How to manage extremely good doer out 24/7

[Muddy unicorn]

We need to reduce our extremely good doer’s calorie intake but he’s out 24/7 on grass livery and they’ve just moved into their summer field.

He should be coming back into work after an extended period off but at the moment it’s only in-hand. We’ve tried a grazing muzzle but it’s rubbed him raw under his chin and he’s got rubs in other places from the straps and webbing. They’re also not supposed to be worn 24/7 but as soon as it’s off he starts gorging on the grass.

He had lost weight towards the end of winter but is now determined to pile it back on as quickly as he can. In extremis I could section off a bit of the resting winter field but I’d have to get electric fencing sorted and he’d be in there on his own so not ideal. He’s a chunky IDxTB, 13 years old, survives on fresh air, has not been lami-prone in the past. Any ideas gratefully received as I’m getting very worried about him.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would get him off the grass asap! Can you bring him in at all? We fill ours up on plain oat straw chaff, which they eat if they are hungry and then don't gorge.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I can’t get him off the grass - there are no stables - the only way would be to section off part of the winter field but he’d then be on his own and it still has grass albeit less than their current field. He’s out 24/7 as he has mild hock arthritis and asthma both of which would be worse if he were stabled. We are (fingers crossed) moving to a place with land later this year so I will be able to manage his grazing better but I’ve got to get him through the summer first!

 

[ihatework]

Well he needs his grass intake limiting and his exercise increasing. Which means keeping him at a yard suitable for his needs.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I wouldn't put an already over weight horse on a rested field would not one of the liveries be interested in staying in the winter field with you until the other one is eaten down.

 

[HashRouge]

They simply cannot have unlimited grass. All the exercise in the world won't balance out how many calories he is getting! He either needs muzzling (and yes, 24/7 if needs must) or moving somewhere that gives you the option to create a starvation type paddock and/or bring him in for part of the day.
I have a very good doer who lives out 24/7, but I deliberately keep him somewhere that doesn't do herd turnout and gives me my own (good sized) field to manage how I please. I do a lot of strip grazing using electric tape, and have managed to create a good balance this year where they have a really good amount of space, but not unlimited grass! I have a rested section of the field where my poorer doer will be able to go during the day if her weight starts to drop. Meanwhile, my good doer is a very decent weight for a retired, unridden horse!

Have you tried different types of muzzle OP? I have heard very good things about the Flexible Filly muzzle?

 

[Highmileagecob]

Similar situation here. Greedy good doer with EMS. I finally found a grazing muzzle he would tolerate, which allowed him to be busy and graze through it 24/7 with no problems, It's a Tough 1 Easy Breathe, and at the time, I imported it from USA. It rubbed under his chin, so I cut the straps with the lead rope ring out. It started to rub the noseband area, so I stitched a layer of neoprene inside the mask. He discovered if he scrubbed his head on the ground he could get the velcro quick release open, so I punched a nail through the layers and pushed a cable tie through. He has been in the mask for around seven years, and it has been a godsend. His teeth are no longer able to cope with a mask now so I am facing the first summer on 24/7 grass with full access. You have my sympathy.

 

[Boulty]

I'd play around with muzzle types. Some rub worse than others. Flexible filly type shouldn't rub under chin but obviously you can get rubs from the headcollar (generally solved by neoprene or fleece padding on the noseband & cheekpieces). Mine did start to get a rub on his chin this year from his but some adjustments seem to have sorted it for now.


Alternatively could you strip graze or create a track around the field the rest are in (maybe see if anyone else with a fat pony wants to join you?)

 

[outdoor girl]

My EMS horse is out with a muzzle which used to rub her underneath her chin. I found that putting some vaseline on the area stopped that happening and also adjusting the fit of the muzzle. As for the rubbing to get the muzzle off, she now goes out with a fieldsafe headcollar on on top of the muzzle. This is the second year we've had this fit up and, so far, she's not worked out how to get round it!!!

 

[PapaverFollis]

Can you section off an L-shaped or U-shaped track for him around 2 or 3 edges of their current field. Restricts grass especially once it is eaten down and increases movement. And he can still move around the field with the herd, he'll just have to travel further than the others. If it is just him in there you can make it quite narrow in parts, with wider spaces where he can roll.

Only going to work if he respects fencing too.

 

[Fjord]

I feel your pain. Luckily I have been allowed to put a little track in to restrict my girl, I have had to start off with a tiny patch and I'm extending it bit by bit. I've bought a strimmer to cut the grass back and used rubber mats and grass mats to help reduce the grass. Can you do something similar? You could always offer to re-seed it when you leave?

 

[Fjord]

This was mine a few days ago. Following the rain she has trashed a lot of the green patch (which is good from my point of view) and I have been able to increase her space a bit and move some mats to cover more grass. Luckily our farmer is really good about it all.

 

[scats]

Play around with different muzzles? Mine wear flexible filly muzzles from 6.30pm-8.30am and never have a rub. They don’t mind wearing them at all.

 

[AntiPuck]

Mine is muzzled 24/7 (comes off daily for a brief check ove, but always on when she's on the grass) with an Ultimate Muzzle. It can't rub the chin easily as it's designed to fit very loosely so it isn't actually touching the chin unless they open their mouth very wide, but comes up higher on the nose than standard bucket muzzles, so it's hard for them to pull it off or push it to the side. You can buy purpose-made fluff for the chin, cheeks, and headpiece to further prevent rubs, but I haven't noticed any so far.

 

[Hepsibah]

I'm very lucky, I rent a little field at the bottom of my village that isn't farm owned. The owner will probably build on it at some point in the future but for the moment he's happy for me to do as I please with it. I have a track around the edge in a U shape where I hay them once a day but they have to snuffle around for wisps of grass the rest of the time. Other than that they have a salt lick and a mug of balancer a day and their weight is kept at a reasonable level. I weigh tape once a week to see if they need more or less hay or space on the track. If they weren't losing enough I could soak the hay or reduce the width or length of the track but I'm happy enough with how things are for the moment.

 

[GinaGeo]

You need to increase Exercise and reduce calories.

I manage my good doers with muzzles, exercise and grass free T/O with hay in the day.

Could you section off some of the winter field and let him go in there for some of the time. And then turnout with a muzzle the rest. And then try to get more work into him?

 

[SEL]

Hard isn't it? My mare is a pro at removing her muzzle

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Thanks for the replies - unfortunately if he went into a sectioned off bit of the winter field he’d be on his own with a big hedge in between him and the rest of the herd so he wouldn’t even be able to see another horse. All the other geldings are either very old or TBs and their owners are all delighted they’ve moved fields as they’ll finally start putting weight on. A track-type set-up isn’t going to be possible either.

I’ll experiment with different muzzles and we’re looking into the possibility of moving him for a few months to somewhere with less grass and where he could get more exercise. I’d hoped not to move him as we should be moving late summer/early autumn and I didn’t want to have to move him twice. Thankfully he is very chilled and takes most changes in his stride.

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Quick update - he’s moving in a couple of weeks to a field with much less grass and where we’ll be able to exercise him more. I still can’t put a grazing muzzle on him as the sores caused by the last one haven’t healed yet. He’s got a bit of a fat pad on his shoulder but thankfully is not cresty so I’m hoping less grass and more exercise will get him back to where we want him to be reasonably quickly. Poor boy doesn’t really enjoy summer - his sweet itch has flared up suddenly in the last week and he’s feeling rather sorry for himself