Anyone used a grazing muzzle on long grass?

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custard

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I normally strip graze my two across a 2.75 acre paddock so's they are on the whole thing by about January. This year though, I've have fenced off about a third to save for the spring and have sprayed some of it for Ragwort so can't use it anyway.

Trouble is the bit they are on is turning into a muddy mess and fiddling with the fencing in perpetual darness will be a pain in the ass after the clocks change.

I was thinking about just shoving them on a new section that's been rested all summer. The grass is a good foot long though and one is a little prone to laminitis, the other is a good doer so was thinking of muzzling them both. The older boy is used to a bucket, he has a selection of various types and can be trusted not to get in a mess with it, not so sure about the younger one.

I like the Dinky muzzles and have tried one on the older horse (cutting the bottom web because he couldn't eat anything with it) and he seemd to cope with picking longer grass through it ok but slowly, he would be in during the day. The younger one would have to wear it 24/7 until the grass is munched down a bit.

Any thoughts?
 
custard said:
I normally strip graze my two across a 2.75 acre paddock so's they are on the whole thing by about January. This year though, I've have fenced off about a third to save for the spring and have sprayed some of it for Ragwort so can't use it anyway.

Trouble is the bit they are on is turning into a muddy mess and fiddling with the fencing in perpetual darness will be a pain in the ass after the clocks change.

I was thinking about just shoving them on a new section that's been rested all summer. The grass is a good foot long though and one is a little prone to laminitis, the other is a good doer so was thinking of muzzling them both. The older boy is used to a bucket, he has a selection of various types and can be trusted not to get in a mess with it, not so sure about the younger one.

I like the Dinky muzzles and have tried one on the older horse (cutting the bottom web because he couldn't eat anything with it) and he seemd to cope with picking longer grass through it ok but slowly, he would be in during the day. The younger one would have to wear it 24/7 until the grass is munched down a bit.

Any thoughts?
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I've never found a muzzle yet that will stay on my horse who was always so prone to colic on our ex dairy farm rich grazing. The muzzle just made the colic problem so much worse due to him completely stuffing his face whenever he or his field mates managed to pulll the damn thing off. Because his intake had been so limited with the muzzle you can image how much he partied until he was found without it on and hastened back inside his stable to recover from the mass of gas collected in his stomach as a result!!! The muzzle wasn't for him and I found that regulating the grass intake was the best way forward.

Whichever muzzle you use I think you can safely say that they could probably eat approx two thirds less than without it being worn. And long grass would be no problem to pull the strands through the holes.
 
I use a shires on my 14.3 cob, the grass is up to his kness when he first goes out for summer, he finds it difficult to eat with the muzzel on but soons figures it out.
 
We've used shires ones on our horses all summer on long grass. They work better on longer grass. They have been a godsend for out natural tubbies - they've all been trim and happy. Not sure what I will do when it gets muddy - I'm not that happy with the idea of lumps of mud getting in the masks, and being against the skin...
 
Dont know about goodness but my horse colicked after two hours on fairly long grass because he wouldnt stop stuffing his face . I am strip grazing at the moment as not too confident he would keep a muzzle on
 
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