laminitis prone cob won’t keep muzzle on!!

[scats]

I do feel your pain about the muzzle situation. I owned the worlds most intelligent cob x who could remove any muzzle within about 7 seconds. She figured out that if she stood on the bit behind her chin and then yanked up, she could break any material (she was a powerful girl!). I actually stood and cried once through frustration. It didn’t matter whether we plaited her mane into it, threaded it through a headcollar... the muzzle would be off.
I was lucky in that I could pen her into a small section, although sadly we lost her last year.
I really think you need to consider moving yards if this one isn’t suitable for your horse.

 

[Fransurrey]

Things I found helped were putting soaked hay out (they can eat this through muzzle and it keeps them occupied), but that doesn't sound like an option for you. My mare has a sweet itch rug with ear holes - threading muzzle through that stopped her getting hers off. You could also try a different brand of muzzle and go a size up - a size up means deeper bucket and less irritating as it isn't so snug. My old boy wore a cob size, despite being 12 hh. Substitute the hay for barley straw and give him ad lib overnight, or at least give him more. It sounds like he's going out starving, so is desperate to get the muzzle off from the word go. On that note, does he get a fibre feed before going out? If he's got a full tum, again he'll be less likely to want to get it off straight away.

 

[windand rain]

I guess the OP didn't like the answers and has flounced off

 

[tallyho!]

Yes I think so too. We should have been way more entertaining with our answers!

 

[Rachael42]

He is now being stabled and walked inhand for a change of scenery along with steady ridden work until his fitness improves. Thanks for everyone’s help.

 

[fusspot]

He is now being stabled and walked inhand for a change of scenery along with steady ridden work until his fitness improves. Thanks for everyone’s help.

I can feel your pain.It is always a really difficult situation to have especially if you are in a position that you are in a part of the country with very little choice of places to keep them.
My son’s NF is a nightmare at getting muzzles off-he literally wrecks them within minutes or removes them within minutes.He totally trashed 3 of the bucket ones in just over a month.We have amazing grass-they are kept at home-the Pony was putting so much weight on that we knew it was only a matter of time before he got Lami.
We upped his work even more,dropped his feed to literally a handful of Hi Fi Molasses Free-do really Check any hard feed you are feeding as some are very surprising in how much sugar content is in them.He then has soaked hay in a small hole net-watch some of the trickle nets as they can wreck them in about a day-mine have the Shires small hole which are tough and have lasted years.Soaking for about 4/5 hours is totally adequate-much more especially in the hot weather can cause it to turn which can in turn cause colic-also give the hay a rinse off before giving it as it removes any sugars it has been sitting in from being consumed.I hate the Greenguard muzzle but knew that for the pony to have any chance of a normal life -I had no choice.He was a bit stroppy to start and I have wrapped Vetwrap around the nose of Headcollar and front of muzzle to stop rubbing-but he is out all day now,in a normal field and has not got the Headcollar off and can drink and is as happy as Larry.He has lost 60kg in 3 weeks and is happy.Although you need to cut intake down it is best not too starve too much as this has the opposite affect and can cause them to store fat.Hard feed isn’t really needed unless they have any supplements but I wouldn’t cut the soaked hay down too drastically.I totally sympathise with what a nightmare it is-is there any way you could get a Greenguard muzzle and put your’s out for an hour whilst mucking out etc to get used to the muzzle and then start to slowly extend time.Horse can get used to the muzzle without it rubbing and as only out for a short time will be more interested in trying to get some grass than trying to remove it-if no facility to turn out for a short time get the muzzle and hand graze until you know horse can be happy in it in the field.This is also quite a good way of doing it as they tend to move around more looking for grass rather than being stationary stuffing there face.I do also feed mine Global Herbs Lami Pro which is a help.Good Luck and I really do sympathise with you.

 

[southerncomfort]

If your cob is pulling the muzzle off over his nose then I would think it isn't tight enough. They do need to be fairly snug but you can cover it with sheepskin or neoprene if you are worried about it rubbing.

I would keep in during the day and feed only soaked hay. Then as everyone has said, you need to work him hard.

