anyone use grazing muzzles to allow lami types to stay out long?

my bfg

my bfg

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My girl was diagnosed with lami a couple of weeks ago so am thinking ahead to her spring+ grazing plan, am worried that if I bring her in at lunchtime she will get bored and over hot in the stable, she's part clipped all year round but even with everything off she's still a bit of a Sweaty Betty if indoors. Was thinking about using a grazing muzzle to enable her to stay out most of the day, does any use one for this purpose or would the grass she's able to eat in the afternoon still add up to being a high amount of sugar intake?
Thanks in advance :)
 
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Yes, I do. He's been in his muzzle for a week now, and comes in at night - cannot believe we are on our summer regime already ! Shy had a lami scare two years ago.

My vet told me last week that she is dealing with quite a few lami cases atm - peeps are being caught out by not realising the grass is growing.

Has your horse been muzzled before ? Sometimes they can get them off, so you need to be sure it'll stay on.

Hope your horse recovers soon. x
 
Yep! Our shetland had her muzzle for the first time this year last night as a precaution. She's our 24/7 and i find the muzzle a huge help, she generally has it on at night and off during the day but in the height of spring she has it on nearly all the time with a few hours break while we're at the yard. I find the Dinky Ponies one the best, fleece lined and made of webbing instead of rubber to very lightweight.
 
I tried the dinky one for Shy, but he chewed straight through the webbing strap on the bottom within a week. Now use a shires one with sheepskin stuck on the noseband.
 
The 'Best Friends' ones are hideously expensive but they really do last and I've not had one that rubbed. The trick is to get it a size bigger so that their face sits inside the 'bucket' of the muzzle and they can move their face around within the bucket if that makes sense?!? Rather than one that sits against the skin of their face as that will cause rubs and soreness.
 
Muzzle users, what fencing do you have? I am afraid that the muzzle would get caught on the gate or fence and cause an accident, or come off and leave the pony free to eat as much as he can for several hours.
 
The shires deluxe one with sheepskin/fluffy bits are good and don't rub, but I cut the material out where the nostrils are as I found my horse kept snorting, but was fine once I'd adapted it.

Some people leave the horse/pony out all night but bring in during the day for a few hours break and some hay.
 
Yes. My cushings pony wears one out in the field during the day and comes in to the stable over night.

During the day she is in a large pen made of electric tape that has longish, older grass in it.

We use the Roma deluxe one which has never rubbed.
 
My two Shetlands wear their shires muzzles 24/7. I did buy them Roma ones last year but within a week one had worn the bottom out so he could eat everything in sight. I do plait them into their manes as they can get out of anything.
 
Shysmum said:
I tried the dinky one for Shy, but he chewed straight through the webbing strap on the bottom within a week. Now use a shires one with sheepskin stuck on the noseband.
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Oops Shysmum! Luckily Rosie take a bit longer to chew through hers, a few months, then we replace. The rubber type ones we found rubbed her, especially when she has a summer coat.
 
Yes used one for years. It's most humane in my eyes as it allows movement, natural grazing and allows them to still be part of a herd. They can still groom and scratch their bodies etc.

I don't particularly think that the alternative of strip grazing in tiny little paddocks is good enough. It's like keeping them imprisoned with no roaming, no shelter etc even though they can still get a mouthful of grass and makes us feel better. The grass they ARE getting is stressed grass at the highest production of sugar. Which is exactly what you want to avoid.

I have seen people do perimeter-fencing or track-system which is better as it allows maximal movement even though you are still restricting. In this way you feed more hay than allow grass grazing during spring which seems to be tolerated better by lami types.
 
Mine ate through the bottom of the Dinky muzzle too. It was a shame as it was a super fit.
I buy the ordinary Shires ones now, but a size bigger, and stick some cut up sponge around the top of the bucket bit. Haven't had a rub since doing this.
 
hayinamanger said:
Muzzle users, what fencing do you have? I am afraid that the muzzle would get caught on the gate or fence and cause an accident, or come off and leave the pony free to eat as much as he can for several hours.
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Yes, my cob got his Shires muzzle caught on the gate, by the ring attached to the muzzle, and he pulled the whole gate off. He was unable to free himself and the field opened directly on to a road.
Fortunately, I saw it happen and was able to call to him to stand steady until I reached him. If I had not been there, the consequences could have been dire.
The muzzle went straight in the bin.
 
MerrySherryRider said:
Yes, my cob got his Shires muzzle caught on the gate, by the ring attached to the muzzle, and he pulled the whole gate off. He was unable to free himself and the field opened directly on to a road.
Fortunately, I saw it happen and was able to call to him to stand steady until I reached him. If I had not been there, the consequences could have been dire.
The muzzle went straight in the bin.
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Yes, this is exactly what puts me off them, thank goodness you were there.
 
