Muzzled horse

[Emma1703]

My mare has been out of work since December, so was getting a bit round anyway! She's now been turned away on grass livery and is huge! I muzzled her last week and she didn't eat or drink for 24 hours. Was very dehydrated when I found her so didn't want to risk it again but equally don't want her to get lami. I muzzled her again last night and hand fed her through it thinking she might get it but despite taking it out my hand she wouldn't eat or drink again! (Only left her for 3 hours with it on).
Anyone got any ideas how to keep the weight off? pretty limited when it comes to strip grazing as is grass livery.

 

[Equi]

The problem is if she is muzzled, she will then gorge when she gets it off. They really need to be on 24/7 or on all day at grass, then horse in at night with soaked low quality forage.

What is the reason she is off work?

 

[Emma1703]

I only did it for 3 hours yesterday as in that time she still hadn't eaten or drunk a thing and was hot here.
Complete mystery lameness, had every test under the sun done with no further ideas so turned her away for the summer.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

what muzzle are you using? I have to teach mine to use them, sitting down and poking bits through the hole with their heads down, then encouraging them to grab and pull the grass by themselves. I don't use them any more thankfully as the grass is more horse friendly at my new yard, but I regularly had new ponies in before and most would have gone on hunger strike if I hadn't taught them; it could take a good hour of persuasion.

 

[ebonyallen]

My girl is a very greedy Irish daft horse and looks at grass and piles the weight on. She wares a green guard and I put sheepskin fluffy bits around it so it doesn't rub. She went straight off and started eating. My friend has a small cob very fat, she put one on and the animal just stood there, she refused to spend time and try and help her get the hang of it, there fore the cob is now morbidly fat! We all know the risks if other options not available would suggest you take the time to try and help them to use it. Good luck.

 

[Equi]

I only did it for 3 hours yesterday as in that time she still hadn't eaten or drunk a thing and was hot here.
Complete mystery lameness, had every test under the sun done with no further ideas so turned her away for the summer.

Most horses only drink a few times a day, could easily be 3 hours between but most i know of would be at least attempting to graze muzzle or not. RE mystery lameness, without knowing the exact tests carried out noone can comment on that.

How is her soundness now?

 

[Merlod]

Are you sure she didn't eat or drink, presumably you weren't watching her for the entire 24 hours? My ems shetland is muzzled, when he first wore one he just stood in the field waiting for me to take it off, I had previously fed through the hole so I just left him to get on with it. Spied on him in the evening and he was grazing, until he spotted me! Taking it off after only a couple of hours is just going to make her wait for you to take it back off, if she is struggling to adjust to being muzzled I would pick up a couple of cheap muzzles and make her a “large” hole to begin with so that grazing and drinking is pretty unrestricted and then maybe a “medium” hole before using the original hole size.

 

[Emma1703]

She was in a field by herself and both water buckets were still full to the brim as I had left them the previous day, and only had 3 poos in the field.
May try cutting holes in some, thanks. Hand feeding her to teach her doesn't seem to be working!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Is a strange field she has been turned out into on her own ?

 

[Emma1703]

No not at all. Was absolutely fine pre and post muzzle.

 

[Annagain]

I know you said she's on grass livery but is there an emergency stable you could use for a while or a yard you could bring her onto during the day/overnight?

 

[ester]

what muzzle are you using, they do need training, most seem to get on with a greenguard straight away as they are less restrictive but anything else unless they are a persistant pony type a bit of training definitely helps. I cut up a dinky ponies one and made extra holes in the bottom so that essentially he was eating freely but with something round his muzzle so he could get used to it.