# Grazing Muzzles, 24/7, when raining, what do you do?



## Janee (23 May 2014)

Fat pony is starting to put on weight.  Currently muzzled and out 6pm to 8am ( I know recomended to muzzle day and graze night but logistics mean can't do that) grazes no muzzle 8am to 2pm, stables and exercise 2pm to 6pm. She is in light work probably 5 days a week.

2 points I am thinking about
a) could I muzzle her for longer because we (her and I) prefer out rather than in. those who muzzle 24/7 how do you feel about that?
b) it has rained heavily and forcaste that it will continue for a while, I left her muzzle of last night because felt might rub her raw, what are you opinions on muzzles in these conditions?

Any thoughts and suggestions appreciated


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## dilbert (23 May 2014)

I've had to muzzle my boy 24/7 following moving yards and one serious episode and a few rumbles of grass colic over a few week period. I hate it ( hes also currently in a v small paddock) but he is eating fine ( grass and hay in field) and his weight looks good. I do bring him in very morning for a quick feed and munch and whenever I can let him have a graze in hand or time in his stable without it. Vets orders are it is to stay on and at the moment I daren't risk otherwise.


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## Janee (23 May 2014)

Thanks dilbert, does the rain make the muzzle rub him more?


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## morbox (23 May 2014)

I too have one muzzled 24/7 - an 11.2hh chronic laminitic. It is the only way I dare let her have any grass in the growing season. This way she is out with my 2 horses and not confined to a restricted area.

It really does depend on the horse/pony. Mine has adapted brilliantly to the muzzle and is very good at grazing the short grass through it and luckily it doesn't rub. I fit it loosely and then tie a portion of mane and forelock together over the headpiece. The only problem in the wet is that the muzzle gets full of mud as she sifts the ground for grass! She comes in once a day for the muzzle to be washed and for a feed. She can also efficiently eat hay through the muzzle. At the moment she has lost weight (which is good) 

On the other hand when I've had to muzzle one of my horses I had to adapt the muzzle as it did rub her. The thing I really hate is the muzzles in the heat - I was thinking about trying a dinky's muzzle as they have the nostrils uncovered. At the moment I have a shires delux for the pony which has padding around the noseband part and protectors under the headpiece and throat strap. There is also more space under the chin.

You may find it takes a bit of experimenting and is ultimately down to the temperament of your pony eg his determination to get the muzzle off or his ability to just "get on with it!"

Good luck!


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## Janee (23 May 2014)

Thanks morbox, I have the Shires Delux, it rubbed her chin and lower cheekbones, but I think the skin is getting used to it now, she seems to be a "just get on with it" type so might extend the length of wear whilst grass in growing so well and is very lush.  Need to stop the weight gain, done so well upto now.


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## jackscrag (23 May 2014)

8 - 2pm is the worst time to leave un- muzzled as this is when the fructan level of grass is at its highest. I had my boy muzzled 24/7 last year and he still gained weight, despite exercise :-( 
So this year he's in during day on soaked hay and out at night in his muzzle, i bought a dinky muzzle this year, as he can eat grass like spagetti in his shires, even with the small hole !  But, its 3 weeks into turnout and he's nearly eaten his way through the dinky muzzzle. Cant afford to keep replacing it every 3 weeks ! He hasnt gained any weight so far, so am pleased. 
They are such hard work walking hoovers !! Sadly no bare paddocks on my yard, i do feel same worrying.
Have jus got the shires deluxe and like you worrying when its raining, but so far no rubs.
All other horses on yard out 24/7, i feel awful bringing him in during the day, but im lucky he's fine with it, although know alot arnt.


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## STRIKER (23 May 2014)

Sadly the short grass is the one thats full of fructan, rather no grass at this time of year and just hay in a bare area and no muzzle, then turn out muzzled when grass stops growing, 10am to 8pm is the worst time for fructans.

if he is eating through the muzzle that quick just think of the damage to his teeth, did you say he did come in for a meal to keep his insides working daily, i still feel horses searching for scrub they still get a mouthful of food regularly whilst muzzling they are getting such limited amounts are they healthy, i would rather stable for part of the day than have to use a muzzle just my opinion, reduces colic, ulcers, stress which assists in holding on to weight


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## SO1 (23 May 2014)

My pony is muzzled all the time he is in the field and he lives out. He comes up to the yard every day as is ridden or lunged every day and has his balancer to make sure he gets his vits and min and I also give him a bit of hay that is soaked for 24 hours.

