Grazing muzzle: do they sometimes not work?

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Scot123

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Hello. On vets advice I bought a dinky muzzle for my overweight shetland. He took to it with no problems at all. In fact, I don't understand how he manages to eat so much with it on.

I have gone up from having it on him just a few hours use a day, to 12 hours a day, to having it on 24/7 but he's still putting on weight. He's out on terribly poor grazing anyway where he has to move about lots and I've been taking him out in-hand each day for exercise.

Has anyone else had their pony adapt 'too well' to the muzzle? Or am I using it wrong?

Please advise as this is definitely not going to plan!!
 
Yes my welsh B appears to eat just as much with it on as without 24/7, no rubs as bought the next size up and padded with sheepskin and he isn't bothered at all, never asks me to take it off as does one of my others who considers he is starving with it on.
 
I had my horse in a dinky muzzle and noticed that he was able to push it to one side to get grass through a bigger hole, I discovered I had the muzzle too loose (hanging off his nose a little - if that makes sense!) so I tightened the headpiece strap so it sat a bit nearer to his nose and he can't push it out of the way now! I know it must be working as he's furious when he has to have it on..
 
The muzzles definitely slow my gang down (they put on about 20kg of weight in the space of 2 weeks one time when I tried them without their muzzles). However, if I left them in the field 24/7, I think they'd just abandon any rest time and eat near enough 24/7 instead of supposedly only eating about 16 hours of the day.

Sounds like you may need to either reduce the amount of grass available and/or reduce the amount of time on grass, as well as definitely increasing the amount of exercise.

Fat can be very difficult to shift. It's about 5 times as calory-rich as hay or grass, and so what has gone on slowly over a reasonable length of time can really be hard work to get rid of.

I'd be looking to up the mileage, up the speed of the walk, look at doing some faster work whether it's on the lunge, at liberty or on long reins, and especially worth looking at whether your pony could be driven as that could be a great way to have himworking harder (without you having to do too much work).

With my gang, I've never been able to have them in enough work to cause them to lose weight without also having to restrict the diet. Some friends manage to feed their ponies ad lib, and don't get weight gain (or weight loss)...... but they ride about 60 miles a week!!!! It can take a hell of a lot of exercise to bring weight down!!!!

Good luck.

Sarah
 
My pony is the same he is in a grazing muzzle 24/7 and does seem to manage to eat plenty with it on, he did loose weight but is now starting to put weight back on again as the autumn flush of grass is coming through the goodness in the grass has increased again.

However I do think without his muzzle he woud be huge so it must reduce the amount of grass he can eat and he has gone up 3 holes on his girth in 3 months since wearing it.
 
Hi & thanks all. Firstly - I wonder if I have it a bit loose? I was trying to adjust it as the instructions with about an inch between nose and base of muzzle, but it DOES seem a bit loose. I'll try tightening it a bit more and see if it helps.

I fear I may meet with a bit of resistance if I suggest to him 60 miles, his wee legs would drop off at the thought! I'd love to get into driving but don't think time/knowledge/money would allow, though I can see it would be great.

Hugely tempted to get on him myself for some light hacking but I suppose that wouldn't be fair when he is unfit/fat and I'm no doubt far too big anyway.

Unlike everyone else, I may just be hoping for an early winter! But thanks for the replies - it's good to know my fattie isn't the only one defying the odds here!!
 
Really sounds like I've fitted it wrong. Have tightened it up a bit today, so yes, it's more like a cm space now. So hopefully no more eating out of his nostril holes!!
 
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