When do i take her muzzle off?

[SilverSkye]

Question as per title, quick background, mare diagnosed with laminitus in hinds only just before Christmas last year, xrays showed no rotation so caught it early.
Due to fat deposits vet suspected EMS however we didnt test and she didn't medicate and horse recovered well and with a low sugar diet and soaked hay has thrived and is now a healthy weight if anything a tad lean for the time of year.
Out daily from seven am till about three pm with a muzzle, i am now wondering how i go about taking her muzzle off and when or if it is safe to even think about?
Concerned that if i start taking it off for an hour in the afternoon she is just going to stuff herself for an hour but in the same way don't feel confident to just take it off all day.
Grazing is reasonably well grazed down now but certainly not bald, out with two others, one muzzled and one not.
Any advise or words of wisdom?

 

[Daisy2]

Only you know best however I would leave it on and keep with your regime and wait until we really get into winter. Your routine is almost the same as mine however I have now started to leave them out 24/7 muzzled with time off twice a day while I poo pick and they eat soaked hay, that way they are still getting enough fibre, out as often as poss and also the grass is being eaten down more quickly so that when I do let them off altogether its pretty much eaten down. Mine are very good good doers mind and eat more than I would like them to even with the muzzle on. Watch out for the hole getting bigger

 

[Nudibranch]

It's a tricky one, and frosty mornings can be dangerous. My vet reckons last Christmas was dreadful for cases of laminitis. Keep an eye on the verges to compare grass growth - it can be hard to tell when they're eating it constantly.

Mine is unmuzzled and in her diet paddock 24/7; I've increased the size quite a lot recently and she has been completely sound (she's Cushings) but then again, up here the grass is always quite poor so we're lucky. Make sure you're giving adequate minerals, especially salt and magnesium, this helps a lot.

 

[SilverSkye]

Thanks guys, its just so difficult when everything is fine to rock the boat and risk things going pear shaped. She wears a greenguard muzzle and actually doesn't seem to mind it at all, however she is now desperate to come in and is coming in hungry, think for now i will have a swap around with her feeds and increase her breakfast and increase her early morning hay she has before she goes out, and then once we get into November time be brave and start bit by bit taking it off.
Hoping i have got the vitamins and minerals covered, she has one kilo of fast fibre a day and i also add half a ration of a vitamin supplement just to be sure and then i feed micronised linseed and mag ox as well.
Thanks again