Grazing muzzles 24/7 ??

[julie111]

Hi, I put grazing muzzles on our two fatties today, watched them for a while to make sure they were ok and managing to eat and not rubbing them off. Now is it best to keep them in at night with soaked hay or leave them out 24/7 with the muzzles on.
Strip grazing is not an option as sheep/cows are sometimes put into the field and farmer wants the field left alone, all the small paddocks are taken so our two have a 7 acre field to gorge in! Wwyd?

 

[rosie-ellie]

There are 4 horses on our yard including mine that have muzzles on 24/7 (mine was recommended by the vet). They all come in once a day to have vits/mins etc. I have been doing this for about 4 years and have never had any ill effects. She still holds her weight well and she's exercised 4-5 days a week and still has energy to do what I ask.

 

[Nudibranch]

I would have them in at night on soaked hay. Grazing muzzles should not be used 24/7.

 

[ShowjumpingPrincess]

get a greenguard muzzle! i hate bucket muzzles as they must be sweaty and annoying in the summer heat and horses cant drink or breathe properly in them. the little hole in the end of the muzzle is hardly enough for a big animal like a horse to breathe through. esspecially 24/7!!

 

[LynH]

I use bucket muzzles on two of mine as they worked out how to get around a green guard muzzle. I also strip graze. I put the muzzles on for 1.5-2 days when i move the fence then leave it off for a day when they eaten down the new strip. I have cut the holes at the bottom of the bucket muzzles so they can get more grass but also the hole needs to be nearer the back so an oval shape works best.

 

[loopylucifer]

I have two horses out in a huge field (just them) one had lami at the start of the year and since she has started going back out wears muzzle at all times when out. 4/5 days a weeks she is in during the day and out at night other days may just be in for an hour or two just to give her a break and to get vits and mins. I would also recommend the greenguard muzzle with a well padded headcollar I use duct tape or vet wrap on side to prevent it hanging down too low. Have used them now with both horses and never had a problem with them except mild rubbing to start with. I try and give at least an hour a day without muzzle but sometimes its not possiable and would rather stayed on than risked Lami again.

 

[applecart14]

Just be aware that muzzles can and often do come off, horses can be very adept at removing them once they have learnt how to do this, and this can cause a horse to then gorge on the grass, causing colic.

This used to happen to my horse. in the end I took the muzzle off and allowed him to self regulate his intake of grass but limited his turnout instead, gradually building it up over a long period. I also gave the horse pink powder.

 

[cobs and carrots]

When my mare lives out 24/7, she wears her grazing muzzle. Every 3rd night, she comes in for a rest, if I've decided to give her 24/7 grazing. It's a shires bucket muzzle, which has been cut bigger at the bottom so she can get a little more grass through - the hole was just too small before and she was struggling to eat. She has no problem with it being put on, never tries to pull it off, maintains a healthy weight and gets enough grass through so that she doesn't start to hate the muzzle and think of ways to pull it off.

I recommend fitting sheepskin/sponge into the muzzle if you notice it rubbing - my poor mare has come in today with a rub I had not noticed, I'm getting the sponge repositioned as I type! As long as you make the muzzle as pleasant as possible for the horse, they should accept it far more and should make fewer attempts to pull it off / back away from it when it's being put on