Muzzle vs stable???

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Barehooves

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What are your opinions on muzzling your horse during the day verses stabling during the day?

I'm 9 months pregnant (yep bubs was due yesterday!) so any exercise is really out of the question for a good few weeks and my horse is a very good doer. She's also barefoot so diet us extremely important as is movement.

The grass in the field is really quite short so muzzling is quite mean as I don't think she can eat... She likes coming in and I don't feel I can leave her with nothing so she gets a bit of hay...

Just like to know what others think?

Thanks! X
 
If the grass is short, is there a need to muzzle? My cob blows up horribly so is in during the day, out at night when he will hopefully sleep a bit.

Have you tried a muzzle before? I timed mine getting his off-well under two minutes! I hear the Greenguard is good, tho.
 
It is short but that new growth is the worst! She gets fat from the tinyiest amount of grass...

Yes I've been using muzzles for years, she keeps hers on, she's very good and can eat (if the grass is long enough!) and drink no probs but she always looks so miserable!
 
Mine is a good doer and hes in during the day and out at night without his muzzle. The sugars in the grass are at their lowest during nightime hours and at their highest during the day. Im trying this and seeing if it works by weigh taping him, he is in regular exercise. Before our summer turnout started he wore his muzzle every day when out. I also plan to leave him in on a Saturday night so will see if the mix n match regime works for him.
 
I'd keep her in with plenty of 12 hour soaked hay if she hates the muzzle. Mine are barefooters too and on restricted movement daytime (two on a small yard, two in a smallish barn) and have no problems.


Good luck with the babe!
 
Out with a muzzle must be better than being stuck in.

One of my boys is currently recovering from laminitis (EMS induced) and I'd give anything for him to be let out.
When my vet gives me the go ahead for him to go out he'll be wearing a muzzle *nodshead*
 
My fat TB is in during the day. He's been in for about 6 hours each day since Monday.
On the first day I couldnt do up his normal girth and I was having to use a longer one :o.
Today I could use his normal girth whoop whoop (first hole but still) so he has gone down a bit. I give him hay in the stable but he's so stuffed he's not eating it.
I decided not to try a muzzle becaus one I couldn't bear him being upset and two he destroyes everything so I had a feeling it wouldn't last for long! :)
 
ok if it workable i would set up a track round the edge of the field and leave her there to increase her exercise and reduce the amount she can eat
 
Yes, I have set a track around my field with electric fencing, so there is room for more exercise that in a small square, whilst restricting access to the rest of the field. Despite my natives being a bit porky, I'd never muzzle them for more than a couple of hours (unless it's with the greenguard type of muzzle which I think are far too expensive for what they are and can cause sores by rubbing). There is evidence that suggests restricting grazing time can result in them gorging when they are allowed out, which IMO causes the problems to start in the first place. I have had several ponies in the last ten years, living out 24/7, sometimes on too much grass and sometimes on the fatter side of ideal weight and never had any problems with laminitis. I know plenty of people whose ponies have severely restricted grazing/turnout time and are skinny and yet seem to get laminitis at the drop of a hat. Clearly there's a lot to be learned about it yet. If you horse is used to coming into a stable and doesn't mind it then I think it's preferable to being out all the time muzzled.
 
I tried a muzzle on my horse, i spent weeks putting it on him and getting him used to it... i turned him out in it, and mucked out went to check on him and he was hanging off the fence, hed tried to rub it off and managed to hook it on the fence.

i was too scared to put it on him since then hehe
 
My horse has a muzzle on all year regardless of length of grass, I'm just so scared of having lami again, he hasn't suffered, some people on my yard bring in in the day and out at night, all depends if someone can do your horse for you in your predicament :-) If she's happy coming and her gut is kept going with some hay, I don't see the harm, either would be ok, its what suits you. My horse is in at night, out in the day with his muzzle, only because if he gets the muzzle off usually there's someone around to get him in, at night I wouldn't have a clue how long it'd been off if he did get it off
 
Spellbound13 said:
I tried a muzzle on my horse, i spent weeks putting it on him and getting him used to it... i turned him out in it, and mucked out went to check on him and he was hanging off the fence, hed tried to rub it off and managed to hook it on the fence.

i was too scared to put it on him since then hehe
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This is where customisation is required, I've posted on another thread today about muzzles, see that for tips :-)
 
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I stable mine during the day, I really hate seeing muzzled horses. They always look so miserable.

