Horsegals - Grazing muzzles and treeless saddle advice, if you please!

[marmadukescarlet]

Ok we have 2 rescued ponies that had been severely lamanitic before they came to us. In 2 years with us they had stayed sound until last Oct (yes really) when I turned them out into a big field (31 acres not ours but we have free use of)and in 1 week they were lame!

(long story) We usually keep them in a strip grazed small paddock (1.5acres) which is fine, resting it for a while every few months. It got badly flooded 3 winters in a row and needed some TLC.

Got a guy in to FERTILISE it and he put weedkiller on it - I called the manufacturer and I cannot graze it for 4 weeks then it needs to be cut and rake up all cuttings! (pah).

ATM they are shut in their field shelter neighing madly and kicking - not used to being in.

My options are put them into the big field with GM on or keep them shut in for 4 weeks.

The problem is aren't they supposed to spend part of each day out of the GM? The chances of mine letting me catch them to put them back on is slim to none. Also my mare is headcollar houdini and will get it off.

I accept neither is great situation. I've never had good doers (or greedy ponies) before and am more used to stuffing mine full of sugar beet and hard feed to keep weight on!

Also treeless saddles...Mare is a great little LR pony but DD is now too big for cub saddle and felt saddle isn't structured enough (no cantle or kneerolls) for DD to feel secure. At the stables she rides bigger things off the leadrope but mare is far too headstrong to be off lr or lunge.

She is also far to barrel shaped to fit even a maxim extra wide, I've tried cruppers and all manner of leatherwork but still have wobbly saddles (and depleted bank balance). DD has dyspraxia and needs to feel secure as her balance is poor. Does anyone have any experience of treeless dressage saddles or western style? I don't want to spend a fortune as DD is only a fun rider and does not want to join in Pony Club, Prince Phillip or gymnkanas (how can I have given birth to someone so not horsey?!!)

Can you not put up some temporary electric fencing and strip-graze the big field?

I think it would be fine for you to put them out in grazing muzzles, but maybe not for too long - just enough to have a run around (hour or so).

Have you had a saddler out to fit some saddles - I think you must be able to get a super wide one somewhere. Is she barrel shaped becasue she is abit plump though? If so, i'd get her down to ideal weight before you invest in a saddle. I dont't know much about tree-less saddles, but am sure a saddler would. HTH

Or you could ask for your ponies to be turned out somewhere else - a friends field, or a local livery yard might be willing to let them be turned out for a while? Or if you have an arena put them in there with some piles of hay.

I've had a saddler out, pony has no withers even when really fit. So a Maxam extra wide goes on but just cannot be kept still enough for DD to feel secure - DD now rides bareback all the time which means her riding isn't progressing (at home) and Mummy is getting irritated

I've asked all round here, everyone has enormous fields - mostly with sheep in as is the case with the big filed we use.

We cannot sucessfully strip graze the 31 acres as it is all one field, I just do not have enough poles and electric rope to go all the way across! We created a pen in it last year but during a thunder storm they went through it and after that even with fresh batteries they decided it was worth the moments pain for the gain! I cannot have a mains one as I have a DS with SN who doesn't understand 'no touching'.

I think njm, I will take up your suggestion of turning out during the day with muzzels and then tempting back in with some feed and tucking them away for the night.

Thanks all.

i'd definately go for the grazing muzzles, and electric strip fencing if possible, otherwise muzzles have got to be better than being in for a month. With the electric fencing can't you use two corners of the real fence and then make an elctric pen with the other two sides, then you could run 2 or 3 rows of tape/rope and have them all charged - should keep the little dears in if you put in a wooden corner post on the two temporary sides it could be made quire secure.
All the treeless saddles are really pricey, and keep a good premium s/hand so if you don't want to spend that sort of money you try a bareback pad (google for them) - basically a numnah with something to hand stirrups off, try and lay your hands on a fieldhouse haflinger xxwide, or use a rubber pimpled girth with the maxam xwide, and possibly breastplate and/or crupper (deeply unfashionable these days, I used one on my first/second and third ponies in t'awd days)but they do keep the saddles in place.

sorry for cr** typing,
you could try .....
hang stirrups
etc

I use grazing muzzles on my fat Foresters. The Shires ones are good or for little ponies the Dinky Rugs one is recommended by a lot of people I know. I also have a very small corner of my field fenced off and they go in there overnight to give them a break from wearing the muzzles.

I have tried to use muzzles on my ponies - but if anyone has any suggestions as to how to keep them on I would be very grateful! Both ponies manage to remove the muzzle within minutes, even with a headcollar over the top!

tora, this doesn't bode well for my with the escape artist I've got!

loshad, thanks for the suggestion I've tried 3 ropes (I don't use tapes as rope is left from electrifying all my new wooden fences to stop the little blighters eating it) all charged the seem to have such thick manes they just put their heads down and charge.

I just looked on ebay and along with the expensive ones there are some cashel pads and bareback pads that may be suitabe. I'm tepmted by the treeless libra tec which is only £145, as we already have flat felt and leather (like cashel and bareback pads)and she would very much like the security of a cantle - I'm going to see if I can find one locally and get one fitted.

Snorris, I have the shires ones but prefer the look of the dinky ones - perhaps when mine have lost these in the big field ...

Found this website while looking for something else treeless saddles

I'm getting a treeless saddle for my horse. at least you don't have to worry about them not fitting as they are pretty much one-size-fits-all (within reason) e.g. the same saddle can fit a HW cob or a LW TB! I'd imagine you'd need a smaller size for a smaller pony & rider though.
you can find some examples of whats for sale on www.ebay.co.uk I've been told to avoid Indian made ones though as they aren't very good quality? don't know if this is true or not though.

as for the grazing, could you not fence off a corner of a field instead of a strip? and also maybe bring them in at night until they can go back in the small field.

I hate the idea of keeping horses locked up at all unless the weather is particularly atrocious but there isn't much choice when the alternative is laminitis.