ResourcesUpdated 21 days ago
Links to relevant research papers and articles can be found in many of our Help Center articles. Prefer to browse on your own? We've also listed them here with a brief overview for your convenience.
Interaction of Grazing Muzzle Use and Grass Species on Forage Intake of Horses
The use of a grazing muzzle reduced adult horse's pasture intake by approximately 30%, regardless of cool-season grass species grazed.
Pasture intakes were significantly reduced when ponies were fitted with a muzzle such that pasture dry matter intake was reduced by an average of 83% (range 75-88 percent) compared to when the ponies were grazing without their muzzles.
Grass length can affect muzzled grazing behaviour in ponies
Grazing muzzles can be an effective tool to help with equine weight management, according to new research, but longer grass can be more difficult for muzzled ponies to graze. This can cause frustration-related behaviour in some individuals.
Monitoring and managing your horse’s weight is an important part of horse ownership, particularly if you own a “good doer”. Ensuring that your horse does not become overweight means that your horse is at less risk of developing Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), laminitis, arthritis, and other chronic health conditions.
Grazing muzzles are used to restrict grass intake, not to prevent a horse from eating. Restricting grass intake is important for horses with a tendency to gain weight or that are susceptible to laminitis.