Being on pasture offers many benefits such, as natural grazing behaviors and, for those horses in groups, an opportunity to socialize and interact more naturally. Using a muzzle allows access to these benefits while greatly reducing the weight-gain-associated risks. | Photo: Erica Larson

Q. I live in the Pacific Northwest and keep my horse at a boarding facility that has pasture turnout from late spring through fall. The pastures are about to open, and last year I struggled to maintain my horse’s weight when he was on pasture. He’s not insulin resistant but gained too much weight, and I know this isn’t good for him. He also developed loose manure when first on pasture, which is a condition I’d like to avoid this year. I’m considering using a grazing muzzle and wonder if you have any advice, because there seem to be several different types available. Additionally, do you have any suggestions for avoiding the loose manure?

A. Kudos to you for being proactive when it comes to managing your horse’s pasture time and balancing the benefits of pasture grazing with the all-too-common pitfalls. While some horses are lucky in that they can graze for unlimited periods of time with little negative impact on their condition, this is unfortunately not the case for many horses.

It’s a commonly held belief that many livestock species, including horses, will eat to meet their calorie needs. Indeed, this is sometimes true; however if this were the case all the time, horses would not gain weight on pasture. Weight gain is a sign that calorie intake exceeds requirement. Muzzles have been shown to significantly reduce calorie intake and weight gain in horses on pasture and are a useful management tool for those that gain too much weight