Lucy thought that I was kidding yesterday when I threatened her with talk of a grazing muzzle. I wasn't.
Lucy is prone to chubbiness, so rather than having to put her on a diet at the end of grazing season,
I'm making her wear this most unattractive muzzle now. She is not pleased.
George: You don't want to know how ridonkulous you look.
Lucy adjusted to wearing the muzzle without incident. Her only reaction was to follow me everywhere I went,
begging me to remove it.
Lucy: I'll never be able to show my face in public again.
Lucy: Take this @#$%! thing off now. I mean it.
Me: Sorry, Toots. Ain't happenin'.
It took her all of two seconds to figure out she could still eat with it on...just not as much.
There's a hole in the bottom that allows her to drink water and nibble little bites of grass instead of great big mouthfuls.
The attached halter has breakaway clips, so I'm not too concerned with her getting hung up on something and hurting herself.
(Here's a link to Best Friend Equine Supply, where I purchased the muzzle. I bought it for Lyle
when we moved here in '05. He wore it for several months without destroying it, so yeah, it's very well made!)
Anyway, my plan is to have Lucy wear it only during the day. She had it on for six hours yesterday and managed just fine,
except for all the cursing and dirty looks.
Alan: What in the hell have you got on your face?
Lucy: Shut up and help me take it off.
Lucy: I mean it, mom. Take this off. Now. I promise I won't eat as much.
Lucy: Come on, George. Help me out here.
George: Fat chance. More grass for me.
Two of my horses get to wear those all summer long so don't feel too bad, Lucy.
ReplyDeleteYou'll thank your mom when you don't have to diet. ;)
I bet Lucy wishes she had taken part in the mask games with Alan, now. She might have a hope of getting out of the muzzle. Hope she has better luck with a diet than I do.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I saw a horse die from eating too much grass, so I think that muzzle is a great idea. If Lucy only knew you have her best interests at heart.
ReplyDeletepoor poor girl! how do you know she is eating too much? or more than the others? do you sleep in the pasture with them? you amaze me!
ReplyDeleteThe two boys are always jumping, running and playing so I guess they wear their pasture fat off. Poor Lucy, I'm there too always getting fat off the land. Maybe I should get one of those and muzzle me!
ReplyDeleteBest always,
Lucy's markings in the last photo are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteThe inhabitants are always, but the green is amazing -- it almost hurts my eyes. Isn't it a wonderful change?
ReplyDeleteDusty and Sami have to wear them too Lucy. It's not fun but its for your own good. God, I used to hate when my mother said that!
ReplyDeletehey, it's dual purpose...she even gets more exercise running around trying to convince somebody, anybody...to take the damn thing off...hahahha.... poor Lucy...but, good plan....
ReplyDeleteI guess it's going around. Tessa is wearing the same muzzle and Emma is likely to be next. It wasn't a big hit...
ReplyDeletehttp://thedancingdonkey.blogspot.com/2013/07/cruel-cruel-world.html
Do they make those masks in my size?
ReplyDeleteNot used to seeing green vistas on 7MSN. Lucy will forgive you. May not forget, but will forgive and accept.
ReplyDeleteWhen Secretariat retired to a farm outside Paris KY he had all the lovely limestone enriched grass he wanted for his sunset time. And that big boy could eat.
Poor Lucy, she never realized that she would someday need George's help. Always be nice to everyone Lucy, because you don't know when you will need their help in the future!
ReplyDeleteIt's just so hard to imagine you can get fat on grass. So I guess in the wild it is feast and famine. Since 7MSN would never have them miss a meal.. this seems to be a small price to pay for the good life. You take wonderful care of them!
ReplyDeleteOh, the humaniliation of it all!
ReplyDeleteWow! You sure have a lot of grass after your last rain...yup..time for a diet, Lucy! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have four horses with them on this year, they always make me laugh because I can just see the evil looks
ReplyDeleteI need me one of those.
ReplyDeletekeeping one's lovely figure is such a bitch!! poor deprived girl.
ReplyDeleteOh, poor Lucy. She looks a little like Hannibal Lector in it...don't tell her I said that.
ReplyDeleteThey did a study recently in the UK which gave fat ponies just three hours a day without a grazing mask. They then ate quickly enough to manage an entire day if normal intake in just three hours!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to be 24/7 tough?
I can't, so good luck!