Muzzle or restricted grazing paddock

Muzzle or restricted grazing paddock

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I use a muzzle because it means the pony can do his job and be a companion with the big horse in the big field. I also think he walks further than he would in a small paddock.
 
It really depends on the horse! If a horse constantly gets a grazing muzzle off then a starvation paddock would be better. If a horse jumps out of a starvation paddock then a muzzle would be better. If you have only one fatty and he would get separation anxiety in a starvation paddock, then a muzzle may be better. Etc., etc.!
 
Lucy wore a muzzle as she would just escape from restricted grazing. But saying that she used to take her muzzle off. What a nightmare pony she was :p ;) :D :D :D:D.
 
neither - paddock paradise system - i think a small starvation paddock is really not that useful - yes you are restricting calories but you are also restricing movement - whereas paddock paradise keeps horses moving a lot more with restriced claories and helps weight loss far more...
worked really well with my mare
 
posie_honey said:
neither - paddock paradise system - i think a small starvation paddock is really not that useful - yes you are restricting calories but you are also restricing movement - whereas paddock paradise keeps horses moving a lot more with restriced claories and helps weight loss far more...
worked really well with my mare
Click to expand...

How this work?? x
 
posie_honey said:
neither - paddock paradise system - i think a small starvation paddock is really not that useful - yes you are restricting calories but you are also restricing movement - whereas paddock paradise keeps horses moving a lot more with restriced claories and helps weight loss far more...
worked really well with my mare
Click to expand...


Tell me more :)
 
If I understand it right a paddock paradise system is where a track is set up round the outside of an area. ie your turnout.. The horses are then kept in the track, rather than in a normal square field. The track encourages the horses to spend more time moving, and you would make specific areas, ie an area of shelter, for food, mud patch for rolling, water supply etc. These areas are spread out around the track to help encourage movement. Here's one website I found : http://www.all-natural-horse-care.com/paddock-paradise.html#Work
Scroll down, the first diagram is a simple versoin in a normal square field. I like the look of the next one further down, but what you can make is dependent on your land. Looks like fun though!!
 
TGM said:
It really depends on the horse! If a horse constantly gets a grazing muzzle off then a starvation paddock would be better. If a horse jumps out of a starvation paddock then a muzzle would be better. If you have only one fatty and he would get separation anxiety in a starvation paddock, then a muzzle may be better. Etc., etc.!
Click to expand...

Agree with the above.
We had a section A who would literally break through fences to get out of his starvation paddock, and even though he didn't particularly like his grazing muzzle, it stayed on him and he remained lami free.
 
In answer to OP's question, I have mine on restricted grazing at night (previously grazed paddock) and a muzzle during the day. He copes really well, if a little too well! He is still porky! He did get his muzzle off once, but I fitted it a bit better, more snugly, and he never gets it off now. That combined with the fact that I use leccy fencing so there's nothing he can rub it off on other than the ground. Hes given up trying.
I have heard that over grazed 'stressed' grass can hang on to more sugars than you would think and so can be more dangerous to lammi prone horses, I believe, but I need to research this further.
 
Yes that is true about over grazed paddocks. Fructans are the sugars that they believe cause laminitis. Apparently grass that is trying to grow or just shooting through has a high concetration of fructans. It is best if you can either strip graze or muzzle then on reasonable grazing rather than a completly eaten off paddock.
 
yup ditto with the stressed grass bit - the best type of grass with lowest sugar is actually poor quality long grass!

the paddock paradise system is fab - i didn't bother with the whole areas for different things bit - water happened to be in top corner and gate in bottom corner anyway - worked erally well with my horse and i def noticed a difference in her fitness too

ps - i tend to call it her fatty track - when i first did it and i said PP system people's eyes glazed over and they wrote me off as alternative etc - then they started to notice her walking far more and loosing weight - and asked me more about it - and i started calling it a fatty track and would explain it with less barefoot talk - and funnily enough they thought it was a fab idea :rolleyes:
 
I think that there is some debate over the fructans theory nowadays going by some new research. I certainly find that mine is better on short 'stresed' grazing than the longer grass that has supposedly fewer fructans.

Anyway, I use a combination of a muzzle and track system, the track only works for my laminitic if there is very little grass on there and it is constantly grazed and it has had to be considerably shorter this summer than in previous years as the grass seems to have shot away after the dry spell. I muzzle so she can have some turnout time with her companion who doesn't need restricting, but she seems to manage to get a fair bit of grass even with a muzzle, so I limit the time she spends in it for safety's sake.
 
In an ideal world I'd go for a PP system too but don't have that luxury :(. Muzzle gets my vote as horse can remian with the herd, movement is not restricted and the horse is not eating short, stressed grass.
 
Neither...a track works for me:D

It ggoes round the perimeter of my paddock

020620094108.jpg


This way they get the exercise they require to help them lose weight:)
 
Tennessee said:
In answer to OP's question, I have mine on restricted grazing at night (previously grazed paddock) and a muzzle during the day. He copes really well, if a little too well! He is still porky! He did get his muzzle off once, but I fitted it a bit better, more snugly, and he never gets it off now. That combined with the fact that I use leccy fencing so there's nothing he can rub it off on other than the ground. Hes given up trying.
I have heard that over grazed 'stressed' grass can hang on to more sugars than you would think and so can be more dangerous to lammi prone horses, I believe, but I need to research this further.
Click to expand...

I would mix muzzles and restricted grazing like this - possibly with the track system. We have a 20x40 area that was tipped with hardcore years ago (hopefully future menage..) and has grassed over, but with poor grass. This is quite good to use as a starvation paddock as it doesn't get muddy.
 
I do one for one and the other for the other.

Muzzle on the one I can't keep in and restricted grazing for the one who is well behaved.

I would prefer restricted grazing for both as they have both figured out the muzzles and can actually get quite a bit through the little hole. I have very good grazing fab for the old boy, rubbish for the shetties. If I had my way they woudl be penned up and excersised for hours on end.

I lunge and walk out in hand to try and counter this as well.
 
Muzzle as my boys jumps out of smaller paddocks, and currently having issues with colic, but fingers crossed muzzle seems to be helping at the moment!
Becky x
 
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