to grass she is. She hasn't had laminitis, but only I think because I've been very very careful. Ideally I'd like a track system on my own land, but that's just a pipe dream.

Our routine ATM is in a coral in the day with soaked hay and out at night with a muzzle on with hay she can eat through it.

The trouble is she goes at the muzzle like a crazy thing (do they all do this?) and she has an issue with her poll and left shoulder (and the muscles that connect the two) and (as a human physio) I do a lot of bodywork on her and since she has been wearing the muzzle overnight it has definitely been more tense and today she took a few odd steps on a circle on the right rein (the first sign of tightness).

So...
Do I take her muzzle off (the grass is very short) and keep fingered crossed? And give more hay at night?

Do I move to yard 2 with good hacking and strip graze? Who knows how she'd react to grass, but amazing hacking and lively school.

Do I see if yard 3 has space, where we have been before. We moved because i wanted to be on a yard with me friend. I would be allowed to build a track around my field, although no hay in field and they have cattle, so grass probably not suitable. Good hacking and nice school.

Do I write a letter and drop it in the letterbox of a house that has a track system set up on their land? A bit cheeky but they could choose not to reply? Also has school and good hacking nearby (including a hill!!! Very useful).

Suggestions welcome!!! Help!!!

 

[unknownn]

The trouble is she goes at the muzzle like a crazy thing (do they all do this?) and she has an issue with her poll and left shoulder

What type of muzzle have you got? Would a greenguard help relieve this tension because not really directly attached so tightly to poll?

 

[atlantis]

What type of muzzle have you got? Would a greenguard help relieve this tension because not really directly attached so tightly to poll?

Hadn't thought about changing the muzzle. She is a bit sensitive skin wise so I have the Shires padded bucket one. I'll have a look at different types. It's more her action of biting that I think is the issue, but it might be worth trying something else. Thank you.

 

[catroo]

I hate muzzles for this reason, some horses just get on with them fine but others find them very stressful and causes them to use muscles and teeth incorrectly. She sounds like she's finding the muzzle very frustrating

What is her issue with grass? Is it weight gain or general sensitivity?

If you do stay down the muzzle route then something a friend did was get a few of the same style and adapted them so one had huge holes (almost pointless), one with widened holes and one not adapted. She used them to get her horse use to eating with them in a relaxed manor

 

[be positive]

Could you not swap so she is out at day without a muzzle and no hay then in the coral with hay overnight which for most of us is the longer half of the 24 hour period or make it the longer part by bringing her in earlier, that way she is not muzzled, or possibly alternate days/ part day, my fat pony is out 24/7 on a now bare paddock with a token hay ration she was in part time as she had become rather too large but is now looking slimmer and maintaining the loss.

 

[atlantis]

Could you not swap so she is out at day without a muzzle and no hay then in the coral with hay overnight which for most of us is the longer half of the 24 hour period or make it the longer part by bringing her in earlier, that way she is not muzzled, or possibly alternate days/ part day, my fat pony is out 24/7 on a now bare paddock with a token hay ration she was in part time as she had become rather too large but is now looking slimmer and maintaining the loss.

Currently turning her out 8pm very earliest and she comes back in at 6 before work, so she is currently out for the shorter half. She is out at night to hopefully have less sugar in the grass and I try to make it dusk if possible.

She has had a night or two out with no muzzle this week but her glands were simply ridiculous. Half way fine her cheeks and took 2 days of bring in the corral to go down. I restrict her grazing due to weight and lami risk (EMS). She literally balloons. I want her out and moving as much as possible and hubby and I are working towards buying a place with land, just not quite there yet. The paddock she goes in would be bare but yo reseeded this spring, overseeded is it called, and she just cannot tolerate it. I exercise her as much as possible getting up mega early to hack and then lunge, work in hand or liberty work in the evening as much as possible. I'm not sure what to do with her tbh.

 

[atlantis]

I hate muzzles for this reason, some horses just get on with them fine but others find them very stressful and causes them to use muscles and teeth incorrectly. She sounds like she's finding the muzzle very frustrating

What is her issue with grass? Is it weight gain or general sensitivity?

If you do stay down the muzzle route then something a friend did was get a few of the same style and adapted them so one had huge holes (almost pointless), one with widened holes and one not adapted. She used them to get her horse use to eating with them in a relaxed manor

She hates it!!! I hate it too!!! Hence why I'd really like to track and feed hay but there isn't anywhere near me.

 

[Ladyinred]

We used the Shires Comfort muzzle and made the hole a little larger. The 'sheepskin' stopped it rubbing and the slightly larger hole reduced the frustration without allowing gorging.

Our laminitis prone mare is now kept in a virtually bare paddock (there is grass, but very very little) with no muzzle but ad lib hay. She has lost a lot of weight on this regime and seems happy enough as if she walks far enough she can generally find a tiny bit of grass to pick at. I tend to be of the opinion that a muzzle encourages them to gorge on the grass as soon as it is removed, and that is more dangerous than letting them access a tiny amount throughout the day, and keeping the gut moving with plenty of hay. Ideally we would feed soaked hay but since she refuses to touch it we use low nutrition hay.. quite coarse and cut late in the season, what would normally be kept standing as foggage.

 

[atlantis]

We used the Shires Comfort muzzle and made the hole a little larger. The 'sheepskin' stopped it rubbing and the slightly larger hole reduced the frustration without allowing gorging.

Our laminitis prone mare is now kept in a virtually bare paddock (there is grass, but very very little) with no muzzle but ad lib hay. She has lost a lot of weight on this regime and seems happy enough as if she walks far enough she can generally find a tiny bit of grass to pick at. I tend to be of the opinion that a muzzle encourages them to gorge on the grass as soon as it is removed, and that is more dangerous than letting them access a tiny amount throughout the day, and keeping the gut moving with plenty of hay. Ideally we would feed soaked hay but since she refuses to touch it we use low nutrition hay.. quite coarse and cut late in the season, what would normally be kept standing as foggage.

Yes this is what I'd like to do, a bare paddock or track system, where she can move but not need her muzzle on with soaked hay. The shires comfort one is the one we have, with the passing to stop the rubbing. The hood thing about where we are is the corral, it's not big enough for all the time but it's much much better than a stable in the day.

 

[atlantis]

Ok do after poo picking this am I am leaving her out with her muzzle off and plenty of soaked hay tonight. There is barely any grass and I know she'll be able to find bits, but if I leave it as late as possible hopefully she will be ok. Still in the corral in the day. Glands not too bad this am.

 

[Tnavas]

I tried a muzzle on mine and she wouldn't speak to me for a week! She now lives on very short grass, plenty of space to move around and extra feed only when worked hard. No laminitis and getting trimmer - along with work.

DO you have buttercups? I've had to spray off my horses paddocks for buttercup as they make her glands enormous - not the grass.