“Stock Photo from Manufacturer – see hole on bottom”

Icelandic horses are survivors – and Perla has been a mother who also assured the survival of her colts –  I think she needed to make sure that she was well fed to assure enough milk for the colt.  She is the first to the feed source, attempts not to share, and leaves only when all food is gone or I saddle her up and ride down the hard surface road where very few weeds grow up thru the cracks – You got the idea, right! SHE LOVES TO EAT. and the Icelandic’s digestive system has evolved over the centuries to waste nothing – any intake of grass, weed, or woody bog plant, is converted to fat reserves – just incase an extra long winter hits Iceland! Or the Vikings need the grass sod to build houses or stole the limited pasture/tundra space to plant food for themselves!

Anyway, the veterinarian says she must loose 15/20% 150/200 pounds in 4 months – or laminitis  will cripple her!

Some more background:  Perla must also protect the herd – well, I think she must really protect her position in the herd – and that can not be done if she is not with the herd – so keeping her in the barn alone and controlling her intake of growing green stuff is not a good idea – Why? Do you know about extreme cribbing?  Extreme cribbing means Perla would chew on the walls of the stall in the barn – and kick them, push on them –  until either her teeth wore down to nubbins or the barn structure was compromised and the barn may fall down around her head. Neither is a good idea!

So a muzzle with a little hole in the bottom is the answer – she won’t starve but the muzzle controls volume – unless we (Perla) figures out how to remove said muzzle.

Survivors are smart horses – she prioritizes well – spend hours eating thru little hole – get energy – wait until humans go to bed – then go to furthest away fence post and rip the dam…. thing off – go eat lots, then stand by and wait for humans to wake up and find the muzzle that she has hidden near far away post. Ha, Ha, Ha!!! says she.

But I am smart too – I modify the muzzle design each time I find what I think is a weakness in it’s design – so you see I am in a battle of brain power with an equine – Who is the smartest ? not sure yet – the vet says after 3 days she will settle down and accept muzzle and forget that life was ever different for her – she will accept the muzzle as a part of her nose and just assume that is the way she was made. Well, since the muzzle is off all night I am guessing it will take at least 6 days? – I will keep you informed!

In the mean time – click over to the TGO Camera Club Home Page – See menu to the left – Members have been shipping me great stuff to post there!