Cutting off my horse's muzzle could kill him

A horse owner says a muzzle she uses to protect her horse from a potentially life-threatening condition has been cut off four times in the last two months.

Charlotte Juridch, from Heanor in Derbyshire, puts a muzzle on her horse, George, for parts of the day to restrict his grazing and avoid pain or discomfort.

The 17-year-old horse has always suffered from laminitis, an "extremely painful" condition affecting the hooves of one in 10 horses and ponies every year, according to the British Horse Society.

"Removing muzzles can cause lots of medical problems and it can be life-threatening," said Juridch, who is keen to educate the public.

"I can appreciate they might look a little bit sinister, but they're actually saving lives and helping the horse live its life to the best that it can," she added.

Gemma Stanford, from the British Horse Society, has said grazing muzzles can be a useful weight management tool for horses if introduced carefully.

Juridch said she has had George since the age of four and had done her research into his condition to keep him in good health.

The British Horse Society said there was no "safe season" when it came to laminitis and excess weight could "more than double the risk" of a horse developing symptoms.

The condition causes tissues in the hoof to stretch, weaken and become damaged, which can cause the pedal bone to move within the hoof.

The charity confirmed severe cases "often require euthanasia to end the horse's suffering", and advised owners to restrict the horse's movement and access to grass.

"Grazing muzzles allow horses important freedom to move, eat grass and be with their friends," said Stanford, who is the director of horse care and welfare for the charity.

"They should never be left on 24/7 as this can become too restrictive for the horse; research guidance recommends no longer than 10-12 hours a day."

Wearing the £23 muzzle means George can explore the fields without overeating and developing pain in his hooves.

"If he eats as much as he can, that can cause his laminitis to spike," she said.

"He can go quite lame, he can start limping, be quite short in his strides and he can have heat in his feet.

"In severe cases, he doesn't want to put any weight on his front legs, which means they're outstretched, and he tips his weight backwards, just to relieve the pressure."

Multiple times in the last couple of months, Juridch has arrived at George's yard to find his muzzle cut into multiple pieces.

"It's obviously someone intervening that has basically chopped it up, sadly," she said.

"It's someone else's property, but you're also endangering the horses by removing them," she added.

Stanford backed this, saying these actions could have "serious consequences".

"It can be the difference between keeping a horse well or them suffering from issues such as colic or laminitis, both of which can be life-threatening," she said.

Juridch said other horse owners in the area had contacted her sharing similar experiences.

Shelley Kinney, in nearby Awsworth in Nottinghamshire, said she had the same thing happen to her Dartmoor pony, Pixie, earlier this year, after she was treated for laminitis in January.

She said in the first instance, there was a possibility the muzzle could have come loose, but the second time she noticed cuts to the material.

"Somebody's coming around cutting horses' muzzles off, thinking it's cruel, I'm assuming, but actually putting the horse at risk.

"If she has too much grass in a day, she could get laminitis again, and if she gets it again, she will not survive," she added, also concerned that a blade was branded so close to her pony's face.

Both owners wanted to explain to people why they use muzzles to prevent future incidents.

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