Too early for a grazing muzzle?

[Laura2013]

Just wondering if anyone had started using a grazing muzzle yet? I need to start restricting my horses grass intake. I can swap him to overnight turnout but he won't then have any contact with other horses until they are allowed out 24/7, which may not be for several months.

If anyone does use a muzzle at this time of year whilst the grass is still short, is there a particular type that works best? I am thinking either the greenguard or dinky rugs one is most likely to be comfortable and allow him still to eat a bit.

 

[Honey08]

Nope, not too early. I even know someone that uses them in the stable to slow the horse down with his hay. If anything, they work better with shorter grass, its long grass they struggle with as it won't poke through as well. I use the Shires ones.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Tiny Fuzzy has been wearing hers in the daytime for the past week, there is lots of green shoots coming through.
Brought down to a bare paddock with a bit of hay overnight, she needs to lose weight already......

 

[CobsGalore]

No definitely not too early. I haven't started using mine yet, but wouldn't hesitate starting to use it if I needed to.

I use the Shires one.

My horse can eat both long and short grass with his. Make sure the grass isn't too short though, it needs to be long enough to poke through the hole.

 

[maxine1985]

Been very lucky with grazing at my yard and there are 3 ponies that have been in grazing muzzles every day this winter and they look perfect condition!

 

[now_loves_mares]

I have a Shetland with EMS and she has worn it during the day all winter (soaked hay at night). It's been so mild grass has been growing throughout a lot of winter.

 

[Shysmum]

Shy's been sporting his for two weeks now. The grass is growing !

 

[PolarSkye]

The grass is definitely growing, so . . . no, not too early .

P

 

[Birker2020]

Just wondering if anyone had started using a grazing muzzle yet? I need to start restricting my horses grass intake. I can swap him to overnight turnout but he won't then have any contact with other horses until they are allowed out 24/7, which may not be for several months.

If anyone does use a muzzle at this time of year whilst the grass is still short, is there a particular type that works best? I am thinking either the greenguard or dinky rugs one is most likely to be comfortable and allow him still to eat a bit.

Just be aware, with my extremely colic prone horse (who isn't so much at the moment but was some six or seven years ago) I had problems with a grazing muzzle. He would spend half a day with a muzzle on, then manage to lose it by getting his friends to rub it off him, or rubbing it off himself over the fence and then gorge and get colic as a result of the gorging.

Far better to reduce intake by reducing the number of hours out at grass or by the use of electric fencing.

My horse was quite loose with his droppings last night and very gassy and bloated so I knew the grass had already had an effect on him. My solution? Up his intake of pink powder and reduce his hours.

 

[Fransurrey]

If you're worried about him not being able to eat the short grass, you could always put some hay/haylage out. I use a Best Friend style muzzle on Henry when I need to, and he eats hay quite happily through it, slowed down considerably. I mostly restrict with fencing, now, but I use the above method when we have sunny/showery days and I can't walk the fence back for my EMS pony.