I don't think the rain makes his muzzle rubs any more than normal, after there has been rain the grass often grows and is lush so even more dangerous so always leave on. I would rather a sore nose than sore hooves.


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## Janee (24 May 2014)

Thank you everyone. 
I know that grass is at its worst during daylight that is why I am exploring idea of muzzle always whilst out, the grass is plentyful and the yard owner keeps opening up more of the field.  I want her to be out grazing as much as possible as all her friends are out (skinny TBs), she is happy to let me put the muzzle on, so she mustn't hate it (I do hate it, but dread her getting lami and think muzzle is the lesser of 2 evils lol).  We don't have a bare paddock, the grass in the lami paddock is longer than the "normal" field and the people with the lami ponies are terrified to put out at all.


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## SO1 (24 May 2014)

I think it is difficult as being stabled for long periods with nothing to eat is not good for them either and you wont be able to give lots of hay whilst in as that won't help with weight loss either, whilst they are stabled they are standing inactive and it must be quite boring for them if their friends are out and they don't have anything to eat, at least if they are out they are moving about and trickle grazing with their muzzle on and with their friends so less boring.

I think neither option is perfect but you want to make your priority to prevent your pony from getting laminitis and if your pony is relaxed wearing her muzzle and enjoys being in the field with the others then I would chose that option rather than being stuck in the stable in active.

I read that in 3 hours a pony on good grazing could eat it recommended daily allowance of grass so you do need to be careful as a greedy ponies may not get full up and could eat huge amounts in quite short periods of time.


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## Janee (25 May 2014)

Thanks SO1 your thinking along the same lines as me, "neither option perfect"
I am obsessed with weight tape at moment, and using that to try and find optimum grazing time, yesterday she had 4 Hours muzzle free grazing and she did not bloat like she has been doing with the 6 hours grazing, but during the week I struggle to get to the field mid morning but I think the 2 hour reduction did make a big difference. aarrrgggg if only we didn't have to fit work around our ponies lol


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## flojo (25 May 2014)

My horse is grazed in a Dinky muzzle...the only one I've tried over the years that hasn't rubbed him raw.
There is no point in using a muzzle 'part time' with a pony out 24/7, the pony will just make up for lost time as soon as the muzzle is removed.
Manufacturers of all the muzzles I've tried have all stated that muzzles should NOT be left on 24 hours a day however as they seriously restrict the amount of fibre intake and so can lead to colic. If you don't have access to a bare paddock/arena or are not allowed to 'strip graze' then the pony should be stabled with a net of hay soaked for at least 12 hours to remove as much water-soluble carbohydrates (sugars) as possible but allowing the pony the fibre it needs for a healthy digestive system.


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## ester (25 May 2014)

We started with a dinky but like jackscrag's has munched his way through it rather quickly (although the totally munched one still slows him down if I use baler twine to link it together.   he now has a shires deluxe one too and has worn both in very wet conditions. He is out about 8pm to 7am muzzled and in with hay during the day. He eats less with the shires one and wouldn't eat enough fibre to have it on all the time with no extra hay - they reckon 70-80% reduced intake iirc.  He has never had lami but is a welsh barefoot good doer . The velcro on the shires one seems a bit more inclined to separate so I do have some elastic bands on it (I took off the bands that came with it because I thought they were packaging... 

Before this year when we are on a new yard we used a track system which also worked very well.


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## dilbert (25 May 2014)

Hi, I've not noticed any difference in rubbing if it rains. Mine can eat hay through the muzzle so I'm just chucking a few slices out in his field to make sure he gets enough fibre


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## nikkimariet (25 May 2014)

Poor Bruce has had to keep his muzzle on whilst out at all times. It's for the better and his weight looks spot on.

We have padded the chin area of his out with sheepskin and vet wrap to avoid rubs.


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