[SallyRC123]

Candy is recovering from a minor-lamintis :shock: attack, and is temporarily living in a small yard at the stables, 1.5km from her paddock. She can't stay there forever, and the Vet has advised me to get her a grazing muzzle before taking her home. Has anyone had any experience with grazing muzzles? There is a pony in my paddock that wears one, and the holes are tiny! I don't see how she could get any thing of substance through it! I would feel really awful making Candy wear one..:-( but you have to be cruel to be kind I guess... thoughts?

 

[justsambam08]

Well, thats the whole point of the grazing muzzle. It allows them to graze some, but not as much as regular horses so they don't gain weight and founder. Just make sure to get her a breakaway halter to attach to the muzzle.

 

[tealamutt]

I understand how you're feeling about this, but I literally saw a horse's two front feet FALL OFF during a euthanasia for severe laminitis. That poor horse must have been suffering horribly. To me, a grazing muzzle (which, as justsam points out keeps them from eating whatever they want and limits intake) is not particularly cruel if it is for prevention of overeating and laminitis.

If there is another way to limit intake, perhaps you could look into that (stalling, soaking hay to reduce sugar content, dry lotting, more exercise once the acute stage is over...) Everytime you feel "sorry" for putting her in the muzzle, think of the pain you're sparing her by doing so!!