 

[windand rain]

Not ideal but certainly better for him. I do think muzzles are the work of the devil but if you have a horse that will tolerate one then they are useful however in OPs case he wasnt tolerating them and everytime he got it off he was at risk of eating himself to death. Stabling really became the only option in his case which is also a shame but certainly better than laminitis and almost certainly PTS if his situation wasnt changed. I hope he loses the weight he needs to and can be left out in winter to get thin

 

[Leo Walker]

Make sure he has forage almost all of the time. Dont try and starve the weight off him. Soaking the hay for an hour is enough to remove the sugars. I personally hate small holed haynets for the damage they can do to their backs and necks but in this case needs must! I'd also get him a hay ball

You can fit about 4kgs of soaked hay in them and it lasts for hours. It also keeps them moving. Not a lot, but more than they do stood pulling at a haynet. Chopped oat chaff will help a lot as well. Fill a big trug with it slightly dampened and then when he finishes his hay he will have something to eat, but I've yet to know one that will eat chopped straw unless they are actually hungry!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

What muzzle does he have on? Green guard muzzle are the best.. about £70 off eBay or cheaper or you get one second hand.

My gelding couldn't get that off, he is a naughty chap too. In the end YO said I could make my own paddock within the field as I said I was worried about him getting laminitis and had a firm talk with her as she said no originally. I used electric fencing I bought and a fencer.

Even with a muzzle, as others said, in lots of grass he'll still manage to eat a lot! If he is obese already i'd be seriously concerned and even consider moving yards to one you can make your own paddock - for his own welfare.

 

[Dunpony]

I have the same problem but found: a secure plait stops it coming over his ears; tight throat strap, short connecting back strap stops it being dragged off forwards; a string from the middle of the headpiece tied onto the front of the muzzle stops him rubbing it off his nose. Also worth taping all adjusted straps as the buckles break easily. I use a big muzzle to avoid rubs and only the throat strap is in any way tight
You need to be aware that if your horse gets caught in anything he may well not be able to free himself so take care

 

[Gloi]

Why can't he be moved to somewhere more suitable?

 

[Rachael42]

Thanks for the advice, the problem has been sorted with the yard owner now, he wears a muzzle and is on restricted grazing

 

[FFAQ]

I haven't read every reply so apologies if this has been said - have you tried a different muzzle? I understand the green guard muzzled are supposed to be good

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Hi,
Wondering if anyone has any ideas to what I can do with a very fat laminitic prone cob that won’t keep a muzzle on or catch when in the field. He’s on a small livery yard so no choice to section field and no access to a less grassy field. He’s kept in at night with little hay in a haynet as he’s also a pig. He’s out during the day but keeps removing his muzzle no matter what I try to keep it on 😡can’t even put him out for a very short period of time as he’s difficult to catch. Hes already really obese and am really worried he’s going to go lami again. Is there anything I can give him to help with weight loss?? anything is worth a try at this point!

At the yard where I keep my horse there is a laminitic pony that can never go out on grass. My partner who works a few hours there was able to get hold of some bark chippings that a friend who was a landscape gardener wanted rid of. So the pony's owner built it an electric fenced patch and the bark was laid and spread down by my partner and its worked brilliantly. We weren't really sure if it would work (I asked the question on this forum about how thick to lay it, etc but in the end we just guessed and it was fine). The pony goes out for a couple of hours in the day and can roll and mess about but has no access to grass whatsoever.

 

[Louwills]

Hi,
Wondering if anyone has any ideas to what I can do with a very fat laminitic prone cob that won’t keep a muzzle on or catch when in the field. He’s on a small livery yard so no choice to section field and no access to a less grassy field. He’s kept in at night with little hay in a haynet as he’s also a pig. He’s out during the day but keeps removing his muzzle no matter what I try to keep it on 😡can’t even put him out for a very short period of time as he’s difficult to catch. Hes already really obese and am really worried he’s going to go lami again. Is there anything I can give him to help with weight loss?? anything is worth a try at this point!

my pony is also very greedy on the grass, she has not got lami, but I know she could easily get it! I tried everything to keep the muzzle! I’ve brought a flexible filly muzzle (expensive). This fits into the headcollar, so yesterday I put her out in Just a headcollar, as I’ve not received the new muzzle, thought it would be a test! And yes she got it off! obviously don’t want her to trash the new muzzle she’s only out overnight, it’s a big field, not a lot of grass, but enough to make her at risk! I’m also on a diy livery yard! There is no option of strip grazing! So I definitely feel your pain, drives me mad, I’ve spent hours and loads of money trying to solve this problem! Delivery of new muzzle is today! I’m going to fit it to the headcollar later, sit and spy on her to see if I can workout what to do! Did you have ant sucess?

 

[Daniel_Jack]

It sounds like you have solved the issue. I totally sympathise. I have a fat - although thankfully not lami prone - cob who after years of being muzzled at night and stabled during the day started to get her muzzle off.

Eventually found a solution - i cut up an old bridle leaving just the browband and throat lash and wove this through the muzzle. She's not managed to get it off yet - and she's really tired!