Grazing muzzle question

[Bertolie]

Ok, this is probably going to sound like a numpty question but can you use a grazing muzzle with short grass?

I have two good doers on half an acre at the moment, grass is short (about half an inch long) and the plan is to leave them in this part of the paddock for as long as possible. The 20 year old cob could do with losing some weight but I cant use a grazing muzzle on him due to his mouth conformation (vets advice) but the other one, 14.2 Arab x NF is decidedly fat (bordering on obese) and we have thought about a grazing muzzle but don't know if you can use one with short grass?

We have tried strip grazing, but the older one is an escape artist if he feels he doesn't have enough to eat so I need an alternative means to get their weight under control. We have started upping the younger ones exercise and older one will be exercised more but is having back issues at the moment.

 

[CobsGalore]

I've had to take my boys muzzle off recently as the grass is too short for him to eat through. I take the muzzle out into the field and put it onto the grass as if I were a grazing horse, if the grass pokes up through the hole its long enough!

 

[rema]

If it is a bucket type muzzle the plastic bottom on the muzzle is probably nearly half and inch thick so there will no grass for the horse to grab hold of and eat.

 

[Bertolie]

Thank you for the replies We haven't bought a muzzle yet, just wanted advice on whether it would be pointless getting one as the grass is quite short.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

My horse has bucket type muzzle on all the time when turned out, short or longer grass, i'm too scared to leave it off, he is not overweight, but had lami about 5 years ago so has worn one ever since. When I've spoken to my vet about it he always says oh you'll be suprised what they can get, I do on the odd occasion let him have an hour without it before bringing him in overnight. This is why he is stabled overnight, to give him a rest from the muzzle, he is 34 so I want him to have some hay overnight.

The muzzle he has on at the moment is what I call his winter one where i've made the hole slightly bigger for when there's not much grass, until the grass starts coming through more

 

[poiuytrewq]

A Green guard muzzle might be a better option? Bucket types also get really hot and horrible in hot weather.

 

[frozzy]

Best muzzle I have used is the Dinky rugs one. I have two pony sized ones and today ordered one for the greedy cob. They go up to horse sized as far as I can remember. And they dont rub.

 

[McCauley]

Just ordered and received a Dinky Muzzle myself for my cob... haven't used it yet, but i know i have one in the cupboard if/when the need arises.. I did some homework i guess looking at all the differing types and this is the one that i thought looked the most comfortable.

Nice to hear from the above poster you've not had any 'rubbing' issues, which was a big contention of mine as regards muzzles!

 

[CobsGalore]

I think it depends on the horse. I tried the dinky muzzle and my horse hated it and it rubbed him. He got the greenguard one off in about 2 mins and is fine in a bucket muzzle.

 

[aradiagreen]

I used my greenguard muzzle for the first time this week on my plump cob. The first day he & the only other horse in herd wearing a muzzle spent the first few hours play-fighting banging their muzzles together until he'd had enough & removed it with the. help of a fencepost (&then trampled it in the mud!). The second day i plaited his forelock into it so it stayed on but he wouldnt settle & started picking on human passers by instead! He doesnt seem to graze at all. Plus he looks like Hannibal Lector. Im sure people think hes muzzled for aggression! I leave it off at night. Im considering bringing him in during the day instead on soaked hay.

 

[CobsGalore]

I used my greenguard muzzle for the first time this week on my plump cob. The first day he & the only other horse in herd wearing a muzzle spent the first few hours play-fighting banging their muzzles together until he'd had enough & removed it with the. help of a fencepost (&then trampled it in the mud!). The second day i plaited his forelock into it so it stayed on but he wouldnt settle & started picking on human passers by instead! He doesnt seem to graze at all. Plus he looks like Hannibal Lector. Im sure people think hes muzzled for aggression! I leave it off at night. Im considering bringing him in during the day instead on soaked hay.

When I first put a muzzle on my cob he spent 3 hours chasing the pony around the field trying to make him take it off. He then stropped in the corner looking depressed for a few days. And then eventually ate and now eats fine with it!

Have you tried putting him on a really yummy bit of grass with his muzzle on? That may be enough to tempt him!

