Is a muzzle for my sick horse cruel?

[marge2]

Hi I desperately need some opinions. My beloved 18 year old mare has laminitis which has not properly responded to be locked in a stable with only hay and bute and other drugs for 8 weeks plus fiendishly expensive special shoeing. Vet took blood tests and today has given me the news that she has metabolic syndrome ( a bit like diabetes in humans) and possibly also cushings disease. This means she will never be allowed to live out full time again and will only be allowed very little, if any, grass, for her to have any chance of the laminitis not recurring if we can get her sound in the first place. She was always porky in the summers, has become quite overweight since she's has been on box rest.

I cannot afford for her to be on part livery and DIY isn't an option with two young kids and a job. The only type of livery I can afford these days is grass livery, which is apparently now not an option. I have owned her for 15 years, 9 of which were DIY before the kid, and struggled till last October with Part livery getting myself into a spiral of credit card debt to afford it. I took the decision to have her live out permanently last Oct and she got through the winter brilliantly..

I am having a talk to the vet tonight about my options. One thing I will suggest is having her live out on a bare paddock ( winter quagmire!) and with a muzzle which could be taken off for a few hours a day. I think this may keep the laminitis at bay, but I also think it is cruel to keep a horse that way.

I am coming to the conclusion that this is it and she will have to be put down.

Has anyone had experience of a horse or pony living out with a muzzle. I can only think it must be torture for the poor things.

My heart is breaking.

It is not cruel at all, a huge amount of horses are kept muzzled while at grass, it is standard really nowadays to prevent laminitis.

also, soak the hay for 12 hrs so all the sugar is gone out of it and feed a low calorie balancer to replace the vitamins.

I don't know much about the subject but a small pony in a field down the road from my parents was muzzled last year and looked perfectly happy.

Thanks Country girl. I have seen plenty of fat little ponies with muzzles, but they always look pretty fed up to me. My girl is 16.1 WBxTB. Vet says its quite unusual for a big horse like her to get this metabolic thing.

Waiting for the vet to call with the cushings results. I'll certainly suggest a muzzle. I guess I have to try it and see how she gets on - if we can ever get over this current bout of laminitis.

Thanks to you both - I now have more confidence to try a muzzle.

I have this idea, which I will propose to the vet. If he says it is a possibility,(and assuming she ever goes sound again) I will run it by the lovely helpful girl who manages the yard and who loves my girl too. I hope it will be possible.

Daytime with muzzle in big field with mates. Night time in 15x15m corner with soaked hay, water and muzzle off? I'll see if I can maybe afford to get a little corner post and rail fenced rather than using electric tape. The yard manager's boyfriend does fencing for a living so it would be easy to arrange if she is happy to allow it. I am pretty sure my horse would get through that elec fencing in order to get to grass if she was determined.

Probably also a time in the little paddock for hay during the day.

Poor old girl!