Help with strip grazing/muzzle/grass knowledge please

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sonjafoers

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I've recently moved yards to good grazing & my mini is putting on a bit too much weight. He has recently had the farrier who found nothing of any concern but I want to make sure I manage him properly.I've read lots on the net about lami, grass cycles etc but I'd like some real help with what is best to do.

I have 6 fields of really good grass, all topped before use and all will be chain harrowed once empty. Each field is roughly 4 acres ( at a guess ) and there will be 5 horses and my mini out - the plan was to move fields roughly every month but that will be a 'suck it & see type situation'.

The mini is in for about 7 hours a day and is led out from another horse for about half an hours exercise during this time, then turned out in a grazing muzzle. He is very unhappy in his muzzle and I'm not sure he's even trying to eat although it is early days so he's not totally used to it yet. He does seem depressed in it though.

I am now planning to electric fence a section off so he can go out without his muzzle but should I keep him in this overnight too or let him have this for a few hours and then muzzle him and turn him out with the herd overnight?

When will I be able to leave the muzzle off? I was thinking Nov - Feb he would be able to be out normally because although the grazing will be good the sugar levels should be much reduced, is this correct? He will still be in for 6 to 7 hours a day as my routine is to bring them in in the mornings and turn out early afternoon all year round.

I just need some advice really on how to manage the grazing so any info on grass growing cycles etc would be appreciated.

Thank you
 
I am no expert but am having similar dilema's with my new shetland..
'Really good grass' apparently isnt the best for shetlands etc we have poor meadow grazing with lots of meadow plants so they have to really rumage.. We strip graze and I bring my boy in when the fence is moved so his cob friend gets a head start. I think this year has been easier as we havent had much rain, but I am already wondering about next spring!! Keeping him seperate from his friend or using a muzzle worries me..
My trimmer says that exercise is really important for the little ones in the fight against lami and keeps their metabolism up, too many shetlands are field ornaments/companions. Your exercise regime sounds great, I'm jealous, I have to take my boy out in hand as he is not yet broken to drive.
I too get confused about grass (long time since I had a pony)but I know sugars are lower at night and my childhood pony was in during day and out at night...You prob know all this but just thought I'd let you know you're not the only one with grass worries...
 
Also I know that they should have some forage while off the grass as long periods of no food causes acid in the gut and this has been linked to laminitis...I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but its something like that..I know someone who starved her horse for 12 hours a day, when he went out on the grass at night he just stuffed himself!!
 
Thank you for replying shah's mum, it's such a worry isn't it. I've actually moved from very poor grazing where I had no such concerns for him but my other horses needed the grass so what's working for them doesn't work for the mini.

Like you I don't like separating or muzzling him but I won't like it if he gets lami either so I have to be strong. Ideally I'd keep him with the herd & muzzle him but he is so unhappy in the muzzle I want to try fencing him off, but I just don't know enough about grass to know when he will be safe to live out normally. I also think I still have too much grass to turn him out unmuzzled even at night but I don't know how I could check this?

My exercise routine has come about because I've tried to lead him out in hand and he gets so far then plants his feet & refuses to move - I've tried all sorts of swear words but he doesn't respond to any of them! When I moved yards I led him from another horse to get him there & he was great so I've just continued it. He does it 5 times a week and really enjoys it now.
 
shah's mum said:
Also I know that they should have some forage while off the grass as long periods of no food causes acid in the gut and this has been linked to laminitis...I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but its something like that..I know someone who starved her horse for 12 hours a day, when he went out on the grass at night he just stuffed himself!!
Click to expand...

He's in with soaked hay so I never leave him without something to eat but I honestly think he's not eating at all when he's muzzled despite me pushing grass & treats through to show him how it works. This is what's worrying me and making me think he needs a fenced off paddock.
 
Mines not a mini but has had weight problems, also hated a muzzle but was very happy in a smallish pen within the field where everyone else was, didn't bother him at all. He still socialised aross the electric fence, had a scratch etc and wasn't at all bothered about not actually being in with his friends. Try it and see, you may be pleasently surprised!
 
Mabe a fenced off paddock in the day..And out at night with yours? Or fenced off paddock all the time next to your others? Could you pop a friend in for him occasionally?
At least the others are yours so you can do as you please.. I share with one other so I have to be a bit flexible..and they own the field :rolleyes:
I dont have another horse to ride to take him out with, more walking for me!! :eek:
 
The paddock idea sounds like a solution so I'll make one today, I think it'll have to be very small initially though so probably not enough room to put another in with him. He will be able to see them though wherever they go so I'm hoping he will be ok, I think leaving him in it all night is preferable to muzzling him and risking him not eating at all.

Yes I'm lucky shah's mum, I can do exactly what I want where I am now so it's just a matter of working out what suits him best.

Can anyone give me an indication of what time of year it's safe to turn out on good grazing or if there's a way of testing the grass to determine this?
 
Keep him in his enclosure the whole time - they can hoover up as much in a couple of hours after being deprived as they would in 24 hours continuous grazing. So if you keep him in he will stuff himself when he gets out, and if you put him with the others for part of the 24 hours he will get as much if not more than being out the whole time. Self exercise is the key - can you set it up so that he keeps moving by doing a track around the outside of the others? And distribute some soaked hay (or straw) and water widely around it so he burns more calories getting to it than he gains from it.
Grass doesn't always stop growing through the winter, only when the ground temperature drops below 5 degrees, but it does normally slow significantly with the shorter days. My itcher whose condition is worsened by grass stops itching in late October, so that is a guide.
 
I hate strip grazing, it's like going from one box to another for horses, like a prison camp.

Have you thought of doing a track system? Do long thin tracks which give the pony room for exercise but access to lots of different areas of the field. Shelter, water and they can still interact with others. You can make it as wiggly as you want.

And of course the obvious thing is to exercise the pony regularly on a lunge line or play in a school.
 
Thank you everyone, he was in his paddock from 5 yesterday until 8 this morning and he stayed in so that's reasonably successful. He seemed happier than when turned out with the muzzle on so it's a decent alternative I guess. I'll look at the track system because I too hate strip grazing, this is the 1st time I've done it in 20 years of having horses because I've always avoided it like the plague.

I do exercise him, in fact today I'm going to lunge him for the 1st time so that should be fun, he normally gets walked out in hand with plenty of hills/trotting or lead from another horse.

I'm very interested to learn what happens to the grass in the winter & whether he'll ever be able to be free range say Nov - Feb inclusive. I know the sugar lessens over winter ( thanks JillA, I thought the temp was 10 degrees not 5 so I need to do more research ) but does it lesson so much I may be able to turn him out fully during this time?
 
I *think* it is air temp around 10 degrees, but soil temp at 5 - but be prepared for someone to come and correct me. :)
I can't see why you can't turn him out late October to when the grass starts again in early spring - if there are other horses who will have eaten what is there he will have to pick at what is left and it won't be a great deal.
 
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