Grazing Muzzle

[MGG]

I am considering using a grazing muzzle for my daughter's 13.1 welsh section b. He is plump and seems to be getting fatter and I am paranoid about laminitis. He is 13 and previous owners have said he has never has laminitis. He is ridden most days so is getting quite a bit of exercise. 2 questions -
1) how careful do we need to be given he hasn't had it before. He is in at night so not eating 24 hours a day. He goes the night on one slice of hay and the grazing is fair in the field where he is. He has no hard feed. Just a handful of chaff and a carrot so he thinks he has something like everyone else
2) If a grazing muzzle is a good idea, how do they tend to react to them? Will he get very frustrated? Also he is grey with pink skin and if there is a rub to be got he will get one. Any ideas for the best make?

Thanks!

 

[wowser]

i use the shires grazing muzzle, cob size the pony is 13.1. i've found it very good it has a hole at the bottom they can get grass and water through it, to get her used to it we would poke grass through the hole she didnt like it at first, but soon got used to it

 

[Christmas_Kate]

Monitor him. Look for pads of fat on the shoulder etc and watch for a 'crest'.
You could try the shires muzzle to start with, and if that's no good then the Greenguard muzzle. Shires being the cheaper of the two! You could also try electric taping a bit off so he can strip graze.
Not having laminitis before means nothing, he may have been in a laminitis paddock before, on rubbish grass or anything. He's on new grass with you and may react accordingly. My kid's pony has been used to 24 hour turnout in his old hom with no laminitis ever, but as soon as I turned him out here he just bloated.

 

[mystiandsunny]

My 13.2hh pony has a pony size shires muzzle. She's NF and the straps on the cob size were too long.

 

[Wooleysmum]

My cob did not get lami until he was 20. He took to the Best Friend muzzle well, with a bit of "training". He used to be out 24/7 but never now. He is in during the day and out for 15 hours with the muzzle between March and November. I truly believe if he had not muzzle he would be dead by now.

 

[MGG]

Thanks everyone. Looks like a muzzle for our boy then. We have moved him to a poorer field and he is coming in earlier so just out 8:30 - 3. I just don't want him standing in his stable for too long. What about night turnout? We could do that and some people reckon the grass is less nutritious at night, but he would be out longer as I am not planning on getting up at 3am to get him in!

 

[rcm_73]

I've had to put a muzzle on my TB mare (brighter bay in pics) NEVER thought I'd have to do this but as she's worked less as I work longer and on such good grass she has bloated and came in lame one day (never been lame since I bought her 2yrs ago) so that began alarm bells ringing. She hated the muzzle at first but has since settled down and is drinking and eating (less I hope!) with it on. She went ballistic last summer when I put a fly fringe on her so I wasn't expecting the muzzle to stay on long but so far, so good. I got the Shires one in Cob Size as she has a smallish head, it fits, however has started to rub a bit.

 

[ISHmad]

If the Shires muzzle is rubbing, try padding it with fibregee and/or sheepskin. We had to do this with one of our horses, and it worked a treat.