Re: Grazing muzzles

" Jill" <news@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:6cu3q1F3inop0U1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> thanks  - that looks like one we saw which we were concerned would not 
> feed enough -- what training do you do when you first get one. The Best 
> Friend site mentions training.
> Its for a pony that will be out 24 / 7; a native [Highland] which has 
> laminitic potential and might be going somewhere with better grazing
than 
> its had in past years.
>


The only training I've done is just hand grazing until they figure it out.

It really does need to be adjusted corrected or they can get it off.  Once

they figure out that if they rub just so on a tree or the fence, and the 
horrid thing comes off, that's what they do.  So put it on a little
tighter 
than you think and try to pull it off over the ears.  If the throatlatch
is 
tight enough, it won't come off.  There is a safety release (velcro).

I wouldn't leave it on 24/7.  They will need either a dry lot to give him
a 
break, or arrange for a certain amount of time on the grass.  The mare
here 
can tolerate a couple of hours of grazing out of the 12-15 hrs they are 
turned out.  When she's in the barn or on the drylot she gets a low starch

feed once daily with a vit/min supplement as well.  This muzzle really
does 
restrict what they can eat.  They will tolerate it better if they aren't 
starving ALL the time.  Low starch, stemmy hay will fill in the chinks. 
The 
muzzle needs to be taken off and hosed out once a day as well.  Imagine 24

hrs of horse sneezes into a rubber bucket....  ewww

Oh, and it does cause some initial rubs and hair loss on the bridge of the

nose.  You can use fleece which helps that a lot. But it gets grubby fast!

Hope it works out!
Fran