Muzzling - day or night?

[Annagain]

I'm thinking of muzzling Wiggy for part of the day. I can't ride at the moment and his sharer can only ride twice, three times a week at most. At the moment he's coming in during the day to try to reduce his intake but getting him in and turning him out from his current field can mean up to half a mile walk down and then back up a steep hill each time, which is really painful for me with my current issues. At least with a muzzle I can drive down to the field (with YO's permission) twice a day to put on and remove the muzzle. This leaves the question whether muzzling during the day or overnight is best? Either way it'll be about 12 hours as I'm up at about 7am and then between 6 and 7pm so it's more about the sugars in the grass and their activities at certain times of day. When would be most effective in reducing his intake? At the moment, with it being so warm, they seem to spend a lot of the day snooozing under the trees, so I'm thinking he's not eating then anyway and muzzling overnight would be more effective. If the weather changes, however, is he more likely to eat during the day?

Also, any recommendations for the best muzzles for a 16.1 cob type with a big ol' bucket head please?

 

[Britestar]

One of my cobs had hers on all the time she was out. Only off when she came in for 5 hrs in the evening.

I use Dinky muzzles

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I muzzle little A overnight when out with B over 2 acres.
However in the day she is in, or out in a diet paddock but still wearing a muzzle (she has a newer one at night, if out in day she has an older one with bigger holes in it as chewed a bit, Dinky muzzle)

 

[MuddyMonster]

Sugars are supposed to be at their peak in the afternoon & evening and be lower at nights and early mornings. So if I had to pick one, I'd say muzzle in the day if they are on the same field night and day.

Is their anyone else that could bring him in and turn him out (perhaps another livery or a free lance groom?) as with this weather at the moment, I'd be reluctant to have a good doer/lamjnitic prone out 24/7 as the grass is going nuts at the moment! I appreciate it might be really difficult though.

I muzzle in the day though as he is off grass - either stabled or bare paddock the rest of the time, so no access to grass.

Pony is either in a Greenguard or Dinky muzzle - mainly the Dinky muzzle - as these are all he'll not destroy

 

[saddlesore]

They’ve done studies to show that muzzling for part of the day is ineffective as the horse can compensate for the restricted period very quickly when the muzzle is off. It’s best to leave it on at all times when at grass, and bring in for some hay if needed. The flexible filly is a great muzzle

 

[Highmileagecob]

If you decide to muzzle 24/7, please choose a muzzle that will allow your horse to graze enough, and not just pick at strands. Better muzzles are now coming to the market with larger grazing slots and breathing holes over the nostrils. Hope you can find a solution that works for you.

 

[Annagain]

Sugars are supposed to be at their peak in the afternoon & evening and be lower at nights and early mornings. So if I had to pick one, I'd say muzzle in the day if they are on the same field night and day.

Is their anyone else that could bring him in and turn him out (perhaps another livery or a free lance groom?) as with this weather at the moment, I'd be reluctant to have a good doer/lamjnitic prone out 24/7 as the grass is going nuts at the moment! I appreciate it might be really difficult though.

I muzzle in the day though as he is off grass - either stabled or bare paddock the rest of the time, so no access to grass.

Pony is either in a Greenguard or Dinky muzzle - mainly the Dinky muzzle - as these are all he'll not destroy

I can do it, it's just very painful so was looking for another option. I have a prolapsed disc that's causing sciatica. If I'm on my feet (whether that's standing or walking) for more than 2 minutes it starts to hurt and it gets worse and worse until I can get off my feet again. It doesn't do any extra harm so it's just a case of how much it hurts. His sharer does two nights a week and one weekend day but can't do the mornings in the week as she's a childminder whose first child arrives at 7am. The morning is worse than the evening as I have to go looking for him in 10 acres with lots of nooks and crannies. My old boy (who is out 24/7, does nothing and is a perfect weight )comes to call but Wig won't in the summer.
Our grass isn't going nuts, as we've had very little rain. I don't think it's growing much at all but they have lots of it as they've gone onto a field that hasn't been touched (by sheep) since last autumn and hasn't had horses on it for 3 years.

If you decide to muzzle 24/7, please choose a muzzle that will allow your horse to graze enough, and not just pick at strands. Better muzzles are now coming to the market with larger grazing slots and breathing holes over the nostrils. Hope you can find a solution that works for you.

I wouldn't muzzle 24/7 as he's a very sociable horse and loves a groom. I couldn't deny him that.

 

[Nicnac]

All mine are muzzled 24/7. I bring them in each evening for a couple of hours so they can have a relaxing snooze in their stables - bar the shitland who is a free ranger. Muzzling part time if out 24/7 is pretty pointless as they just eat more when unmuzzled to compensate unless on bare paddock or track.

 

[saddlesore]

I can do it, it's just very painful so was looking for another option. I have a prolapsed disc that's causing sciatica. If I'm on my feet (whether that's standing or walking) for more than 2 minutes it starts to hurt and it gets worse and worse until I can get off my feet again. It doesn't do any extra harm so it's just a case of how much it hurts. His sharer does two nights a week and one weekend day but can't do the mornings in the week as she's a childminder whose first child arrives at 7am. The morning is worse than the evening as I have to go looking for him in 10 acres with lots of nooks and crannies. My old boy (who is out 24/7, does nothing and is a perfect weight )comes to call but Wig won't in the summer.
Our grass isn't going nuts, as we've had very little rain. I don't think it's growing much at all but they have lots of it as they've gone onto a field that hasn't been touched (by sheep) since last autumn and hasn't had horses on it for 3 years.



