To muzzle or not to muzzle

[SamandMonty]

Hi guys.

Looking for some help and advice please.
Have 2 slightly podgy ponies, well a podgy pony and podgy horse who thinks he's a pony. Light pone had laminitis earlier in the year and is now muzzled with a Greenguard and is getting on really well with it. Weight beginning to come off very nicely and shes back into work which is fab

My dilemma is do I muzzle the big podgy thing. He is about 50kg overweight. He is on very little feed, handful of chaff, and cup of A and P hacking mix (tried taking him off it and he went flat and died on me.. needs this to keep his energy levels up, and have tried cool mixes to same effect) He is living on fresh air!! Worked hard 3/4 times a week (45min/hour lesson once a week and 2/3 really good schooling/jumping sessions too) and hacks the rest. I cant not get weight off him. He is even on NAF Slimline to try and help. Muzzling is my last resort however, tried small podgy things on him for a couple of hours and all he did was stand in the corner and sulk. I admit a couple of hours not eatting didn't harm him but would he get used to it? Cant stable him as he box walks and would trash his box or legs.

Probably being over concerned but he is my baby and i do molly coddle him slightly.. not in over feeding but just general love!! So asking for advise/ previous experiences.

Sorry for long post.. choc chip cookies for anyone getting this far!!

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

Mine now have muzzles on as they have gone onto my friend's lush paddock today from my grazed to the dirt paddock.

My good doer TB is used to them and took to it straight away, but the first time I put one on the Welshie, he sulked for a few hours and just tried to get it off. Now it just gets on with it as he's decided that eating a little bit of grass is better than eating none and sulking!

 

[bryngelenponies]

My welshie did the same thing as sidesaddlegirl's welshie- sulked for a bit but then decided that some grass was better than none. When I first put the muzzle on I did have to spend some time teaching her that she could still eat with it on- pushing grass through it etc. Even now when I put it on she sulks a bit but 10 mins later and when I look outside she's happily tucking away at grass (she can not even eat hay off the floor with it!) I'm really pleased with my muzzle because without it I'd have serious problems- even wintering out 24/7 with a slice of hay, a handful of chaff and no rug she only lost a small amount of weight!

 

[SamandMonty]

Thanks guys.. guess i'm just soft on him really.. especially when he puts his poor abused pony face on... think muzzle will be the way to go.. am watching a couple on ebay so fingers crossed.. just dont quite no were to go if this doesn't work!!

 

[ElleSkywalker]

One of my ponies is rather fat, she wintered out rugless with no feed, and didn't loose any weight. She is stabled in the day and was a bit pottery the other night when going out do she now has a muzzle on when she is out (12 hours over night).

She HATES it, and spends all night sulking and pacing round in a most annoyed manner, so I am loving the muzzle, as firstly it is restricting her grass intake and secondly because she is excercising herself beautifully because of it!