Buttercups, nettles and muzzles

[alwaysfallingof]

Max has been turned out at night with a muzzle on for a week now. He's been developing some little sores on his nose, and I'm almost completely sure that the muzzle isn't rubbing. I showed them to someone at the yard and they said that it looked as though he's been eating stinging nettles. However, his field is *full* of buttercups, and is it possible that because the muzzle only has a hole in the middle, that buttercups are coming through the hole and causing the reaction, because I can't see how he can get grass without buttercups with it on. He could also be trying to get the long grass around the perimeters of the field that have nettles in.
So...I've kept him in tonight, and am going to wait until his nose is better again. Then should I turn him out without a muzzle so he can avoid the buttercups, or with a muzzle to restrict his grass intake? The field is big enough that he should be able to eat around the buttercups if given free use of his nose/upper lip, and spraying the buttercups is not an option.

[notpoodle]

what is it with North London and Buttercups?! we've got quite a few as well :rolleyes:

not sure about the muzzle thing unfortunately.

julia
x

[Zingy]

Personally I'd still turnout with a muzzle as the effects of too much grazing are likely to be more significant than the reaction to buttercups. You could try putting something like sudacrem on his top lip - it might help stop the reaction. Buttercups are a pain in the **** My field is full of them and I can't get rid of them either :(

Another option, which is a compromise on both counts - have you thought about turning out in a bridle? Have done it with mine before as it restricts grazing to an extent, though not as much as a muzzle. Get a really cheap leather second hand bridle (no noseband) and use something like a nylon or rubber straight snaffle bit (not jointed). Only thing you need to be careful of is that the bit doesn't rub the corners of the mouth, so put vaseline or something on them.

[Bebe]

Definitely sounds like a reaction to buttercups. A smear of vaseline or nappy cream on his nose before the muzzle goes on should help.

[zola is gr8]

that has happened to my pony so we put some silk around her muzzle to stop the rubbing and it works. does he go out with a headcollar on aswell??

[Dales_Lover]

We've just sprayed out top hay field full buttercups - the little horrors are all dead :D

What muzzle has he got on? It is probably that he can't eat the grass without the buttercups too - I doubt it would be nettles as mine loves them in the summer and has never had any rash or rubbing.

Instead can you not stable him through the day and leave the muzzle off at night? Or vice versa?

[alwaysfallingof]

I've kept him in until all the sores went away. I've turned him out muzzle-less tonight, just to check that it was that that caused it.
Dales_Lover, it's a shires muzzle, it basically has a hole in the bottom about the size of a £2 coin (hoping you're from UK) that grass, and I think buttercups :rolleyes: can poke through.
He is already stabled during the day, but was still putting on weight and getting bloated even from just night turnout.

[Zingy]

We've just sprayed out top hay field full buttercups - the little horrors are all dead :D


What have you sprayed with? I've got 5 acres of them I can't get rid of, but need to find something you don't need a licence for for spraying :(