I wouldn't muzzle 24/7 as he's a very sociable horse and loves a groom. I couldn't deny him that.

Mine still grooms his pals with the flexible filly muzzle on

 

[Sarys]

They’ve done studies to show that muzzling for part of the day is ineffective as the horse can compensate for the restricted period very quickly when the muzzle is off. It’s best to leave it on at all times when at grass, and bring in for some hay if needed. The flexible filly is a great muzzle

This is what I do.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I'm thinking of muzzling Wiggy for part of the day. I can't ride at the moment and his sharer can only ride twice, three times a week at most. At the moment he's coming in during the day to try to reduce his intake but getting him in and turning him out from his current field can mean up to half a mile walk down and then back up a steep hill each time, which is really painful for me with my current issues. At least with a muzzle I can drive down to the field (with YO's permission) twice a day to put on and remove the muzzle. This leaves the question whether muzzling during the day or overnight is best? Either way it'll be about 12 hours as I'm up at about 7am and then between 6 and 7pm so it's more about the sugars in the grass and their activities at certain times of day. When would be most effective in reducing his intake? At the moment, with it being so warm, they seem to spend a lot of the day snooozing under the trees, so I'm thinking he's not eating then anyway and muzzling overnight would be more effective. If the weather changes, however, is he more likely to eat during the day?

Also, any recommendations for the best muzzles for a 16.1 cob type with a big ol' bucket head please?

I dont muzzle anymore i use restricted grazing, but if I di I would rather muzzle at night as when mine was out it actually caused the laminitis as she was in during the day.

 

[Surbie]

I have the oversize/draft flexible filly on my horse with a supersize head. I would leave him out 24/7 in it if he were out all the time - he's had no rubs from it and wears it quite happily.

 

[Birker2020]

If you decide to muzzle 24/7, please choose a muzzle that will allow your horse to graze enough, and not just pick at strands. Better muzzles are now coming to the market with larger grazing slots and breathing holes over the nostrils. Hope you can find a solution that works for you.

A fellow livery has just bought a Greenguard for her laminitic and I couldn't believe how big the slats were compared with a few years ago when I bought one (and it lasted less than a day).

 

[RHM]

Mine still grooms his pals with the flexible filly muzzle on

So does mine! The flexible filly doesn’t alter his behaviour at all.

 

[Annagain]

Thanks all, I've had a think about it and, painful as it is, I'm going to carry on bringing him in at the moment s it looks like I'll be heading down the surgery route. If that happens I won't be able to go to the yard for 6 weeks so I'll save the muzzling for then as it's far easier to ask the other liveries to put it on / take it off than to ask them to get him in, put him back out and muck out.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Whatever muzzle you use , please check the teeth (incisors ) for excessive wear.

 

[Horsegirl25]

If your going to muzzle you will have to do it every time your horse is turned out, if for example you have it on them during the day but not on at night they will gorge when it's off and defeats the purpose of slowing their grazing down.

I absolutely love my greenguard muzzle, although pricey I prefer it over ones like thinline or shires muzzles as they are able to eat the grass easier through the slats rather than trying to eat through a tiny hole while still reducing their grass intake by something like 80%

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I have the oversize/draft flexible filly on my horse with a supersize head. I would leave him out 24/7 in it if he were out all the time - he's had no rubs from it and wears it quite happily.

View attachment 116405

Mine has a flexible filly muzzle but he’s got rubs all over his head - I’ve been slathering the inside of the head collar with Vaseline and that seems to have stopped the skin from breaking but he needs a break from it overnight in the starvation paddock. I wish he could keep it on 24/7 but his skin wouldn’t stand up to it

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Mine has a flexible filly muzzle but he’s got rubs all over his head - I’ve been slathering the inside of the head collar with Vaseline and that seems to have stopped the skin from breaking but he needs a break from it overnight in the starvation paddock. I wish he could keep it on 24/7 but his skin wouldn’t stand up to it

Vaseline can actually cause the friction to be worse as it conducts heat and must feel so uncomfortable against the skin, can't you get some sheepskin covers for your headcollar that should stop it rubbing.

 

[Nasicus]

Vaseline can actually cause the friction to be worse as it conducts heat and must feel so uncomfortable against the skin, can't you get some sheepskin covers for your headcollar that should stop it rubbing.

They do sell official ones for the FF Halter:

Thinline halter padding kit

This ThinLine Halter Padding Kit prevents rubs and is easy to clean and take care of. ThinLine is the best for the comfort of your horse.

www.comfyhorse.co.uk

ThinLine Halter Cheek Liners

The ThinLine halter cheek liners will make sure that your horse is most comfortable when wearing his halter, preventing rubs!

www.comfyhorse.co.uk

Not cheap though, and I suspect any other halter padding kit would do the job at a much lower cost!

 

[Muddy unicorn]

I’ve already got the Thinline pads and have tried merino pads as well - still rubs.

It rubs wherever the muzzle touches the skin - Vaseline or no Vaseline. He’s a very light grey and his face now has dark patches all over where the hair’s gone. It’s an improvement from the last muzzle we tried which broke the skin so badly within 24 hours it got infected, but it looks awful

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm sure my friend stuck the clear sticky patches you can buy for your shoes to stop blisters onto her muzzle to stop it rubbing and I think it did work but I think they do fall off eventually so maybe expensive to keep buying.