Are gazing muzzle cruel.

[PapaverFollis]

I tried one on Granny horse once. She spent half an hour banging her face on the floor and pawing the ground. I took it off. Told her to "get fat then"! ? I'm not even sure now why I decided she needed it to be honest because she didn't get fat. Now I've got actual good doers ( who would probably benefit from being muzzled ) I know that Granny horse wasn't one!

Currently strip grazing rather than muzzling as all mine need the same management so they can be on starving rations together. I was told on my thread that more grass and muzzles for part of the day might be more successful that the strip grazing though.

 

[mustardsmum]

I use a muzzle rather than keeping my two in and the difference in them is obvious. They are both happier, slimmer and would rather be out wandering the fields than stuck in the yard. I was never keen to muzzle, but saw the Thinline's Flexible Filly muzzles and decided to give them a go after becoming despondent after our mare had mild lami this year, while our other pony was already on a lami lifestyle of spending much of his life stood in a bare field looking miserable. I have tried strip grazing but one will jump the electric fence to get to the grass, while the other just barged straight through. With the muzzles on, both are out and are relaxed, moving around a big field and I have seen no “hen pecking” as they try to graze - to me they appear to graze normally. Once they figured out how to get to the grass was, they graze quite happily. They have time with the muzzles off - and that time they spend enthusiastically grooming each other!!! My older pony also has arthritis and gets equine asthma, so for him weight management and being out in the fresh air is key to keeping him healthy. So do I think they are cruel? I don’t like them but the alternative is far worse. It is not a year round thing - muzzles will be off as soon as the autumn flush is done so it’s a balance.

 

[Wheels]

I've just this weekend tried one on M. He has had a recent mild lami episode even though he was already on v short grass. While hes been in the stable and yard I've let the grass grow so it will fit through the holes so he can pick at something.

We tried it for the first time last night, just for half an hour, he walked straight over to a large, tall clump of grass and tried to grab that but it bent over and he couldnt get at it. Cue looking at me, back to the grass, to me, to the grass a few times, pawed the ground and then he moved on and found stuff he could eat.

It made him move around more so that he could get to the good stuff which can only be a good thing.

We will gradually increase time wearing it. I'm not sure I would do this all day every day but we will see how he gets on.

No, I dont think they are cruel

 

[sherry90]

Cruel? No. Deliberate cruelty to me would be knowingly keeping your horse obese and it then having laminitis and doing nothing about it. That’s a welfare issue and cruel.
It is the lesser evil, I’d much rather muzzle and turnout than have to keep in a stable 24/7 with a lami prone horse or horse who struggles to keep weight off. It’s like asking if calorie control for humans is cruel? In some cases it’s necessary where exercise and reduced food intake/calories counting (eg soaked hay and weighing hay) aren’t working enough.

 

[Nudibranch]

I don't like them but I think they are just about acceptable if used for fairly short periods each day to allow turnout, as long as the horse has some muzzle free time. Sounds obvious, and they are not designed for 24/7 use but I know for a fact some people use them like that

I have used them for metabolic horses, although the EMS borderline one I have now will not eat at all in hers. She stands and sulks, even after increasingly long stretches in one. I tried 12 hours once just to try and force her to use it but no. She was a logging pony previously and i wonder if she might have used a nose bag at times. I've never seen one just stand and resign themselves like that before!

 

[emilylou]

Laminitis and obesity are more cruel

 

[scruffyponies]

I don't like them, but I wouldn't criticise anyone for using one. At least they're thinking about their horse, and trying to manage it appropriately.

IMO obesity in horses is not just about access to food, but about exercise, boredom, fixation and stress. For preference I would give them lots of very poor food rather than reduce the amount. That way they still have a belly full, but not as many calories. If you can do that in such a way that they have to roam to get it, or up their workload, then that is a much better solution.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

I think I need a gazing muzzle to stop me wasting hours of my day just gazing at my beautiful ponies....

(in other news- it would appear I have turned into my dad ?)

 

[Buster2020]

I don’t personally like them I wouldn’t Jude anyone for using one I can see the benefits from using one .


according to BHS they should only be used as a last resource you only meant to use them when you have tried the traditional guidelines without success. I noticed there guidelines are getting stricter it might sound stupid but I can see in 10 years time that you will need to get them off your vet on prescription .

 

[windand rain]

Cruel definitely
necessary evil sometimes
reasons not to use is a laminitic that gets it off can eat its body weight in grass in less than an hour so a laminitic in a field full of grass can kill itself in hours if it gets it off.
Not sure about the new ones but the EMS pony I had in my care had hundreds of pounds worth of muzzles and got everyone off and was crippled every time. So no I won't use a muzzle much prefer a track system or at a push strip grazing. I appreciate strip grazing wont work if your horse jumps or otherwise destroys your fencing but we have 6ft fencing with 6 strands running on a 100k mains unit. Fencing works if you do it right. Highland 13.1 has 8ft perimeter to her field as she jumps the bargy one had three 6ft fences a foot apart. Neither were laminitic but did get fat so it is possible you just need the goodwill of the land owner (not always available) and a bit of effort on your part.