Is the horse getting enough through > the grazing muzzle to sustain him?? or should I make an effort to go > there each day and let him free graze for an hour or two. Will he > eventually adjust to the grass or will he always have to wear the > muzzle? Hot dry summer weather will be here soon in NJ and with it the > lush spring grass will fade to be replaced by brown stubble. Do you > think he can then graze normally. He is out 24/7.
Boy I wouldn't take it off! My Icey (and the TWH) get one hour of grass per day. They also get about 2 flakes each, tops, of crummy weedy old alfalfa/ grass hay (b/c that's all I have right now) per day, for something to do. He gets a handful of feed (Safe Choice) to go w/ his vitamins/flax meal. Both are now working on eating the barn, altho I think that's pretty lo-cal. Both of them are on the verge of being fat. I can barely feel TWH's ribs, and can't feel the Icey's ribs. They have a large (about 1 acre) dry lot to run and play (they do at night still, when it's cooler). When your grass matures you can probably turn your pony out 24/7, altho still keep an eye out, esp. w/ any rains. Also, sometimes dry, stressed grass has more sugar in it than lush grass. Re: the muzzle--if it seems like he's losing weight, then give him time w/o it. But I think even 1-2 hrs is way too much, and he's probably getting plenty of grass thru the muzzle, plus it gives him something to do. Robyn