My greedy one gets straw to eat during the day, and the other gets hay, but she doesn't eat it.
 
my mare is muzzled when shes out in the field 8am -4:30pm and then shes stabled with haylege at night, she colics if she has too much lush grass but we tried turning her out in the morning and bringing her in at lunchtime but she became miserable so i bought her the shires grazing muzzle and padded the edges that touch her chin and nose out with sheepskin to prevent rubbing and now she's out for as long as the others and seems much happier being out and having the muzzle on than being left in :)
 
I had the same dilemma a few weeks ago and after much deliberation went ahead and bought a Greenguard muzzle for my NF - I turned her out after making sure she knew how to eat with it on and when I went to bring her in she was so miserable and hadn't moved from the gate - I just couldn't bring myself to use it again (pathetic I know!) so have now gone back to the old routine of limiting grazing and her staying in more with a haynet and a treatball.

I've sold the muzzle after using it only once!
 
I bought the Greenguard one for my boy but he hated it and it rubbed his muzzle terribly...so I threw it away...I now use a 'Dinky' one (they do large sizes) and he doesn't mind it at all.

I can't think how a horse would be less miserable confined to a stable than outside in the company of their friends :confused:
 
You could compromise and muzzle some days bring in on others. New baby is very tiring and such hard work so do what you need to to make life easier for yourself without compromising the well being of your horse.

My mare seems happy with a muzzle on. She is very skilled at eating with it on. She doesn't attempt to take it off. She is a very laid back tolerant girl about most things. Of course I would rather her not have to wear one and live out in the summer sunshine with sun on her back and wind in her mane. Sadly the reality to keep her well is to muzzle and rug with a sweetitch rug.
 
My native is out 24/7 and muzzled only when changing fields to stop gorging until grass has been eaten down a bit. Muzzle only half the time and they gorge the rest of the time. Stable half the time and the same happens. He's never had laminitis and has always been managed this way. His fat score is spot on too. It's the gorging I prevent, not the grass intake.
 
Barehooves said:
It is short but that new growth is the worst! She gets fat from the tinyiest amount of grass...

Yes I've been using muzzles for years, she keeps hers on, she's very good and can eat (if the grass is long enough!) and drink no probs but she always looks so miserable!
Click to expand...

I have the same problem with 1 of mine, both are barefoot. 1 just has to look at grass and put weight on, pulses are raised very easily. I can't muzzle her as I normally would because the grass isn't long enough. I can exercise though.

I'd have her in during the day with some soaked hay, and if you're feeding her anything (doubtful I know !) add cinammon to her diet, it helps metabolise the sugar so helps those prone to laminitics and those prone to insulin resistance. I've been feeding cinammon for 3 weeks now, and she's not been muzzled. A very carefully watched trial !! She's not been footy, where I would normally expect her to be - out 24/7, unmuzzled.
 
zandp, interesting about the cinammon, not something I've heard of before. How much do you feed and do you have to use fresh grated cinammon or powdered supermarket stuff?
 
Well I choose to stable my lad all year at night...for me this serves several benefits...I can weigh his food exactly and feed exactlty what he needs for half the day, he lies down a lot at night and this is good for him and his feet, in summer he is totally off the grass for several hours, in winter his feet can thaw from the cold and warm up a bit, in wet weather his feet can dry out in the stable.
I personally would not muzzle him as there is no point stressing him out - which would happen guarenteed. Also, he is on the same grazing of about three quarters of an acre all year so it is well eaten down in winter and he spends the spring and summer wandering around finding stuff to nibble on and munching on the hedgerows.
 
I stable my mare at night, she gets ridden every morning and then turned out in a muzzle for 6 hours. I weigh and soak all her hay, the grass in her paddock is quite short but she looks anything but skinny, so she must be getting enough.
 
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