Huge thank you to all! She's never worn one before so to get her used to it am popping it on for short periods whilst I'm down the yard with her, she's got the shires one with the Velcro so hopefully shall stop mishaps on fencing/gates etc. Great tip about cutting the nostril areas out as though it fits well she seems to constantly sneeze with it at the mo, she's already worked out how to yawn by sticking her tongue out of a side hole lol x
 
My mare has never had laminitis but I enforce a bit of a regime on her anyway, I tend to use the muzzle for a few days to get rid of the big gassy bloaty belly and then have it off for a few, I was using a Shires style with extra added padding sewn round the muzzle but it still rubbed.

She'll be getting a lot of time off this year and she lives out so I might have to try a different style of muzzle, I've heard good things about the greenguard ones
 
My shires muzzle has a velcro safety strap, which does work - another mare got hers off via this strap when it got stuck on a tree - the muzzle was hanging off it !
 
The Velcro strap on the head piece didn't give way. Ther muzzle was caught by the ring under the chin like the one illustrated here on this advert; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cob-Grazing-Muzzle-/281277414068

Incidentally, I also saw a horse that ripped through a nylon field safe head collar on a fence when the Velcro straps didn't give way.
The Velcro safety features can lull people into a false sense of security.
 
Sorry to hear about the terrible accidents and mishaps.

Perhaps a track system would be best for the lami prones if fencing is an issue :( or simply do what they do at horse world, which is more horses to less grass in a paddock and then they end up exercising each other when they play. Ensure they have plenty of hay though to supplement lack of grass.

Just throwing ideas out there. It's a tricky time of year but it is manageable and it does sometimes mean finding more suitable livery who are accommodating if you want companions for turnout or larger areas to make tracks. I have been lucky with mine that he had companions to keep him on his toes playing. The downside is the minor injuries from playing but you make the decision and weigh up the pros and cons depending on your own preferences I guess.

Good luck to everyone this spring! I feel your pain!

We need a lami horse owners support group!!!
 
yes our shetland has terrible lami, the muzzle means he can go out with the rest and not have to be seperated. used one of years and never had any problem with it.
 
No never and my laminitic lives out 24/7 365 days a year He lives basically on a field over grazed in winter and a track system in summer he always has grass always has movement and isnt frustrated by a muzzle. He has behavioural issues and to muzzle him would mean he had to be shot. He lives in a 2 acre field where he can run around with 3 others. He stays in the unrested winter field year round so the grass is always short and now I know about it he will be on longer fertilised grass and a rigourous exercise regime this year as per this research paper. http://www.hoofrehab.com/SpringLaminitis.html I hate mizzles with a vengeance and would never use one I would prefer to use a track system every day
 
I know the research suggests that grass which is fertilised and therefore growing and using the sugars along with longer length grass grass is theoretically safer; but I find that when allowed even a small amount of longer grass mine will often develop raised pulses, even when well exercised. Shorter well grazed grass has proved safer for mine and I'd only graze longer grass with a muzzle. Just saying to keep a close eye if you do go down this route, I'd hate anyone to suffer laminitis with their horse.
 
touchstone said:
I know the research suggests that grass which is fertilised and therefore growing and using the sugars along with longer length grass grass is theoretically safer; but I find that when allowed even a small amount of longer grass mine will often develop raised pulses, even when well exercised. Shorter well grazed grass has proved safer for mine and I'd only graze longer grass with a muzzle. Just saying to keep a close eye if you do go down this route, I'd hate anyone to suffer laminitis with their horse.
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This is exactly what I have found with my laminitic.
 
My pony who is very prone to weight gain wore his muzzle all the time he was in the field for 7 months last year and he lives out as well. All of the ponies that lived out last summer had to be muzzled to prevent them getting fat so this year YO is thinking of making a diet field for them so they may need not need to be muzzled so much.

I cut the ring on it that you can attach a lead rope to off though as I did not think it was a good idea to have that ring on in case it caught on something. I used the best friend have a heart grazing muzzle with expandable nose as you can expand the nose section to get a better fit and less rubbing. I chopped off the extra straps that is has that make it harder to remove on as these were too close to his eyes and rubbed.

It was expensive but worth it if they are wearing them a lot.
 
I don't like muzzles, but they are necessary for my mare, cant section her off (she jumps out!) and she already gets lots of exercise. Id rather she can move around and be as natural as possible :)
Found the shires one the best, had to tie the muzzle to the noseband of her headcollar otherwise she gets it off though.
Never seen her get caught but ill never say it wont happen, but weighing up the pros and cons id rather have the small risk of her hurting herself than the very large risk of laminitis.

Its all a very delicate balancing act!
 
I use dinky rugs grass muzzles they have a fake sheepskin lining so they don't rub the ponies face & a safety catch if they get caught up 100% reccommend !
 
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