Dilemma-barefoot

[Identityincrisis]

Hi All

I have a dilemma with my 4yr old barefoot Anglo Arab. 5weeks ago my trimmer came out and as he was working asked if I'd recently changed pasture, no I hadn't, apparently FT had pulses in two feet. His pasture at the time was pretty bare (winter field) so I was surprised. Anyway, last week we moved onto our summer pasture think lush green grass up to your knees I have been keeping him in over night (he is always stabled over night) and only turned out half days for5 hours. This rroutine is sending him crazy as he is a fit, young, hot horse. Unfortunately I have no option but to be in this field and there is no chance of sectioning any off (YM is very unsympathetic to the situation every year) so do you think it's ok to muzzle him until the worst has gone? I know I will get called names on my yard but I don't want him going lame and as I say stabling him so long is not doing his mental health any good. He is a very good doer so I'm not concerned about his weight (I.e losing it)

Thoughts?

 

[Yertis]

I would try a muzzle and see how it goes, you will get called even worse names if he gets laminitis

 

[Goldenstar]

Who are these nutty yard owners ?
OP your horses growth will be slowing as he ages that might well be why you have hit this problem now for the first time .
I think you might have to consider a move to somewhere with a more realistic idea about what horses need .

 

[Darkwater]

If the grass is long, he will struggle to eat it with a muzzle on. I would be moving yards if I was you, it sounds less than ideal for him to be stabled for that amount of time.

 

[Bosworth]

my TB lives out 24/7 with a Highland cob. My boy needs grass, the Highland doesnt, but he needs to keep moving, so we muzzle him 24/7 and leave them both out 24/7. It works brilliantly. Highland stays slim, and healthy and no laminitis. My TB can eat what he wants and stays a good weight. THe Jumpers Horseline muzzle has not rubbed, or caused any other issues and he can eat everything through it, Hay, haylage, long and short grass.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JHL-Jumpe...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item27e2359fd1

 

[rookwood12]

Is there an option

 

[zandp]

I'd muzzle or swop to turning out overnight only.

 

[Brightbay]

I'd muzzle or swop to turning out overnight only.

I'd agree with this. I've been monitoring digital pulses in my NF pony over the last couple of weeks, and my observation is that if checked any time after about 11am, the pony has detectable pulses. If checked first thing in the morning, he doesn't. He lives out 24/7 in a very large field with plenty of movement but our plan to deal with his grass sensitivity is "in pen with companions eating hay while sun is on grass, out in field with herd after sun sets".

 

[twiggy2]

muzzle for now and move yards as soon as you can, your horse it a very high risk of lami and he is so young, the damage is not always permanent depending how early it is caught but it is like cogs on a wheel, if the attack turns the wheel 4 cogs it will turn back 3 cogs at most when the attack is bought under control-when the wheel has turned so far there is only one option as the condition becomes untreatable.
moving to a lusher field when he already had increased digital pulses has put him at huge risk