IR Pony, Grazing Muzzle, and Snow - need advice for IR newbie

[DressageLin]

I bought a 12 hand 20 year old pony this summer. She has been a lesson/camp/babysitter pony for years and needed an easier life. I suspected cushings and just got the levels back and she does have elevated ACTH (141 pg/ml (reference 9-35)) and elevated insulin (50 (reference 10-40)).

We are starting her on prascend. She is currently on a ration balancer (about 1/2 pound 2x per day), good pasture during the day in muzzle, and first cutting hay at night in stall. Hay is probably 3 flakes loose over the evening and then she has a slow feed net.

We got our first big snow in the mid-atlantic area. I turned her out with her thinline muzzle this morning and now I’m at work worrying about her. Should I remove her muzzle when it snows? I tossed hay into the pastures but I know that’s difficult to eat in a muzzle. We have about 5 inches of snow on the ground. The pasture is large, so has ample grass. I always turnout with the muzzle.

I have tried doing a bit of research, but I need some advice for winter with this pony. What do you do when it snows? Will there be a point that it’s safe to take grazing muzzle off for turnout. Is there something else I am missing for better management?

Thanks in advance.

[JB]

Insulin resistance and PPID really means she needs tested low NSC hay, or have it soaked.

5" of snow isn’t a lot of space between it and the ample grass, so I’d be worried about that.

She may never be ok on grass without a muzzle, Winter or not.

[anon81364900]

Leave the muzzle on. When grazing in snow, horses have to paw and push the snow around with their (real ) muzzles anyway. So Pony’s ability to graze isn’t going to be much affected by snow.

Late autumn is a particularly dangerous time for IR horses to graze. The grass sugar can be insanely high because it’s still producing sugar but it’s not using that sugar to grow anymore. Sunny, warmish days and frosty nights is a recipe for very high sugar. Rule of thumb is you need a good hard freeze to really force the grass into dormancy, and then some soaking rain or snow to wash out the trapped sugars. For me, I also want to see that most of the grass is dried/yellow, so they’re grazing for the entertainment value rather than nutrition. I know I’m doing it right if they come in from a day in the pasture and go right to the roundbale.

I started allowing 12-hour grazing sessions a couple weeks ago, but I’m up in Iowa and our temps are routinely in the 20s overnight, we’ve had multiple snows, and the pasture is about 75% yellow/dead leaves. Down where you are I bet the grass stays green well into the winter and you’re not going to have a whole lot of time each year where an IR pony is safe without a muzzle.

[NaturallyHappy]

HungarianHippo, Your Post was very helpful. Thank you.

[Weezer]

I have seen snow and ice build up on a muzzle. I think it would be uncomfortable for the horse so I keep my IR mini in a pen until the snow is hard enough that she can’t dig through to the grass.

[EmilyM]

the pony could also go on metformin.

[PaddockWood]

My two are muzzled in the snow. Yes, it sucks. Snow gets in their muzzle. But, it sucks less than laminitis. That’s what I tell them. “If you thinks this sucks imagine laminitis.”

At least they are out moving and getting a little grass. Grass under snow is stressed meaning sugars can be even higher.

I give mine a chance - either in the drylot with hay in slow feeders or go out with the muzzle. They choose muzzle and out moving every.single.day.

[PaddockWood]

My mare went on it and nearly immediately developed lip and oral sores. We stopped it and they went away and didn’t come back. Just a heads up that it can happen.

[NaturallyHappy]

Paddock wood is absolutely right. Metformin can cause nasty oral sores. There is one manufacturer that does not cause those painful sores. If I can figure out how to post a picture, I will. We’ve had experience w both.

[EmilyM]

Metformin can cause sores. I have had luck mixing it in no sugar applesauce, and it eliminated the problem.

[NaturallyHappy]

Good tip! Thank you!