Does anyone leave grazing muzzles on overnight?

S

sz90168

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 December 2011
Messages
218
Visit site
My Gelding is currently turned out from around 7pm to 9am, he comes in during the day and has one large segment of hay. There is usually some hay left when I get there in the evening. However he is still putting on weight although much slower than when he was out 24/7. He is out in 8 acres with only 4 other horses and there is lots of grass but a lot of it is long stuff. I was wondering if it would be acceptable to put a Muzzle on him overnight? Or could it be dangerous or is the period it is left on for too long?

Any advice appreciated. I have never had a native before that had to be restricted. He is also ridden 5-6 days a week.
 
I do. My fat Connie is out from 1830 to 0900 give or take. She is in a Shires muzzle. She's in during the day on diet (soaked for at least 1 hour and thoroughly rinsed with a couple of buckets of water) hay.

She is fine (and still fat, but would be fatter). Check for rubs under the chin because even the sheepskin ones can affect them, and around the ears. Filtabac is a miracle worker. I keep an eye on her teeth. So far so good, vet was out last week to rasp them and she wasn't concerned about the fronts.

Welcome to the sniff and fatten native club.
 
One of mine is out from about 5.00 pm to 6.30 am and wears a Horze muzzle (very similar to the Shires).
 
Thank you fro the comments, that makes me a feel a bit better about putting one on him. I have got the Shires Deluxe one with Fleece. Lets hope he wont get it off. Are your horses out in a herd with the muzzle on or on individual turnout?
 
I try.

Diva won’t entertain one so that’s a no go. Millie has hers on when she goes out at 7pm and it’s still on when I leave at 8-8.30pm but it’s always off by 7am. Always intact, she just seems to slip it over her head. Tried a field safe headcollar on top, the muzzle came off and the headcollar stayed on.
 
What's everyone's grass like? My boy is due to start turnout again after lami but his field is so bare, I honestly don't think he'd get anything through a muzzle. Vet is out on Thursday to test for cushings and ems so will see what she thinks.

To answer the original question, yes I have left on overnight.
 
sz90168 said:
My Gelding is currently turned out from around 7pm to 9am, he comes in during the day and has one large segment of hay. There is usually some hay left when I get there in the evening. However he is still putting on weight although much slower than when he was out 24/7. He is out in 8 acres with only 4 other horses and there is lots of grass but a lot of it is long stuff. I was wondering if it would be acceptable to put a Muzzle on him overnight? Or could it be dangerous or is the period it is left on for too long?

Any advice appreciated. I have never had a native before that had to be restricted. He is also ridden 5-6 days a week.

Yes, I would. Just keep an eye out for rubbing.
Click to expand...
 
Yes another who leaves the muzzle on overnight. I hate the rubs, but better than lami or colic. Our field is quite short at present and not growing, but still muzzled. He would just gorge otherwise. I need one too, really, will power appears shot and rarely do 10k steps.
 
Another no, never.
Would never leave a horse unattended for long periods with something which may rub its face. If it gets infected by flies you have another problem.
I would give soaked hay, reduce grazing area and increase exercise.
 
I do too. My 20 year old is out from 6pm to 6am. Rather that than being in all the time and she is a recovered equine metabolic and laminitis sufferer so definitely worth the rub risk to keep her healthy.
 
I wouldn't leave a grazing muzzle on overnight, no.

When I had to muzzle my old boy, I felt incredibly guilty, and then he started rubbing his lips on it and making himself raw (Greenguard was the one I used).

If I did have to muzzle one now, I'd really try to find another solution rather than muzzling; leccy fencing, or stabling, or some other solution. But I'd never muzzle anything again, not for more than a few hours at a time anyway and then only as a very last resort.
 
HiPo'sHuman said:
What's everyone's grass like? My boy is due to start turnout again after lami but his field is so bare, I honestly don't think he'd get anything through a muzzle. Vet is out on Thursday to test for cushings and ems so will see what she thinks.

To answer the original question, yes I have left on overnight.
Click to expand...

After a lami scare our shetland is out overnight in a muzzle. This is usual for him but this year our grass isn't growing at all atm and the field is very grazed down. He is managing just fine! I can hear him getting grass and his droppings are the right amount.
 
Horses goes through electric fencing, he is a houdini. I could just let me out day time for 8 hours but would feel a bit guilty. I will speak to yard owner is she has any other fields with less grass but he is very happy in his new herd. Tricky one.
 
Yes mine has hers on between 18 and 24 hours a day, depending on if she's brought in for a few hours while I'm at work (currently too hot in the stables for that unfortunately). I use a plastic Shires muzzle that my OH padded out with neoprene and felt last year, it has rubbed the hair off her face where the straps go but so far has not broken skin (pre-padding she got terrible sores under the chin from it, hence it was not a good option last year). It has been an absolute godsend, this is the first year properly using it and it's the first summer I've had her that she hasn't had colic episodes. She has also slimmed down to a lovely healthy weight, and can be out in the field with her buddies as much as possible, which she needs due to lameness issues.
I check it for fit and rubs every day, but honestly it has been an absolute life saver this summer and is greatly increasing her quality of life - there are posts on here from me last summer thinking about having her PTS as her issues were becoming impossible to manage at that point, now I'm soo glad I persevered.
I have had a couple of comments about being cruel etc and those people get short shrift from me.
 
Mine is muzzled 24/7. He is a 20 y.o. native with cushings and he gets stiff when stabled so he's out 24/7/365. It means that he is kept to a good weight and is out with his friends.
 
sz90168 said:
Thank you fro the comments, that makes me a feel a bit better about putting one on him. I have got the Shires Deluxe one with Fleece. Lets hope he wont get it off. Are your horses out in a herd with the muzzle on or on individual turnout?
Click to expand...

Mine is out with 7 others.
 
Yes mine is out at night with a muzzle on, with others, in during the day, he did have rubs but I taped the muzzle where it was rubbing him and not had a problem since..Only thing I would say is check his muzzle, I’d had mine just over a year (only used in summer months) and it must have perished a little bit, the hole in the bottom split and he managed to get his front teeth over the rubber bit and got stuck, looked quite funny with goofy teeth but luckily no damage done to him and I’m up quite early to check on him, don’t think he’d long been Stuck!
 
Yes I have 2 out overnight with muzzles - one Shetland & one has cushings - we have mains electric fencing & never have any issues with getting caught in fencing etc - have done this all last summer as well & absolutely fine -cant really see the difference between them being muzzled in the day or over night as during the day we're at work anyway - at least it means they are out & anything is better than laminitus.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top