Re: Are grazing muzzles cruel?

 Whats cruel is letting your horse get overweight because you don't want to restrict their grazing. A muzzle is an effective and humane way to be able to do that without having to keep your horse in. its cruel to have a horse standing in a stabel all day because it can't be on grass, or in a starvation paddock..

Muzzles are the kindest way to help a horse.

Re: Are grazing muzzles cruel?

I have had the same problem with my daughter's pony.  He very nearly had full blown laminitis last year but managed to catch it in time and he ended up having to stay in his stable for several days/weeks to try and limit his feed intake. I bought a grazing muzzle for him so that he could still enjoy going out in the sun with his friends but another livery said it was cruel and took it off.

Tried strip grazing but he went straight through the fencing or even jumped it when the electric was on!

This year unfortunately he is being moved to all year turn out as I have another horse on loan so I will not have access to a stable to keep him in and he is starting to get fat already despite there being not much grass and he's worked every other day!

Therefore I am going to have to get the grazing muzzle out again.

I would suggest putting it on your horse and staying with them for a while.  Also make sure that the grass is long enough for it to poke through the hole!

Grazing muzzles aren't cruel!  Allowing a pony to suffer with laminitis is!

Re: Are grazing muzzles cruel?

People who understand natural horse behaviour will tell you that grazing muzzles are not cruel as they restrict the grazing - don't stop it - especially useful with horses that would otherwise gorge themselves.  It does not help that many people feed extra to their horses during the winter -

The dartmoor ponies on the common get very fat during the summer when the grass is good then slowly burn off that fat off during the winter hence they are never at risk of lamintis when the spring comes. 

My Dartmoor pony is very cheeky - she'll get out of a grazing muzzle within 30 minutes of putting it on, jump over fencing and jump over the stable door.

I just have to be consistant and check she's still wearing hers - but I work from home and the horses are just outside so its easy.