I have a 28 year old QH easy keeper who’s in great health. He’s down to one pasture buddy - a senior TB hard keeper. I put them out on the spring grass together and the QH gained so much weight that his “fat girth” won’t even fit! I am concerned that we could be on our way to health problems so I ordered a greenguard muzzle for the QH. If he wears it for a month or so, we will probably be in the dry phase where the grass isn’t very good. In the past I’ve kept the horses off the spring grass but this new TB does much better on it. Separate turn out or stall confinement are not options for the QH. But part of me feels badly about putting a muzzle on a 28 year old horse who has never had one before. At this point in his life my focus is quality of life over quantity of life. Should I let him just eat like crazy and deal with what may come? If he were 15 years old, I’d muzzle him for sure. I have a mini who gets turn out only with a muzzle and she has adjusted well but it took a year or so for her to stop hating it.
Letting him get so fat he crashes metabolically is not a real option!
To seriously founder is a horrible way to go, in such pain.
You must not have seen a foundered horse, is beyond a mere quality of life issue, is torture.
I would say is best to have a horse that is a bit put out with dry lot, separation from other horses or muzzling, if necessary, to a sick or foundered horse, any day.
Caring for some horses is anxiety producing, sorry you are there now with him.
Maybe you could also check with your vet, see if blimping out may be one symptom of Cushing’s and starting him on medication would be warranted?
Thanks for the reply. He’s already on Cushing meds and I’ve been told that Cushing horses are more prone to founder so that is my concern. I have seen him at this weight a few times in the past and he has never foundered before so my first thought was that he’ll drop weight when the grass dries up and it will be fine. But I wonder if he may be more vulnerable to founder as an older horse? You’re probably right that I should muzzle him. He’ll hate me for awhile, but c’est la vie, I suppose.
It’s no fun putting a horse in grazing muzzle but I ditto @Bluey that it is absolutely gut wrenching to watch a horse in pain from founder.
Yes you can give the horse pain killers but, if the founder is serious enough that only helps so much. The hooves then need x-rays and a QUALIFIED farrier who knows how to trim according to the vet’s instructions.
The level of care to help your now healthy 28 year old goes up dramatically and his quality of life goes down dramatically.
I’m one of those been there done with a foundered horse and I really feel for you in your dilemma but it’s either a muzzle during the daytime or watch him potentially die from founder, in which case your conscience will cause you to lose a lot of sleep for a long time.
Sorry to sound harsh but given you have muzzled Minis, you already know the right answer to your question.
You love this horse, elst he wouldn’t still be around at 28, living the good retirement life. I hate muzzles but I used one on my horse for three seasons, until he went into IR remission — they are sometimes a necessary evil as you have learned with your Minis:)
The one thing you will have to watch for is the possibility of ulcers from the stress of wearing the muzzle. At 28 years old, it wouldn’t hurt to put the fella on a good digestive supplement such as Succeed or Egusin. Both are excellent but Succeed is a little cheaper for nine days more treatment.
My two remaining horses are 26 & 28 and in good health; they are both on Succeed permanently to help their digestive tracts . I am 75 so I’m well aware of how the digestive tract can start heading south with old age:)
Great idea to include some gut support when I start with the muzzle! I already have some Madbarn gut support (I forget the name) for the TB so I’ll start the QH on it now while I wait for the muzzle.
My old Cushings horse didn’t even go on a muzzle, I fixed some small traps with minimal grass for him, practically dry lots, so he could walk around and think he was grazing.
The other horses were right across the fence in real pastures, coming and going.
He adjusted fine and was quickly happy with that, more than keeping him muzzled and out with them, then, he was at a stage in his life where alone was kind of nice in his estimation, all his food and times to come and go were his without worrying where others are or sharing, etc.
Each horse is different and all we can do is try our best to manage them.
We keep changing what we do as we see a need to and hope to get it right all around, for their health that can keep their quality of life up for as long as possible.
If it’s any consolation my horse adjusted to wearing his GG muzzle way faster than I expected. I really don’t think it bothers him at all now. He busted one of the leather hanger straps the very first day though. He takes fly masks off pretty regularly but the muzzle on the halter stays on good. I’ve got the muzzle attached to a well worn leather halter.
I used to have a few foundery horses boarded here so I had grazing tracks that worked really well. When the high-strung TB moved in, she would occasionally panic and run through the electric fencing that make the tracks. So when the founder horses moved out, I just opened it all up. I guess that was a bad idea for the QH. I have a basket muzzle in his size which I put on him a few time this week and he’d just sulk in the barn. That’s why I ordered the greenguard. But I just put the basket muzzle on him and he’s finally out grazing so he may be over the pouting. This horse is extremely emotional. The greenguard will be better for the hot weather.
PPID horses are prone to also developing insulin resistance, and allowing him to get, or keeping him fat, would increase that risk
Use the muzzle 
100% use the muzzle. Laminitis and founder are unbearably painful and not always survivable. It’s a terrible way to go. I have seen a number of horses who have foundered because their owners felt badly putting muzzles on. Every single one has felt far worse, knowing that they allowed the horse to eat their way into such a devastating condition, which likely could have been prevented. With a Cushings horse, you are also looking at a higher risk for soft tissue injury, which is another reason to keep the weight in check.
Getting old sucks for humans and animals on so many levels. I hate the fact that I can’t eat the way I used to and if I do, I will gain weight. So I don’t eat sugar/ carbs( my favorite things) anymore and my weight is where it used to be.
Your horse doesn’t know he is fat ( shouldn’t eat grass) and believe me you will feel much, much worse if you let him graze unmuzzled and he does develop laminitis. He needs you to step in and protect him.
My mare hates her muzzle ( GG). I spend the first 6 weeks of grazing season doing all I can to trick her into being caught (in her overnight dry lot) so I can get it on. She does adjust and now I just walk up , slip it on and let them out for the day.
When the grass ages and gets " drier" I am able to let her graze unmuzzled for a hour or two but I watch her closely and go back to all the time if her weight goes up much. She has ample hay in her dry lot overnight. It is for their own good but it is hard and I wish she didn’t need one.
They don’t hate the green guard muzzle all that much. I only have 1 of 7 horses that spends time trying to remove it.
The horses get used to the muzzles and don’t mind them so much. Even the older ones. Put a cookie in the bottom of the muzzle when you put it on so they get a reward for getting the muzzle on.
Putting a grazing muzzle on doesn’t reduce the quality of life THAT much. They are adaptable and they get used to them fast! Having gone through laminitis with my gelding last spring, the thought of your suggestion of just letting a cushings horse at the grass makes me squirm. Knowingly setting a horse up for increased, PAINFUL medical issues the require a ton of management that will reduce quality of life? Then what? Just euth him? What happens if that happens this year? I have to think that scenario will likely be a lot harder for you to handle than letting him get used to a grazing muzzle.
So it’s said, I am definitely of the put them down a day sooner than let them suffer camp, but knowingly set them up for that? No way. 100% use the muzzle!
Thanks everyone. He’s been wearing a muzzle for almost a week now. He still very dramatic about it. I switched to the greenguard about halfway through the week and I put a treat in it when I put his muzzle back on after he eats his supplements. He is ok to get it on but anytime I touch his face while he’s wearing the muzzle, he spooks. The muzzle isn’t rubbing anywhere or putting pressure anywhere: he’s just always been a drama queen. Hopefully he settles soon. I imagine I’ll be able to take g to he muzzle off in August once the grass starts to dry out. It’s been a wet summer so far!
