Someone slap me please!!!

Buds_mum

Buds_mum

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Actually just had a little cry to myself on the way home from the yard!!! Have left a VERY dejected looking horse behind in the field.

Reason.

I have given in and put his grazing muzzle on (kindly sold to me by lovely hhoer last year!)

He is being worked, built up slowly but due to splint/lack of off road riding, fast/calorie burning work is limited so although he is getting more toned and fit he isn't getting worked into the ground lol

Warm and wet weather here, you can hear the grass growing

He is too fat. And its limiting us, catch 22 as he's fat and unfit so can't use himself/or have the energy to use himself properly

I know he has the potential to look STUNNING as a trim boy

He is in at night, his soaked/double netted hay only lasts him an hour as it is and he only gets the very limit of hard feed for his supplement


So basically I KNOW its the grass that is putting/keeping weight on him, he eats and eats and I dont want him to spend the summer in a stable

Once the growth has stopped he can have it off again, however I still feel evil!!! :(:(:(

I feel so guilty!!!! He doesn't understand and looks like Hannibal Lector :(:(

Someone slap before I rush to take it off!!!

I am bringing him in at 6 so he just is having a couple of hours to get used to it...
 
Better muzzled than obese!! You've done the right thing for him. Next time he looks at you all sad, tell him to man up :p
 
*Big slap*!!

My horse stands there looking completely miserable and won't eat while I am in sight. I was so worried about him when I started using the muzzle as I didn't think he was eating, so I went back to the yard one day to take it off. Decided to park my car and walk up to the field and there he was munching away!

He still does it to this day. As soon as he hears my car approaching he stops eating and does the sad pathetic starved look!

Be strong!
 
*slap*

You ARE doing the right thing, you know you are. Olive has to have a bucket muzzle attached to a Greenguard head collar with all sorts of duct tape going on, it's the only way and it looks ferocious.

Totally forgot abut the trickle net... Do you still want it? Might be a bit to post but should slow him down xx
 
I know how you feel and can sympathise as had to put a muzzle on my son's New Forest last week.Felt so bad as he just kept looking at me but just kept telling myself its only for a couple of hours and he will get used to it.After 2 days he learnt how to work it out and is now up to 3 hours and perfectly happy.You are doing the right thing.
 
Sorry to hijack, but for those who use muzzles - can your horse eat short grass with it on? The grass in his field it getting rather short now as it is restricted grazing anyway, and I wonder if it at some point it will become too short for him to eat with it on?
 
Mine can eat shorter grass but is slightly harder work,I am conscious that if grass gets too short then they really are not getting much,I then change them to a field with slightly longer grass and just adjust there time for a few days.
 
Thanks for replies guys! After two hours of being muzzled he seemed to be nibbling on the shorter grass with some frustration but was being a dab hand at destroying the Hawthorne hedge.
Decided it is good for him, even though he wouldn't talk to me when I brought him in, too busy attacking net like a starved man!!

*billie that would be fab if your not using it? I will pay for it and postage!
 
Promise to remember to get it weighed tomorrow and let you know how much as they are bloomin' heavy. If you don't hear from me kick me up the arse because I am so forgetful! X
 
Haha me too Mrs don't worry!! Thank u, really appreciate it! (buddy doesn't, he will never forgive you ;)) xx
 
Would you rather he gets bullied by the other horses for having a spare tire ? hmm;)

You're being responsible and im sure he will get over it ( either that or tomorrow he will ave called the RSPCA on you :D) x
 
Hehe Abbie no one could laugh at his podgey belly its 'adorable :P pah.

He is furious with me, and not good at being peckish! Like his mum then lol!
 
Muzzle number 1 = zero hours, number 2 tomorrow with some deftly applied vetwrap.

My lad is a dab hand at hooking the side of the muzzle on anything and yanking it until it snaps at the join........he goes through a few a yr, the gate latches have to be wrapped in towels, the trough tap has to be wrapped up, the end of the trough has been put in a cage, etc etc etc and still he manages to hook it and snap.........haven't a clue what he did it on this morning but he looked most chuffed with himself with his muzzle necklace.....
 
I'm so glad I'm not the only one.

I had a sleepless night last night when I made the decision to muzzle our pony for the first time ever. She is just about the right weight and YO decided to move onto summer grazing, way to much grass for our pony so until there is not quite so much she needs restricting.

We have taught her to eat with it and now she is turned back out and I know I will be back at the crack of dawn to remove it, the laugh will be when I get there and she has removed it herself because I suspect she will become a Houdini.
 
You are doing absolutely the right thing - don't be tempted to take it off! My fattie (despite what he tells me when I put it on!) is soo much happier being able to go out 24/7 with a muzzle on rather than being shut in his stable at night and in the pig pen by day like he was last summer :eek: They do get used to it (even though they will sulk initially!) and my boy is in much better shape for it. So much better than being shut in a stable as he can get lots of exercise. All I do is take it off for a couple of hours so he can have a bit of hay in the stable or just go 2 hours in the field with it off so he doesn't get too hungry.

I've even bought one for my other horse who gets porky this time of year! He doesn't wear it for as long but it's so much better than letting them get fat.

ps trickle nets are great too - well worth the money.
 
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