Grazing muzzle routines?

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rforsyth1984

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Sorry, I'll bore everyone to death with my muzzle posts soon enough!

History: Horse (14 yo, 15.1 arab gelding) had suspected laminitis 3 years ago - thought to be caused by stress of box rest (he's not good to stay in!) whilst in with a tendon injury and abscess

Last winter, he was box rested for 5 months - the diagnosis was severe solar bruising and multiple abscesses, but the x-ray did show some pedal bone rotation in one hoof - thought to be from the first bout of lammi, but obviously not certain on that. He had heart bars on untill last month, and you can see in the hoof there is some distortion where a ridge is growing down, not helped by him being a bit pidgeon toed anyway, the affected hoof turns in slightly below the ridge (farrier says this matches the pedal bone rotation, but also says its growing out and should be much improved in 6 months?)

Current regime - turned out 5:30am - 6/7pm. Ridden 5 times a week (sometimes lunged one day instead). Feed is ultimate balancer, alfa beet, corn oil plus ad-lib haylage. Condition is currently very slightly underweight.

Obviously, with the rotation I am very very concerned about a repeat occurence of laminitis. The field they have just moved onto is approx 3 acres of good grass, but with 7 horses on it its likely to be not very good grazing within a few weeks.

At the moment he wears a muzzle all day. I am worried about him going hungry though, being out for 12-14 hours a day and being a slimline (poor do-er) arab in light/medium work.

Things I have considered:

1) Making the hole in the muzzle a bit bigger so he can get a bit more grass

2) reducing the number of days with the muzzle if the grass decreases (Im worried that once the grass is very short he wont be able to get anything at all through the muzzle?)

I cannot reduce the hours turned out, and cannot make the field any smaller.

What do others do with muzzles? Do your horses wear them all the time, all summer (i.e. May - Sepetember) or do you take them off once the grass has decreased (i.e end of June/July?)

Am I over worrying about my horse going hungry?

Is there anything else I can be doing to reduce the risk of lammi?

Sorry for the long post

(Naturally, I am working with advice from vet/farrier but any advice appreciated)
 
I've made the hole in my ponys muzzle slightly bigger as I didn't think he was gettin quite enough to eat - he wears his 24hrs/day. Last year he wore it May to October (because the YO fertilised the fields *shudder*) but this years I'm hoping to take it off mid summer for a few weeks. He can also eat hay through his (about 3 or 4 strands at the time but atlest it keeps him occupied).
 
I wouldn't worry too much about him not getting enough. Perhaps you can give him more brekie and tea! Lots of Hi-fi lite or Happy Hoof etc.
Mine have muzzles on in winter, from October to March they are turned out on 4 acres ( 4 of them) once the grass is too low I take the muzzles off.
You could do that, I'm sure he will be ok, especially as it probably wasn't grass induced laminitis ?
 
I've done all sorts of juggling with muzzles!

Sometimes I've got him turned out for most of the day with it on then have taken it off for the last hour or vice versa. I've also made him wear it for a couple of weeks til the others eat off the good stuff, taken it off for a few days then put it back on again.

You really have to play this by ear according to the weather and the YO needs to understand you reserve the right to change your mind often since weather and daylight conditions dictate the fructan level in the grass.
 
Very much a moveable feast with muzzles - pardon the pun. No hard and fast rules,and what works for one may be hopeless for another. A case of the old horseman's eye is required and with global warming and the funny weather we seem to have now, the seasons hardly apply any more. Definitely a day-to-day system required.

I always feed a Laminitis Trust approved 'belly-liner'(Dengie Healthy Hooves atm) before turnout to reduce the frustration of not being able to get enough through the muzzle to satisfy the hunger and buffer against the grass. Don't know if the science is sound but it has worked for me.

I would say that you seem to have a good feel for what's going on and are taking all things into consideration. Your horse is in capable hands.
smile.gif
 
Thanks very much everyone
smile.gif
Relieved to know I shouldn't have to keep the muzzle on all the time until september (weather permitting
laugh.gif
), especially as the damn thing has rubbed his jaw raw in two days!

Useful information about the fructans, thanks custardsmum. Looking at the information there, the fructans situation could be much worse, seems the field managment wasn't as poor as I first suspected.
 
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especially as the damn thing has rubbed his jaw raw in two days!

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I got some bits of fybagee and wrapped them round the straps that rubbed with gaffa tape, worked a treat and Will's got thin TB skin.
 
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