*panic stations* Grass...

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bex1984

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OK, time for me to panic: I think the grass is growing.

The field Murphy is in seems to be slightly greener than it was, and the council were out mowing the grass in the park I walk through on my way home...

...and I've just looked back at old pics and realised just how fat Murphy did get in April and May last year *gulp*

So he's been on his diet all winter and has lost quite a bit of weight but I am terrified about him putting it back on
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He can remove grazing muzzles, so he'll have to have a piggy paddock. Am I going to look like an obsessively paranoid owner if I ask for one now? I know it's only March but I'm worrying
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Has anyone else started restricting grazing yet?

I'm sort of dreading it because it means he'll be on his own and I feel sorry for him spending months in a field on his own when he's been out with a herd, but it has to be done
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and it means I have to poo pick
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And I'm also worried he'll trash a small paddock if I put him out in it now...

Please tell me I'm not the only one panicking at the idea of the grass growing?

When do I start restricting his grazing?
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Lol we're still putting big bales of hay out at the moment and hoping the grass will grow a bit quicker!

We've 2 very skinny TB and TBx mares amoung our bunch and those 2 especially could definitely do with the grass to put some weight on! The others are at nice weight so could do with them staying put.
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Can you send some of the grass up North? I've got the opposite problem in that my chap just drops weight at this point of year even with ad-lib hay and three meals a day. He can have as much grass as he can possibly eat - roll on Spring and summer!
 
Mine is thankfully still out on the winter half of the field which is so trashed that there's not a lot of grass coming through. The rested half of the field is starting to look a bit greener though and when she goes out on that (in about a month's time) she will be wearing a greenguard muzzle 24/7. Have you tried a greenguard? If you use them with the special headcollar they are nigh on impossible to remove!

You're not alone, I am dreading her moving into the other half because even with the muzzle on I know she will gain weight.
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This is despite hard exercise 5 days a week or more and filling her up on well-soaked hay twice a day to try and curb her appetite for grass!
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No, you're not the only one panicking about grass, both of mine will start wearing their muzzles again shortly. Personally I wouldn't be happy turning mine out in a tiny paddock on his/her own. I think horses need room to run and also be able to interact with other horses. Luckily mine keep their muzzles on if I put their fly fringes over the top (well mostly) I also have a spare muzzle for each of them.
 
No, you are right, it is indeed growing & has been for a while. My pony has been muzzled & strip grazed all winter, & is nice & lean currently. In order to stop her removing her muzzle, I have tied it to a head collar, works a treat, but be careful there is nothing he can catch it on if you do this, before you all pounce on me!!
 
I've just noticed the same thing, I expect mine will be back on restricted grazing in a couple of weeks time
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Both of mine are restricted but the shettie has a tiny patch and a low fence so my welsh cob can get more grazing but jumps in and out to visit his mate!
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Are none of the others on your yard going to need restricted grazing ?
 
There's quite a few that have restricted grazing, but not sure they'll be doing it yet. I was wondering about asking the YO if Murphy could share a piggy paddock with another pony because he will probably need to be on restricted grazing all summer.

He was on restricted grazing last year, not in a tiny little paddock but just a small-ish one, it was just the right size beause he couldn't eat too much, but had enough space and food to keep him busy and he lost weight in there - until all the rain we had in July turned it in to a mud bath.

Am quite new at the yard I'm at now, and don't really know anyone so feel a bit awkward asking about it all.

I still don't know how he was taking his muzzle off - he was waiting until no one was around and then taking it off
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I would ask your YO as there may be someone else who would like restricted grazing.

My cob has always managed to get muzzles off headcollar or no headocollar so that's never been an option for me either.
 
My lad is the same as you know...lost some weight over winter but could put it all back on in 2 weeks if I am not careful! He will be off his grass by April and put onto his smaller paddock that has nothing much on it and hay. He lives on his own all year so not too bad for him but he will not be happy going from 2 and a half acres to about half an acre in one fell swoop! But I would rather that then him getting laminitis any day. I want my lad to be healthy and happy and if that means being a bit tough then so be it!
 
clever little monsters aren't they? I think I'll ask YO about it next time I see him...maybe Murphy could have a little fatty pony friend for the summer!! I'm just worried they'll think I'm a bit obsessive for asking for restricted grazing in March!!
 
They don't like to make life too easy for us that's for sure!

I think it's sensible to think of it now, it's almost April anyway
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Its definitely growing in East Anglia - TBx out on big field to put on weight. Welsh A has been on small bare paddock all winter and I have noticed that she is actually starting to graze on it (she didnt really bother much over winter) so something must be coming through and it must be nice! Am paranoid about the TBx getting lami (only had her a month) and convinced she is going to come down with it even though I have had a number of different horses on the same field and not even thought about lami! ((( big sigh )) once a lami owner, always a lami owner!
 
Lol you think you have problems with a horse that removes his mask. I have a pony thats prone to lami, I have tried every grazing mask possible, he has removed them all, and starvation paddocks, pfft! Hes jumped out of fences which are at least 3' tall, and failing that he will just push! Hates being stabled... Apprently he wants more grass now (hes jumped out the field the last two days) but hes not having it, put hay in the field tonight, he barely looked at it, so hes obviously not hungry! not sure what ill try as far as restriction this year though...
 
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