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Thank you for the replies We haven't bought a muzzle yet, just wanted advice on whether it would be pointless getting one as the grass is quite short.

ours coming out of the winter for the ponies was very short, they could not get hardly any but we have to go through this period so the grass gets a head of it self. The only way it will get long if you rest half or you are prepared to go through the 2 weeks stage so the grass can grow long enough for it to go through the muzzle,

 

[Jools2345]

the kids first pony refused to move if you put a muzzle on her, i spent four months at least putting it on starting at an hour a time and going up to 4hrs at a time. you could poke grass through the bottom and she would not show any interest in it. she did not move her head, her feet, even her tail, it was like you had glued her to the spot. i gave up in the end and she had to be turned out in a little section of the field with the other horses around her.

i had my 6yr old in a muzzle this year and when she had some dentist work done both the vet and the dentist said to try all other means of keeping the weight of off such a young horse as the muzzle affects the action of the jaw and therefore the wear on the teeth, they both said if there is no other way to keep the weight of the horse then use it but it can cause a lot of damage to the teeth and the enamel on the teeth, they also said more horses are losing front teeth and they feel that is is from rotting teeth when the enamel is removed by pushing the front of the teeth against the muzzle in order to graze.

mine is now not in a muzzle but coming in each day and the field is grazed down a fair bit now so am less worried, can never do right for doing wrong

 

[Bertolie]

ours coming out of the winter for the ponies was very short, they could not get hardly any but we have to go through this period so the grass gets a head of it self. The only way it will get long if you rest half or you are prepared to go through the 2 weeks stage so the grass can grow long enough for it to go through the muzzle,

The trouble is that I cant separate the two horses as the older one will just barge through the fencing to get to his mate If I let the grass grow in the other half of the paddock it will mean that whilst the younger one will be able to have a muzzle on, the older one cant be muzzled and will have free reign of the long grass, and although he is not as fat he definitely doesn't need extra grass

 

[Follychoppins]

My grazing muzzle was stolen from my pony whilst he was wearing it last week. He is a porker and was wearing a best friend have a heart grazing muzzle costing the best part of £50, with a normal head collar over the top as he is a renowned houdini. 1st day, he took it off! 2nd day of wearing I arrive at the field to see him with the head collar and no muzzle. No sign of it anywhere. Comments from a dog walker to my friend about why he was wearing it and how cruel it was (plenty of grass thanks, he could get easily through the hole) could be suggestive as to how it got removed and discarded out of sight. I am pretty brassed off and the Police have been informed. Anyone got a best friend have a heart grazing muzzle cob size they don't want please?

 

[JEZA]

"My horse has bucket type muzzle on all the time when turned out, short or longer grass, i'm too scared to leave it off, he is not overweight, but had lami about 5 years ago so has worn one ever since. When I've spoken to my vet about it he always says oh you'll be suprised what they can get, I do on the odd occasion let him have an hour without it before bringing him in overnight. This is why he is stabled overnight, to give him a rest from the muzzle, he is 34 so I want him to have some hay overnight.

The muzzle he has on at the moment is what I call his winter one where i've made the hole slightly bigger for when there's not much grass, until the grass starts coming through more"


I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT NOISYGIRL SAYS - AS ABOVE

 

[Ystradmeadow94]

Totally agree with the above comment .My boy had laminitis last year and i think once you go thru that you are forever careful .He has a standard muzzle like webbing stuff and we have sewed some old dressage bandage around all edges so it doesn't rub. He has it on all the time and as above i have made the hole slightly bigger .

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

One of mine is normally in a Greenguard muzzle from April to end of September because he puts on weight when he walks past a green door! At the moment though he's not & he's at a good weight as I've controlled his grazing.

I believe the secret to keeping your horse's weight correct is not to think about doing something about it in the spring/summer as by then the problem is almost impossible to change. You need to plan ahead & maintain good weight right around the seasons. If your horse comes out of the winter at a good weight then you should be able to maintain that. If he comes out overweight then he'll probably remain like that.

 

[Dollysox]

My 24 year old 15 hh mare managed to eat out of the back of the Greenguard, no matter how we adjusted it. She was hot and miserable with a bucket one (with the hole enlarged just a little). She has been in the Dinky one since last year and it works fine on any length of grass, and has more ventilation to keep her cool.