What sort of turn out do your cushings horses get?

[nativepony]

My NF mare was diagnosed with cushings a year ago and is on 2mg pergolide a day. I treat her pretty much as normal, she is ridden most days and is turned out with the other horses daily in a "normal" field.

I just wondered how many of you (and whether I should be!) muzzle your cushings horses and/or really restrict their turnout, either by really limiting the time they are out or turning out on bare paddocks? The reason I ask is I was wondering if I have just got away with being lucky by turning her out like I do - she's not on lush grazing and at the moment is out for no more than 4 hours a day but she's not muzzled. She'd be miserable being out on her own so I have to turn her out with the others but do you think I should either be muzzling or restricting grass/turnout even more?

Sorry, all a bit long winded but hopefully you've got the general idea of what I'm trying to ask!!! ;-)

Also in lounge

 

[goldypops]

Hi, my mare was diagnosed early this year and is on 1mg pergolide. I have managed to build her time up to 7am-9pm! and she seems fine. She is on a track system grazing with 3 others and the ground looks bare (one of the others is overweight so it cant be that bare!!!). Ideally I would like to get her out 24/7 like she is used to but I think I have probably only got away with it building up to 14hrs due to us having no rain for nearly 2 months so the ground is parched and dry. I am sure that when the rain comes this weekend she will have to go back down in grazing hours.
Probably muzzling would be the way to go with yours so that she can have the maximum time out or could you make a small pen inside the others field for her so she had comapny but not the grass??
Unfortunately from what I have gathered it is a condition that requires constant monitoring and re-adjusting of the daily management to match changing grass conditions and how the horse is doing.

 

[Britestar]

Mine is 29 next week, and is on 500mcg daily. She's out 18hrs a day in the summer, on poor grazing with her friends (who suffer from being fatties!). Works for her, but I will add she has never had the 'L' word, so I think that helps. On the odd occasion - yukky weather, she stays in at night.

 

[Zuzzie]

My 24 year old 17hh gelding is ridden everyday and looks fab. He is on 1mg per day and is turned out every afternoon until 5 pm. I will increase this turnout so that he stays out until 7pm. I would not turn him out on lush grass but have no qualms about him having access to fair grazing.
My old horse (pts when he was 30) had Cushings for years and was on 250mcg per day and had adlib turnout with no restrictions. I am convinced that the Pergolide helped keep laminitis at bay.