Do peaople find that grazing muzzles help with laminitic horses?

[y03mylers]

question in the title, and how much would you say they helped x

[Skippys Mum]

They have turned my ponies lives around:). Took a bit of getting used to but once they got the hang of them they were great. I never leave them for more than 12 hours at a time in them though.

[BabyBear]

I've heard they can help and am looking into getting on for my boy - he's never had laminitis before but is HW with a large crest on his neck and gains weight by just looking at a blade of grass!:rolleyes:

I'm also going to be bringing him in everyday from about 12pm until 7pm to get him off the grass.

[MelanieD]

Works well for Roxy. She's not mega-sensitive but does get low grade laminitis and its so much easier to stick her muzzle on occasionally than to strip graze or keep her off grass. But I only have to use it occasionally, she can get very little through it and doesn't like wearing it at all so wouldn't be happy to have it on all the time.

[y03mylers]

I had one to stop my mare from eating the fence at old yard(everyone had to have one) although she didn't eat the fence anyway so was allowed out without it :D

But she and my other horse and plenty of other horses at the yard managed to take them off and i thought..
If i got PONY a muzzle when he comes as he is VERY prone to laminitis, what if i left him out for a few hours and he took it off and it set it off, i'd never forgive myself :confused: x

[scoobylover]

I bought one (shires) for Fagen and he has been wearing it for about a month now. He had one episode of lami 3 years ago, and I don't want a repeat. He wears it during the day on the lusher grazing and I bring him into a fenced off piece of grazing at night and take it off. This seems to be working quite well atm, He came out of winter looking quite porky, but certainly doesn't seem to have gained any more. He took to wearing it quite quickly, has also taken to being a bit of a sod to catch in the morning when he sees it!!

[keds mum]

I've been thinking about getting one for Monty as he is coming out of winter too fat, but not sure as my old horse who had a bout of laminitis for the first time in his life at 18 used to bang his head on the fence to get it off. In the end I didn't use it as I worried about leaving him with it on for any length of time. But lots of horses do benefit from them and put up with wearing them. If they prevent laminitis and they can be turned out rather than being in then they are a godsend. Depends which one you use and whether your pony is accepting of it.

[scoob&lill]

Billy has a shires one and if he didnt have it he wouldnt be able to go out with his pals in the field!He manages just fine with it and it definately helps keep an eye on the amount of spring grass he gets,even though he's out 12 hours aday!
x

[touchstone]

I found that my horse reacted really badly to muzzling, got very stressed even when it was introduced gradually. After a few hours she managed to completely trash her muzzle and I ended up using electric fencing which kept her much happier.
If that isnt' an option though I'd think muzzling is better than being stood in a stable for long periods of time.

[Bouncer]

Hi
I tried a muzzle on my welsh cob when he was out in a field with grass, he did not appreciate it and decided to make it his personal mission to remove it. Since he has his laminitis he has been carefully monitored and is able to graze on a managed field rather than restricting his grazing
:)

[nemolucy]

My stable buddy was goin' to use one. But she used devils relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

[jazzybear]

I put mine in one last summer. Whilst they werent totally up for the whole plan, after an hour or so, they accepted it and just carried on.

Only thing i did need to do was put vaseline on their chins to stop it rubbing x

[kturner]

I had to start my pony on a grazing muzzel last year after his 5th bout of laminitis. Someone else was giving them 2 wheelbarrow loads of haylage at 6am every morning. The owner knew he was not allowed any, but ignored that and said only hers would eat it, as she was boss mare. My little guy was always standing with her as he was the smallest in the herd at 11.2 others were all 14.2 16.3. As she allowed him to eat with her, he went down with it again.

His first experience of a grazing muzzel, we put it on everyday, plastic one on normal head collar. We had a one or two hour fight everyday, not even getting to the field. When we did get him outside with it, he was extremely pannicky. Rubbing it everywhere, tried to drown himself getting it off in the water bath. I had to pull his head out the water (lead rope still on incase he ran off panicking). I was in tears and exhausted everyday.

Someone told me about the webbing one with rubber at the bottom. Uses velcro and no head collar as that was a worry as well. I cut a bigger hole in the bottom so he could get more, and put on a dog harness with PLASTIC cllips on top, as he soon worked out how to get it off.

Harness works very well. He loves his muzzel. No problem from day one. Tried it in the stable first, he dived into his dengie before I could get it off, and ate with it on. Hay as well. I dont do this everyday, but when given dengie, he took to it straight away.

If you find one muzzel doesnt work try another. I think because it is canvas and not hard plastic it doesnt bother him. He knows he has to have it to go out in summer, and puts himself straight in it to get out quicker!!! First plastic one was £33.50, gave it away. Second one, £10, webbing

[joey_olop]

Flair wore one all last summer & if it wernt for the muzzle she would have had laminitis(she was showing signs of LGL before we put the muzzle on her)
As much as she doesnt like it I would rather do it for her own good her own good :)