Please Help, Pony Starving Himself!

[Bubblepony]

We have a big problem with a pony on our yard, we are trying to prevent him from putting on weight as he is a bit tubby but he is so unbelievably stubborn about his grazing muzzle that he starves himself with it on. He is out 24/7 and has the muzzle on for 6 hours during the day and he REFUSES to even attempt to graze with it on. We have tried all sorts of grazing muzzles and he just sulks for the entire duration of having them on.

We have tried stabling him for the day instead but he just calls over the door and refuses to touch his hay and just yearns to be out in the field again. WHAT CAN WE DO?! Is it really dangerous for him to not eat anything for 6 hours? I know they are trickle feeders and that it is dangerous to starve them but is 6 hours a worrying time? Should we put the grazing muzzle on for less time?

[LokiSofi]

Are you able to put him in a concrete pen or in a very bare field with some hay at all?

[Bubblepony]

No, we don't have those facilities. Is 6 hours too long??? I think that is what we need to work out!

[martini55]

If he is starving for 6 hours then he is going to go out and gorge himself on the grass so I doubt it will do him any good at all. Can you not fence off a small area of the field (or if you have an arena, even better) and pop him in there with a companion?

[Bubblepony]

We don't have an arena and there is not actually an awful lot of grass in the field, its a small field. Really the options are to take the muzzle off all together or limit the time it is on.

[Frances]

tethering? I hate it, I know, but you don't seem to have many options here.

If you do go down that route, make sure he always has access to water. Put the bucket where he can't kick it over, but can reach it.

Good luck

Blasted animals, eh?

Fx

[redcomet]

it can be dangerous if they dont eat for LONG periods of time as they release fat into the bloodstream, but i am sure if hes really hungry, he will eat. holly did the same at first. try putting a little chaff in the bottom of the muzzle to encourage him, and make sure the muzzle is a good fit. i got my dartmoor a cob size so she has more room in it and it doesnt rub anywhere. perhaps leave it on for 24hrs. ponies r v greedy little blighters and im sure he must sneek a few mouthfulls in wen no one is looking!

[NoviceNic]

Is this the first time he has worn a muzzle??? I used to put the muzzle on my daughters shetland. She used to just stand there looking all sorry for herself. Refusing to eat etc. But at the end of the day there was blades of grass in the bottom. So the minute my back was turned she grazed....:rolleyes:

[nutkin]

it may be because as you have said the grass is short that your pony cannot actually get any grass up through the muzzle so therefore cannot be bothered to waste the energy trying.Grazing muzzles are designed so that they can only pull through the slightly longer bits of grass in smaller amounts.

[Marusenka]

Can you bring him in at night and put him out in the day for a while with the muzzle on and then take it off for a bit and maybe get someone else to put it back on so he is not totally starving himself nor gorging himself too much?

Are there any horses he can be in with so he will stop calling out? If it is such a small field with not much grass then there's not much else you can do but bring him in or limit his grass even further if he is still putting on weight!

As far as i know it is not dangerous for them not to eat for 6 hours (although he probably is eating something)- my boy comes in over night in an attempt to get his weight down and he has some dinner but then doesn't eat all night (about 12 hours he is in)- he won't touch the hay/ haylege or anything as he just is not hungry from stuffing himself all day- he comes in, goes to sleep and then just waits for me to turn him out- perhaps your guy is just eating all the rest of the time so is quite happy to wait until the muzzle comes off! Doesn't help with their weight loss though- sadly my little guy is now facing muzzling during the day and coming in at night because even with loads of exercise he is just not shifting the weight!

[puzzles]

it may be because as you have said the grass is short that your pony cannot actually get any grass up through the muzzle so therefore cannot be bothered to waste the energy trying.Grazing muzzles are designed so that they can only pull through the slightly longer bits of grass in smaller amounts.

Ditto. :rolleyes: Horse simply don't think to be stubbborn about starving themselves just to prove a point - that is very 'human' thinking! :p

[Joyscarer]

I'm just wondering if he is the only one in a muzzle? Would it be possible to pop him out with another horse with a grazing muzzle on so he can see that it is possibe to graze. That's saying the grass is long enough for him to be able to get some. :)

[Bubblepony]

Ditto. :rolleyes: Horse simply don't think to be stubbborn about starving themselves just to prove a point - that is very 'human' thinking! :p

He immediately pulls a gutted face when you put the muzzle on and even when you stuff handfulls of grass in the hole to show him it is possible he turns his nose up at it. If you saw this ponys face youd know he was saying 'this is not on, screw you! The grass is long enough for him to get some strands in through the muzzle and he knows he can do it but he point blank refuses, its as simple as that. Of course he is not doing it to 'proove a point' but he is clearly very stubborn about the muzzle and if he gets very hungry he STLL doesn't attempt to graze but rather rubs the muzzle franticaly to get it off.

[teddypony]

A horse at my yard has recently been diagnosed with liver damage and has been put on steriods, as she is was a slightly overweight cob there is always the risk of lami so the vet told her owner to put her out at night, in a small field with relatively short grass , and stable her during the day, for around 8hrs, with just plenty of water no hay or haylage. This seems to have worked really well with her, she is full from the night so we have found she is happy to be in her stable, and basically sleep during the day, happy with a full belly. She has dropped weight but is definately not underweight. Hope this helps, i think 6hrs would be absolutely fine with a muzzle on in a field, it would be the same sort of thing, except no stable.

[puzzles]

:-O sorry, but I can't believe a vet recommended that!

Yes, I suppose if she was seriously overweight/in danger, but horses are never 'full'. When they eat they only half-fill their rugby ball-sized stomachs, and long periods of time without food cause more problems than bargained for. :-/

xxx

[janette carter]

I think the issue of length of grass and grazing muzzles is something to bear in mind - I've been meaning to post before on this. I've used a Greenguard on my mare several years running and this spring for the first time it rubbed her badly. I put it on again last month when turning out onto longer grass first couple of weeks or so it was fine then as the grass length went down it started rubbing again.

Both times she wore it for limited periods during the day not 24/7. I think she is just so desperate to eat she didn't care what force she used to get the grass. There again a typical haflinger food motto "no pain no gain". Seriously though I think I am on a learning curve with this problem and is something to bear in mind when using muzzles. Suppose it's obvious when you think about it:o.

[H & Bailey]

I wouldnt fret too much Bruno does exactly the same and sulks or rubs the muzzle along the floor sneezing.
All i did was take it off for a couple of hours for grass,then muzzle.he had a compound area (as i dont have a stable as such) and fetched him in on a night and gave a chaff feed with his supplements and a net of hay.
now the grass is dying back i am turning out most days for 4-5 hours on the rubbish grass and fetching back in the winter field and put out hay.
If they are in the better grass fields they only go out for 3-4 hours and next day i tend to keep in the winter paddock with hay and feed only.
as mine had laminitus im over cautious and am pulse feeling all the time to judge if they are ok.does your pony have a pal in the stable next door when shut in?if not get a horsey mirror for company.

[Bubblepony]

We percevered and now he is eating with his muzzle on! FINALLY!!!! :D

[puzzles]

Yay! :-D

xx