Minis Mad about Muzzles Club

[Trenna]

I have two new members. First we run around and see if they will get lost in the wind. Then we rub them on the ground to see if they will go away.

Very frustrating to a mini! Even cellphones are more interesting!

 

[Mona]

They'll never LIKE them, but they will get used to them and learn to tolerate them.

 

[Marty]

I am completely against putting a muzzle on a horse. I think it is way too unnatural. If over grazing was a problem, I'd provide a dry lot but I would never resort to a muzzle.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

You are a raconteur!

I've pondered the dilemma myself before: out and about to move around with a muzzle, or standing bored in a dry lot. Let us know how it works out for you and them.

 

[Minimor]

I dislike muzzles & will not own one. Luckily, I guess, I have a few acres of pasture that does not amount to much, so the horses can be out with some space to move around, they can pick a little bit of green, and there is no danger of them over eating on lush grass.

 

[Mona]

Holly, those types of pastures (I have one!!) are/can be the worst type. I always thought because the pasture was short, it was safe, BUT, I have since learned that an overgrazed pasture can be worsen than a lush pasture. It all depends on why you have to worry about it. It is the starch/sugar that affects the IR/Cushings horses and causes them to founder. Stressed pastures are VERY high in that department. What I am trying to say, is it's not just overeating on lush pastures that are/can be the problem. I would much rather have my horses loose in their huge pasture, being horses, moving around and picking at the grass than to have one confined from the rest.

 

[Minimor]

Mona--I have horses that do perfectly fine on this pasture but could not go out on lush pasture-- they would be lame within 3 days, no doubt about it--we are very sandy here so grass is sparse at the best of times. Even my good pasture is not real lush. My everyday pasture isn't just stressed, it is pretty much finished and has been for years. The horses get free choice hay all year round

 

[bevann]

My feeling about many issues regarding your animals is that you have to experiment with what will work for you and your particular animals.Each animal is different and each situation and location is different.I read what others suggest and go from there.Most of my most successful feeding programs and pasturing and stabling situations have been accomplished by trying a few things that don't work until I get something that does work..When it works I don't try to fix it when somebody tells me what they are doing and SWEARS it is the ONLY WAY.I have observed that too many times trying to fix what ain't broke results in more problems.Hope you find what works for you without too many missed tries.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I have muzzles, dry lots and pasture and rotate between the three depending on the conditions. Muzzles when grass is new and too green in the spring and in the fall when we go through freeze thaw... I do limited free grazing... and use nice dry lot paddocks for the rest of the time.

I have lived through founder twice. One during a drought and one on very limited grazing in an over grazed almost sparse field. I totally believe the stories about stressed grasses with regards to founder, it is not only lush grass that causes problems . My boys LOVE their muzzles. They do not wear them all day, but off and on they are turned out to run around and eat a little bit of limited grass.

With out management of muzzles and dry lot my horses would never survive. This is what works for me here.

I totally believe that everybody situation is different and that what works for one set of horses would kill another set of horses.

 

[lucky seven]

My boy is on a dry lot and when my new pasture is finished, seven will have to wear a grazing muzzle so he has the freedom to run and kick up his heels. He has the room now but I can't wait to put him in a much larger area so he can motor around.

 

[eagles ring farm]

Our horses are on pasture all day it's not rich and kept mowed short but we have 1 mare if she is not in foal or with a foal at her side nursing

she will get ouchy on the pasture we do use a muzzle on her she stays inside extra time to eat her hay in the morning so she isn't hungry then is let out with the others,

she is good with it , but at first a few years back the first we tried it it was funny she would keep backing up trying to back out of it.

She is prown to founder but she does enjoy being out with the others, and of course she gets hay in her stall at night too

 

[Brody]

This is a helpful thread for ideas. I have been going back and forth on how to best solve the turnout options. Right now with spring/lush grasses coming up I limit turnout time with mine to a few hours a day. Once things dry up a bit (in a month or so) I let them out most of the day. Recently, I came across this blog post that touches on main ideas from the book Paddock Paradise:

Link: http://ecoequine.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/a-different-kind-of-turnout-paddock-paradise/#more-1559

I was wondering if anyone has came across this book or idea before, or tried it out? As I look into improving my little farm I am considering of doing this - basically the idea is to make a dry lot run around the pasture area - so the horses have plenty of room to be turned out all the time to exercise and run around, but I can still control their access to the green grass. It goes a bit further in the blog about adding obstacles and items of interest to the dry lot area to keep the horses engaged and stimulated. I'm excited about trying this out as I plan out fencing for my next pasture area, but would love to hear others thoughts on it before I put in all the work!

 

[AnnaC]

I read about these Paradise Paddocks years ago and thought them a brilliant idea! Fun and interesting for the horses, keeps the horses on the move in a more natural way, plus being good for their feet when different surfaces are included. The extra idea of criss crossing the central grass area with interacting gates also rings the changes, and you can open the small remaining grass areas as a treat every now and again, which also helps to add exercise as the horses then have to negotiate the normal walk ways to return to their water supply or to find extra hay supplies, shelter etc.

Could be a bit expensive to set up in the first place, but you could start small and increase the space/walks available as time passes.

 

[Mona]

I totally agree with AnnaC...a GREAT idea, but too expensive for most people to do.

 

[Shari]

Getting Maggie used to the spring grass again, she wears a grazing muzzle. We start for an hour for two weeks, then two hours for another week and so on.
She has a Best Friends grazing muzzle and doesn't mind it. I use a break away halter.

Once she is used to the grass,, I take the muzzle off... unless she is gaining too much weight. Then the muzzle goes back on. Having a grazing muzzle on, is much better than the Mini's foundering.