Grazing Muzzles and Hay - Numpty Question!

[MrsElle]

Fat Lad has a grazing muzzle on his Christmas list (although he doesn't know it yet!), and I wondered how he can eat hay through it. I can see that short grass will be easy enough as it pokes through the holes, but will hay be able to be eaten the same way? I desparately need to reduce his hay intake but Skinny Minnie needs ad lib, they both live out 24/7 for numerous reasons and at the moment I can't separate them in the field.

Will he get enough hay wearing a grazing muzzle?

 

[AmyMay]

I wouldn't think any of them are designed for eating hay through, and would think it could be quite dangerous......

 

[cptrayes]

My Shetland chews a twist of haylage in through the hole with no trouble at all, and it has let me leave him with the big boys and their ad lib haylage supply instead of having to separate him off. I figure he prefers the muzzle and company, since he is perfectly happy to have it put on every night when they come into the barn.

I have a friend with an IR mare in a muzzle sharing hay in a field with no trouble either, except that she is still managing to eat enough of it to send her insulin levels up but she's a very bad case.

 

[OFG]

My two seem to have no problem accessing and eating the hay supply off the trailer with their muzzles on.

Where there's a will and all that

 

[AmyMay]

My two seem to have no problem accessing and eating the hay supply off the trailer with their muzzles on.

Where there's a will and all that

Ah, I stand to be corrected then. I'd always imagined that there was a real potential for choking - but seems not. Good news

 

[Mugsgame]

My boy manages just fine with his muzzle on... but I'd let him figure out how to use it on grass first otherwise he will probably get very frustrated! Amymay, I was concerned it wasn't safe at first, but having watch my pony master collecting a few strands of hay thru the hole I'm not worried anymore. Mind you, he has quite a deep muzzle fitted and when he lifts his head up he has plenty of space between his lips and muzzle and can just chew quite normally!

 

[MrsElle]

We have grass too, but now it has pretty much stopped growing hay is the food of choice for Fat Lad I am sure he won't fade away even if he could just manage the grass but did wonder if he would be able to eat hay. I guess I will find out in a couple of days!

 

[OFG]

Ah, I stand to be corrected then. I'd always imagined that there was a real potential for choking - but seems not. Good news

wish it would choke them (not a lot but enough to discourage them ). They aren't supposed to be able to get at the bloomin hay as it's tarped down and fenced off but they seem to have no regard to electric fence and push through.

Am slowly moving all the hay by hand to a barn away from the stables as field too wet to now get trailer of of

 

[carthorse15]

Thanks for starting this thread - I have wondered exactly the same thing! Can I ask what make of grazing muzzle you are going to get him? and how long you are going to keep it on for? My nag lives out 24/7 in a herd which is now getting hay. Have been stressing about this for days now watching her munching away. I was hoping for a hard winter so that she would lose weight but doesn't look like its happening yet. Look forward to any recommendations!

 

[cptrayes]

My boy manages just fine with his muzzle on... but I'd let him figure out how to use it on grass first otherwise he will probably get very frustrated! Amymay, I was concerned it wasn't safe at first, but having watch my pony master collecting a few strands of hay thru the hole I'm not worried anymore. Mind you, he has quite a deep muzzle fitted and when he lifts his head up he has plenty of space between his lips and muzzle and can just chew quite normally!

Echo this, I use a cob muzzle on a shetland pony, so he can cough and spit stuff out if he needs to. I've never seen him do it, but Justin Case, eh?

 

[skint1]

wish I'd taken a photo of our pony eating hay with his muzzle on, he grabs a plume and it slowly disappears in to the mask never to be seen again. Never had a problem with choking but hopefully not speaking too soon

 

[MrsElle]

I've done a bit of investigation carthorse15 and I have plumped on the Green Guard. Not the cheapest, but comes highly recommended.

Fat Lad will need it on pretty much 24/7. He is obese. I got him a couple of months ago and initially he lodged at a friends who's grazing is poor and on a steep hillside and he lost a bit of weight. He is now on richer grass and because Skinny Minnie needs ad lib hay he has also been digging in and has put the weight he lost back on again.

I am already dreading the summer, he is going to be a nightmare to keep slim and healthy.

 

[carthorse15]

Snap! I got my nag 2 months ago - she is also very, very fat and has lost a wee bit. She is unrugged and gets nothing to eat apart from hay. Was contemplating, should I say it clipping her neck and belly and not rugging. I seem to be spending alot of time worrying about this. As you say dreading summer if can't shift more now. Didn't know you could keep muzzles on 24/7?